Do you want to give a talk at TEDxDayton 2019?

Organizers of the 7th annual TEDxDayton are now accepting applications to serve as a speaker at the 2019 event. TEDxDayton 2019 will take place on Friday, Oct. 11 at the Victoria Theatre in downtown Dayton, OH.

TEDxDayton is hosting an informal Speaker Information Session this week at which anyone interested in being a TEDxDayton speaker can come learn more about the process. Anyone can drop in to chat one-on-one with committee members and former speakers. Prospective speakers can run their ideas by the committee, get feedback on their application, ask questions about the process, or just hear about the experience from those who've been through it.

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The event will be held Wednesday, March 13, at Third Perk, from 5 to 7 p.m.

"Stepping out onto the Victoria stage in front of a packed house will forever be one of those mile-marker moments in my life,” said Lance Salyers, 2016 speaker and current co-chair of the Speakers Committee. “That experience is the dividing line between life before I was a TEDxDayton speaker and everything wonderful that has come after.”

TEDxDayton’s mission is to bring the spirit of ideas worth spreading to deep conversation and connections within the community. The event will feature TED’s signature format of brief talks, demonstrations and performances meant to inspire learning and curiosity while encouraging meaningful conversation, according to organizers.

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Speakers do not have to be professional speakers. TEDxDayton is looking for diverse topics from diverse speakers who can deliver a focused, thought-provoking message in about 10 minutes.

The theme for this year’s event is “CONNECT.”

“Each year we receive feedback from the audience that one of the highlights of TEDxDayton is the opportunity to connect with Daytonians from all walks of life and perspectives, and it is fitting TEDxDayton recognizes the value of those connections,” said Brenden Wynn, who is co-chairing this year’s Speakers Committee along with Cory Owen and Lance Salyers, in a news release.

“Staying true to a core tenant of TEDxDayton, we are looking for speakers who have a big idea worth sharing,” continued Wynn. “This can be a new idea, or a unique perspective on an existing idea. While a talk doesn’t have be formed around the idea of ‘connection,’ we do hope our slate of speakers can connect with their audience in a way that keeps their idea worth sharing alive long after the event.”

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WHAT IS A TED TALK?

Since the very first licensed TED talk in 1984, TED talks have been a platform for short, carefully prepared talks, demonstrations and performances that foster learning on a global scale, as well as in local communities.

Credit: Amelia Robinson

Credit: Amelia Robinson

HOW TO APPLY

Potential speakers should complete the speaker application on  www.tedxdayton.com/signature-event by March 24.

The speakers committee will review all applications and invite selected candidates to auditions on May 6, 7, 11 and 14, according to a TEDxDayton press release.

Participants will be notified within a few weeks of auditions if they have been selected to be a TEDxDayton 2019 speaker.

For inquiries regarding the application process, email Brenden Wynn at bwynn82@gmail.com.

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