A TEDx talk is a short talk, given live with no notes and no podium, that has a powerful idea at its core – an ‘idea worth spreading’.

TEDx Talks are given at TEDx events, which are independently organized by local volunteers. They are featured on the TEDx YouTube channel and vetted by TED staff to possibly be featured on TED.com

TEDx Talks are unlike any other talk or presentation or lecture. They require a new approach for preparation. We provide and require coaching for all TEDxSKZMDC Lahore speakers to ensure that our speakers are adequately prepared to give the talk of their life + to ensure our audience has the high quality experience they expect from TEDxSKZMDC Lahore events.

Generally, TEDx talks are 18 minutes or less. At TEDxSKZMDC Lahore most talks are 6-12 minutes, and some (often the best) are only 3 minutes.

TEDx Talks and the ideas worth spreading that they contain may be:

• Unique, expert perspectives on important and timely issues

• Universal insights gained through singular personal experiences

• Human creativity expressed through music, dance, spoken word, poetry, and more

Important to note what a TEDx talk is not. They are not:

• A sales pitch

• A fundraising ask

• The same talk you give every other time

• Something you show up for and give on a whim

• Given through any type of “pay-to-play” schema

Who are TEDx Speakers?

TEDx Speakers are selected by local TEDx event organizers. They may have been nominated, recommended or sought out. At TEDxSKZMDC Lahore, speakers are selected by a curatorial team in response to the theme of that particular year’s event.

TEDxSKZMDC Lahore speakers are kids, teachers, entrepreneurs, athletes, artists, scientists, CEO’s. They might not have a title. You may know their name very well, and you may have never heard of them before.

All TEDxSKZMDC Lahore speakers participate in extensive coaching to discover, refine, and deliver their TEDx talk. In this way they are humble and open.

How does someone become a speaker?

We look for TEDxSKZDMC Lahore speakers throughout the year. We are always listening – to news stories, informal community “buzz,” and to our nomination portal. Each year when we select speakers we generate our own internal list of people, ask people that sit at particular vantage points to help us see people we wouldn’t otherwise see, and review the list of every speaker ever nominated via our form below. We review this giant list of potential speakers in light of the year’s event theme and narrow the list accordingly.

We research potential speakers that we are interested in via web searches, conversations with other subject matter experts, and sometimes people close to the speaker. Then, if we think someone has a talk that would be a fit for the year’s event, we reach out letting them know that we are interested, what we are interested in, that we’d like to talk to share more about TEDxSKZMDC Lahore, the preparation process for giving a TEDxSKZMDC Lahore talk, and to listen to what the person might be interested in speaking about. Then if what the potential speaker would like to speak about lines up with our interests, and they are willing and able to commit to the preparation process, we invite them to speak.

You do not become a TEDxSKZMDC Lahore speaker by:

1. Barraging us with nominations or requests

2. Letting us know that you have given other TED or TEDx talks

3. Promoting yourself as a sought after keynote or motivational speaker

How do I apply to speak?