TEDxBrisbane returns with December showcase

An Olympic swimmer, a disability advocate, a world-champion horse archer, and a relationship expert are among the inspiring speakers to headline TEDxBrisbane, as it returns for the first time since COVID-19.

After three reschedules and more than three years of planning, TEDxBrisbane will return on December 3 with a showcase themed ‘Engineering Impact’. The event will also relaunch The Advocate Program – a world-first in the global TEDx community.

The one-day event will feature 15 TEDx Talks, highlighted by five incredible performances from local artists.

TEDxBrisbane Executive Director Juanita Wheeler said the TEDxBrisbane 2022 showcase will bring together provocateurs of change including:

• CJ Blumenthal, who walked away from being a World Champion horse archer to pursue a career she loves
• Lisa Cox, a disability advocate fighting to remedy the underrepresentation and misrepresentation of people living with disabilities in popular culture
• Libby Trickett, Olympic swimmer and 24-time gold medallist
• George Blair-West, whose TEDxBrisbane address on relationships has been viewed more than 4 million times
• Danish Kazmi, who is committed to building an eco-friendly future through sustainable construction practices with technical benefits.

"We’re thrilled to announce the return of TEDxBrisbane, and an inspiring line-up of speakers who are leading the way on a broad range of topics," Ms Wheeler said.

"There’s always a strong demand for TEDxBrisbane, from people who have attended before and want to soak up the experience again, and from those who love TEDx Talks and want to experience them live and local in their own city." 

The Advocate Program will see attendees paired with experts with shared interests to help promote discussion and accelerate change.

"Advocates play a pivotal role in TEDxBrisbane’s Engineering Impact strategy," Ms Wheeler said.

"The Advocate Program allows participants to stay inspired, put their ideas into action, and stay connected in meaningful and beneficial ways with the TEDxBrisbane community."

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This year, TEDxBrisbane is also providing attendees with the option to Pay It Forward and purchase a "scholarship ticket" for people who would otherwise be unable to attend.

Attendees can sponsor 20% or 100% of the scholarship ticket. Applications for the scholarship tickets will go live in the coming weeks.

TEDxBrisbane will take place at ERPAC (Edmund Rice Performing Arts Centre) at St Laurence’s College.

Tickets can be purchased here.

About TEDx, x = independently organised event

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organised events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TED Talks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection. These local, self-organised events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organised TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organised. (Subject to certain rules and regulations.)

About TED

TED is a nonprofit organisation devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. Started as a four-day conference in California 30 years ago, TED has grown to support its mission with multiple initiatives. The two annual TED Conferences invite the world's leading thinkers and doers to speak for 18 minutes or less. Many of these talks are then made available, free, at TED.com. TED speakers have included Bill Gates, Jane Goodall, Elizabeth Gilbert, Sir Richard Branson, Nandan Nilekani, Philippe Starck, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Sal Khan and Daniel Kahneman.

The annual TED Conference takes place each spring in Vancouver, British Columbia. TED's media initiatives include TED.com, where new TED Talks are posted daily; TED Translators, which provides subtitles and interactive transcripts as well as translations from volunteers worldwide; the educational initiative TED-Ed. TED has established The Audacious Project that takes a collaborative approach to funding ideas with the potential to create change at thrilling scale; TEDx, which supports individuals or groups in hosting local, self-organised TED-style events around the world, and the TED Fellows program, helping world-changing innovators from around the globe to amplify the impact of their remarkable projects and activities.

Follow TED on Twitter at http://twitter.com/TEDTalks, or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/TED.

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