News Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: Donyiel Crocker Director of Media Relations 631.918.4176 dcrocker@ted.com
TED invites its online community to have a seat at the table with Prezi
NEW YORK – Feb. 19 – Feeling inspired? Today TED, the nonprofit devoted to "Ideas Worth Spreading," announced its newest initiative – TEDtopix -- to further engage its online community and stimulate dialogue by inviting its’ members, affectionately known as TEDizens, to submit topics for TED Talks at its annual conferences. Partnering with Prezi, the software company responsible for revolutionizing presentations, TED also plans to give TEDizens the tools to bring their ideas to life. "TED's core mission is to spread ideas," said TED Curator Chris Anderson. "By inviting our community to submit TEDtopix using the vibrant and creative presentation software designed by the folks at Prezi, we will create a more dynamic dialogue and empower anyone, anywhere to be a catalyst for change.” TEDizens from all walks of life will be able to spread their ideas by creating a Prezi to present their TEDtopix online. The most inspiring will be reviewed and posted on TED.com where fellow TEDizens can vote on which ones they’d like to see as TED Talks. -more-
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The top five will be presented at the annual conference in Monterey, Cal. and posted on TED.com. Any TEDizen who submits a TEDtopix will receive TEDCred as acknowledgement of their contribution. In addition to TEDCred, the TEDizens who submit the top five topics will receive a TEDBadge highlighting their special contribution to both the community and to TED.com and lifetime Prezi Pro licenses. “All good things about humanity start with people sharing ideas. Taking those ideas to the next level using Prezi and bringing them to a global stage gives them the potential to change the world,” said Peter Arvai, CEO and Co-founder of Prezi. “It’s also about giving the consumers of information the opportunity to shape the information they consume. This type of initiative not only invites the little guys to the table, but gives them a chance to decide what’s on the menu.” TEDtopix, along with TED’s newest initiatives – TED Books, Ads Worth Spreading, TED Conversations and TED-Ed -- affirms TED’s continued commitment to leverage the power of good ideas and let them spread as widely and effectively as possible. ### About TED TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. Started as a four-day conference in California 25 years ago, TED has grown to support those world-changing ideas with multiple initiatives. The annual TED Conference invites the world's leading thinkers and doers to speak for 18 minutes. Their talks are then made available, free, at TED.com. TED speakers have included Bill Gates, Al Gore, Jane Goodall, Elizabeth Gilbert, Sir Richard Branson, Nandan Nilekani, Philippe Starck, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Isabel Allende and UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown. The annual TED Conference takes place on the West Coast, with simulcast nearby; TEDGlobal is held each year in Edinburgh, UK. TED's media initiatives include TED.com, where new TEDTalks are posted daily, and the Open Translation Project, which provides
TED Page Three subtitles and interactive transcripts as well as the ability for any TEDTalk to be translated by volunteers worldwide. TED has established the annual TED Prize, where exceptional individuals with a wish to change the world are given the opportunity to put their wishes into action; TEDx, which offers individuals or groups a way to organize local, independent TED-like events around the world; and the TEDFellows program, helping world-changing innovators from around the globe to become part of the TED community and, with its help, amplify the impact of their remarkable projects and activities. Follow TED on Twitter at twitter.com/TEDTalks, and on Facebook at facebook.com/TED. For information about TED's upcoming conferences, visit http://www.ted.com/registration