What’s Your
Moonshot Idea?
2015 Speaker Guide
Table of Contents
Welcome
3
Background
4
Our Theme and Vision
5
Your Idea Worth Spreading
6
Getting Started
7
Developing Your Talk
8
The TED commandments
9
AV Specifications
10
For Your Inspiration
13
At Your Service
15
TEDxJackson is an independently organized event operated under license from TED
Welcome to
We are so excited to have you join us as a TEDxJackson speaker. You have been
chosen from a field of many talented and well-qualified individuals because we believe
you have a story to share with our audience.
Preparing for any TEDx event is a significant commitment. You will be appearing, in
person, before a select and high-profile audience of about 350 people. Video of your
talk will be posted online and, if accepted, on the official TEDx YouTube channel,
exposing your talk and your ideas to TED’s global audience of millions of people.
We hope you’re as excited as we are about your participation. On your end, you’ll need
to communicate with us regarding your talk idea and the content of your presentation:
We’ll need to see your slides and an outline of your talk in advance. We’ll also need to
schedule at least one rehearsal with you.
But please don’t feel overwhelmed. Our team is ready to provide you with as much help
as you need for refining your idea, planning your talk and preparing for the big day.
Don’t hesitate to contact any of the team members, using the contact info provided on
the last page of this guide, if you need assistance in any way.
To help you get started, this guide contains a short background guide to TED and
TEDxJackson, some details about our theme, preparation tips, the “TEDx
Commandments,” and a few technical specs.
Thank you so much for giving your time and your talents to our TEDx event. We are
ready to help you give the talk of your life.
Sincerely,
The TEDxJackson Team
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Background
About TEDxJackson
On November 12, 2015, TEDxJackson will hold its second TEDx conference. Our first
event was an amazing day, which included the first ever TEDx talk to feature the
beloved Muppet, Kermit the Frog (the creation of Mississippi native, Jim Henson) with a
special video introduction from TED luminary, Sir Ken Robinson.
We are building upon our successful launch with a new “liftoff.” As you may know,
Mississippi is home to the John C. Stennis Space Center, NASA’s largest rocket engine
test facility, which has been an important part of space missions from the Apollo
program to the present day.
Our 2015 theme, “Lift Off” will reflect on Mississippi’s contribution to space exploration
with speakers who are expanding knowledge, discovery and understanding of our
universe. We will also reflect on the metaphorical need to lift up Mississippi, by
improving the economic and social factors needed to provide a better life and brighter
future for all our state’s residents.
We believe that, by sharing ideas and inspiring action, TEDxJackson will continue to
encourage thinking and discussions that will build a strong future for the city of Jackson
and our state, while contributing to a larger, global conversation that builds on TED’s
vision of “ideas worth spreading.”
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About TED
TED is an annual event where some of the world’s leading thinkers and doers are
invited to share what they are most passionate about. “TED” stands for Technology,
Entertainment, Design — three broad subject areas that are, collectively, shaping our
future. In fact, the event is broader still, showcasing ideas that matter in any discipline.
Attendees have called it “the ultimate brain spa” and “a four-day journey into the future.”
The diverse audience — CEOs, scientists, creatives, philanthropists — is almost as
extraordinary as the speakers, who have included Bill Clinton, Bill Gates, Jane Goodall,
Frank Gehry, Paul Simon, Sir Richard Branson, Philippe Starck and Bono.
TED was first held in Monterey, California, in 1984. In 2001, Chris Anderson’s Sapling
Foundation acquired TED from its founder, Richard Saul Wurman. In recent years, TED
has expanded to include an international conference, TEDGlobal; media initiatives,
including TED Talks and TED.com; and the TED Prize.
About TEDx
In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events
that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks
video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small
group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x=independently
organized TED event.
The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual
TEDx events are self-organized and subject to certain rules and regulations.
5
Liftoff
Our Theme and Vision
Our 2015 theme, “Liftoff,” recalls events
that began with a stirring speech on
September 12, 1962.
On that date, President Kennedy
announced his goal to send an American
to the moon, saying “we choose to go to
the moon in this decade and do the other
things, not because they are easy, but
because they are hard.” The country
united behind this vision and, on July 20,
1969, his dream was realized.
Mississippi’s role in the race to put a man
on the moon is a great source of pride to
our state. Imagine if that same sense of
purpose and determination was applied to the many challenges our state faces today.
Imaginative new ideas can propel our state to new heights. We are looking for talks that
have strong ideas – moonshot ideas – to move our state and our world ahead,
advancing education, health and economic opportunity for the benefit of all people.
May your talk, and your ideas, be “one small step” that positively impacts our city, our
state and the world at large.
6
Your idea worth spreading
Ask yourself the four questions below. Keep refining your idea until you can answer
“yes” to each one.
• Is my idea new?
• Is it interesting to a broad audience?
• Is it factual and realistic?
• Am I the right person to be talking about it?
Carmine Gallow’s offers great advice in his book, Talk Like TED: The 9 Public Speaking
Secrets of the World's Tops Minds:
After reviewing the titles of all 1,600 TED talks currently available on TED.com, I
realized that none—not one—had a title longer than 140 characters, perfect for a
Twitter post. Among the most viewed: Ken Robinson (How schools kills creativity),
Brene Brown (The power of vulnerability), and Simon Sinek (How great leaders inspire
action). If you can’t keep your title to 140 characters, keep trying.
I spoke to some TED speakers who practiced 200 times for their 18-minute talks. One
person performed so well that Oprah discovered her. Today her career has enjoyed a
renaissance thanks to Oprah’s support and her now famous TED talk.
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Getting started
Preparation - TED presenters might make their TED talks look effortless, but there are
hours of thinking, preparing, practicing, slide revision, and memorization behind each
one. We want you to give the best talk of your life and to prepare yourself accordingly. If
you can’t make that commitment, you need to let us know.
Content - Your TEDx talk should be
focused and sharp. It should go deep
rather than broad. It should include
visuals that develop your ideas, rather
than distract from your purpose. It can
include unique aspects of your personal
experience or projects, but these
examples should be powerful,
illuminating and succinct.
Corporate, political or religious
plugs from stage are not permitted
and are considered an abuse of the
TEDx platform.
Timing - By license, TED and TEDx
talks are limited to 18 minutes. At
TEDxJXN, speakers will be giving talks
of various lengths, everywhere from 5
minutes to the full 18, depending on the
time it takes them to express their idea. 8
Developing your talk
Get to know the format – Be sure to watch lots of videos at TED.com so you can see
how top TED speakers organize their talks and connect with their audience. But don’t
stop there. Watch TEDx talks, too, and pay attention to what works and what doesn’t.
You should refer frequently to the TED Commandments, which contain great advice for
giving a talk worthy of the TED brand.
Practice, practice practice – The ideal presenter will speak slowly and clearly, deliver
the speech mostly by memory in a passionate and engaging way. The presenter will be
comfortable enough with the material that he or she can respond to potential technical
glitches or memory lapses.
Use slides effectively – A single, strong, graphic image or succinct line of text will tell
your story better than a crowded collage or packed paragraph. Remember, people need
to process everything you’re saying while simultaneously absorbing your slides. Rather
than one complex slide, show several slides, each with one idea, image or data point.
Avoid bullet points – Nobody wants to read along with your talk, so keep your outline
off the screen. Keep text to a minimum and include only one point per slide.
Use only the time you need – 18 minutes is the maximum length. Many great TED
talks are much shorter. Don’t feel like you have to use every minute.
Stay focused – Challenge yourself to keep a tight focus on your topic and your idea.
Avoid irrelevant or extraneous points and, if possible, lead your audience to a single,
powerful takeaway message.
Check your facts – Make sure any facts you cite are up to date and come from reliable
sources. Consult with outside experts if you need verification.
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Ask for help – If at any point you have a question (regardless of how trivial you think it
may be), please do not be afraid to ask us. We are here to help you make the best talk
possible and we are more than willing to help you out.
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The TEDx Commandments
These commandments are at the heart of every TED talk:
1. Dream big. Strive to create the best talk you have ever given.
2. Show us the real you. Share your passions, your dreams... and also your fears. Be
vulnerable. Speak of failure as well as success.
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3. Make the complex plain. Don’t try to dazzle intellectually. Don’t speak in
abstractions. Explain! Give examples. Tell stories. Be specific.
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4. Connect with people’s emotions. Make us laugh! Make us cry!
5. Don’t flaunt your ego. Don’t boast. It’s the surest way to switch everyone off.
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6. No selling from the stage! Unless we have specifically asked you to, do not talk
about your company or organization. And don’t even think about pitching your products
or services or asking for funding from stage.
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7. Feel free to comment on other speakers, to praise or to criticize. Controversy
energizes! Enthusiastic endorsement is powerful!
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8. Don’t read your talk. Your slides will be on a screen in front of you during your talk.
We encourage our speakers to read as little as possible. But if the choice is between
reading or rambling, then read!
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9. You must end your talk on time. Doing otherwise is to steal time from the people
that follow you. We won’t allow it.
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10. Rehearse your talk in front of a trusted friend...for timing, for clarity, for impact.
not be afraid to ask us. We are here to help you make the best talk possible and we are
more than willing to help you out.
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AV Specifications
Slides are not requirement – some of the best TED talks are spoken words and nothing
more. If you would like to features slides or video in your presentation follow the
guidelines below to ensure your presentation looks polished and professional. Your
visual presentation will be run off our laptops and projected onto a screen behind you.
Acceptable formats:
Presentation – Powerpoint, Keynote
Video – Windows Media, Quicktime
If you need assistance with your slide design or have any other special requirements,
please contact the TEDxJackson organizers.
Slide dimensions – 1024x768 pixels (4:3 aspect ratio) "
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Margins – You can run visuals edge-to-edge. But, to ensure best visibility, please keep
all type and important visual content inside a 10% to 20% margin.
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Text Size – Don’t use type smaller than 40 points. Please use on-screen text sparingly,
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Fonts – Sans-serif fonts (like Helvetica) are easier to read at a distance than serif fonts
(like Times New Roman). To avoid last-minute glitches with your presentation, font files
should be embedded in your presentation file. Avoid ornamental fonts or overly casual
fonts like Comic Sans. If in doubt, use Helvetica.
Background – A simple, elegant background behind your text should be used to
complement and enhance the readability of your words. If using a dark or black
background, you may want to make the text bold. Be sure to provide plenty of contrast
between the text and background for maximum legibility.
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LOW
CONTRAST Hard to read
HIGH
CONTRAST Easy to read
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Graphs, Graphics and Photos – Use high-resolution pictures and graphics. You must
properly license all images for TED’s use in worldwide video and web distribution. Don’t
use images from the web unless they are clearly licensed under Creative Commons for
use. If attribution is requested, be sure to cite the source in small type at the bottom of
your slide. For data graphs or charts, be sure to follow the minimum font size guidelines
above for all text, including axis and data point labels.
Video Files – Video files may be used in talks. Please coordinate with the TEDxJackson
organizers to ensure files will be properly displayed. Keep videos brief – preferably
under 60 seconds – and use only when needed to illustrate an idea more clearly. Avoid
videos that feature a soundtrack or seem self-promotional or commercial, which
encourage audiences to tune out.
Props – Think outside the screen. Sometimes physical objects or simple
demonstrations communicate much better than static images or video clips.
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For Your Inspiration
Connect – There’s a big difference between giving a
speech and giving a talk. Sir Ken Robinson’s video, “How
Schools Kill Creativity,” is the most watched TED talk of all
time, with more than 26 million views. Notice how he
connects with his audience using a variety of techniques
including informal style, humorous stories and a wellcrafted argument.
Ken Robinson: How Schools Kill Creativity
Speak from the Heart – Choose a topic you’re passionate
about and remember that audiences connect with stories, not
just facts and data. You don’t have to be perfect. You can be
more persuasive by not pretending that you’re perfect: In
crafting your argument, don’t be afraid to expose your
vulnerabilities or admit you don’t have all the answers.
Sheryl Sandberg: Why We Have Too Few Women Leaders
Demonstrate – Large numbers or abstract concepts can be
challenging for audiences to grasp. Demonstrations can be a
powerful tool for communicating in a more visceral way. In
his talk, Jamie Oliver dumps a wheelbarrow full of sugar
onto the stage to visualize how much sugar an average child
consumes in flavored milk products.
Jamie Oliver: Teach Every Child About Food
Make it Personal – Share meaningful, personal stories to
explain your connection to your topic and your reasons for
speaking about it. Audiences connect with people who
have a personal connection – not just an academic one –
to the subject matter. Don’t be afraid to challenge your
audience and inspire them to take action.
Bryan Stevenson: We Need to Talk About an Injustice 13
Be concise – Derek Sivers needed just three minutes to
demonstrate how social and business movements get their
start. His commentary and the humorous video make all
the necessary points with zero waste. Remember: 18
minutes is the maximum length – don’t feel like you need
to use all of it.
Derek Sivers: How to Start a Movement
Be Insightful – Armed with just an easel pad and marker,
Simon Sinek presents a simple, but powerful, insight into
leadership. Make sure your talk presents more than just
facts to your audience. Make your talk more meaningful by
“connecting the dots” between the facts and your own
observations and ideas.
Simon Sinek: How Great Leaders Inspire Action
Inform – Tell your audience something they don’t know. It
could be your own research or a compilation of outside ideas
that work together to support your point. TED audiences, both
in person and online, love to learn new things. But keep in
mind – and this is very important – a talk is not a lecture.
Find a way to make your content entertaining.
Suzana Herculano-Houzel: What’s So Special About the
Human Brain
Interact – Audience participation is a great way to energize
your audience. Make the task easy enough that you’re sure
to get lots of participation – just be ready for the
unexpected. Audiences members aren’t necessarily going
to play by your script, so it’s very important to rehearse
your idea several times in front of small groups.
Tim Brown: Tales of Creativity and Play 14
Questions? Requests? Problems?
The organizers of TEDxJackson are eager to help you prepare for your talk and
everything leading up to the big day. Want to bounce an idea off someone? Need help
designing and proofreading slides? Have some questions about your trip to Jackson?
We’re here for you and are just a phone call or email away.
Planning Committee Members
David Pharr
Organizer
[email protected]
601.291.3380
Tim Mask,
Co-Organizer
[email protected]
601.951.0963
Nina Parikh
Committee Member
[email protected]
601.750.5017
Randy Lynn
Committee Member
[email protected]
601-667-9170