Three area tech entities are planning to make waves with an event next spring.
The three – SISDigital, tekMountain and CloudWyze – are organizing what they say will be Wilmington’s first TEDx event. They are looking for local speakers who “want to share their out-of-the-box ideas that could change the world,” according to a news release.
The event, scheduled for March 31at Thalian Hall, is called
TEDx Airlie, a name designed to highlight Wilmington’s history and ambiance. Its theme – pulling from the area’s water-rich environment – is “Making Waves,” the release stated.
“A wave is an incredibly powerful force,” lead organizer and CEO of SISDigital Ty Downing said in the release. “They perfectly symbolize what this world so desperately needs, disruptive and forward thinking. When you compare a wave to a movement, a single idea starts off as a ripple. It then begins to take form, growing in energy before it takes off in motion. A wave cannot be stopped. That’s what TEDxAirlie is all about. Making waves or disruption that will positively transform lives.”
In addition to local speakers, TEDxAirlie will feature Sandy Carter, general manager of IBM ecosystems, and social business evangelism. Carter is also a leading proponent of women in technology, Downing said Friday.
He said he hopes Carter will at least touch on that topic in her talk.
Organizers are currently seeking sponsors as well as local speakers.
Tickets to TEDxAirlie will go on sale in early 2016. Only 100 tickets will be available to the public, but organizers are discussing the possibility of livestreaming the discussion, Downing said.
TED, which stands for Technology, Entertainment and Design, is a nonprofit organization whose goal is to air “ideas worth spreading.” TED Conferences and their short presenter discussions, called TED Talks, “aim to connect these three areas” in ways that bring new ideas to light, the release stated.
TEDx is a variation on that theme, promoting local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience.
