For all current TEDx volunteers, whether you represent a city, a state, a campus, or somewhere in between, the goal remains the same: to connect, educate, and empower local communities to research, discover, and share ideas worth spreading.
This past weekend, a TEDx regional workshop was hosted at Punchline Comedy Club in Atlanta, Georgia, and it was nothing short of inspiring. It was collaborative, energizing, and full of opportunities to connect with other passionate volunteers and organizers.
In general, TEDx regional workshops are all about expanding collective knowledge and preparing your teams to make an even greater impact at your next TEDx event. It’s a space for sharing ideas, successes, and failures. Over the course of the day, connections were made, valuable experiences shared, and a sense of renewed purpose took shape—one that will surely carry over into future events. The reason we all ultimately show up, the potential to further impact on our communities, was advanced in real time.
Subject Matter Covered
The possibilities for topics at a TEDx regional workshop are endless. One of the best parts of this one was how naturally the information flowed. We discussed everything from:
- Intentional curation (How do you truly select and develop the right speakers and ideas?)
- Production (How can you ensure you’re meeting guidelines and boosting your chances of being featured on TED.com?)
- Budgeting (Balancing quality and cost—what are the best strategies?)
These topics were explored both in theory and through lived experience, with seasoned TEDx organizers sharing what they’ve learned over the years. It was just as much about what didn’t work as it was about what did. Those hard-earned lessons became some of the most invaluable takeaways.
The group session structure created space for impactful, live discussion with questions raised, answers brainstormed, and solutions offered from multiple perspectives. From the start, it was interactive and immersive. Newer organizers brought curiosity and a fresh perspective. Veterans offered grounded, real-world insight. Everyone had something to learn and something to contribute. That’s the kind of feedback you can take home and immediately put into practice. TEDx is all about collaboration, and the openness, honesty, and generosity in the room made that spirit unmistakeable.
Collaboration
What made this workshop feel especially valuable was the variety of people in the room. Each person brought something unique to the table. Whether you’re organizing in a small town or a big city, the shared goal is always to create something meaningful that meets people where they are. Each independently organized group brought different TEDx realities: different-sized events, different audiences, different local challenges. Still, it all synced up, and everyone walked away with something new.
It’s energizing to be reminded that you’re part of something bigger. That feeling of unity and common purpose is what makes being part of the TEDx community so powerful.
Final Thoughts
If we had to sum up the takeaway? We’re all trying and committed to improving. Not just at planning and executing events, but at building community, uplifting voices that matter, and keeping the TEDx mission moving forward city by city, campus by campus, story by story. That’s why workshops like this are so important.
Every TEDx team faces its own unique set of challenges. Yet, across those differences, we all come back to the same question: How can we do this better? That shared curiosity and that commitment to growth are one of the many things that unite us all.
Our surprise guest, Steve Carse, co-founder and CEO of King of Pops, drove this point home. He reminded us that building something meaningful is rarely linear and that generosity, joy, and purpose aren’t extras, but essentials to the journey. (Yes of course, he brought pops!)
So here’s to the late-night planning sessions, the speaker coaching marathons, the fight to find the right venue, the unexpected tech hiccups that keep us on our toes, and the sense of satisfaction when it all somehow comes together. Here’s to the countless emails, the endless edits, the awkward icebreakers that turn into real friendships. And here’s to the idea that no matter how many events we’ve done, there’s always more to learn and there’s always someone willing to help.
Until the next one!
