What We’re Looking For
We are looking for speakers with Ideas Worth Sharing. Speakers who authentically connect with our audience. Speakers who must be able to convey one Big Idea or new information with passion and authority. We’re looking for speakers doing amazing work, or who know something few do, but all want to. You should have something truly important or unique to share, or you should challenge our audience to think about something in a new way. Speakers should be able to communicate their Big Idea in 8-10 minutes. There are many resources and videos online to help your message become an Idea Worth Sharing. Here are the official speaker rules.
Always keep in mind your Big Idea. The primary goal of your Talk is to communicate your idea effectively. Successful TEDxNormal talks teach, entertain, make us think, make us laugh, cry or inspire action – all through the sharing of the idea. Tell us why your idea is original, authentic, and why we should be interested.
We are proud to bring high caliber talks to the TEDxNormal community and – once speakers are selected – we work diligently to help you become that high caliber speaker, with professional speaker coaching, feedback, rehearsals, and materials review long before you hit the stage. We help our speakers avoid pitfalls that might hinder their presentation or their idea from reaching its full potential.
How Speakers Are Chosen
TEDxNormal is led by a curator, who works with an all-volunteer committee to choose speakers for each event. The committee evaluates potential speakers by application, which will be available approximately 6 months prior to our event.
We require a 60-90 second Application Video. Think of this as your sales pitch for your Big Idea. It should be an original video of you speaking on your topic and addressed to the TEDxNormal planning committee. Identify your Big Idea and give 3 supporting statements. This does not have to be your final proposal–we welcome speakers who need assistance synthesizing their ideas into a full TEDx Talk.
Your video does not need to be professionally filmed or edited. Just give us a taste of your presentation style and how well you’ve thought out your Big Idea. Practice before your record. Be sure the sound is strong and we can hear what you have to say. Do not use graphics in place of you speaking on your topic. We should understand in one minute your Big Idea and your three supporting statements.