Meet TED, a different format for conversation. It’s a collection of innovative minds ready to inspire people to pursue their greatest passions, and it’s coming to Gainesville.
TEDxUF, an independent organization, returns to the Phillips Center for the Performing Arts on Saturday for its fourth annual conference. This year’s theme is “Pursuing Passion.”
Devoted to “ideas worth spreading,” the nonprofit organization, which stands for Technology, Entertainment and Design, values innovation and profession across science, art and technology.
“We’re blurring the line of what a TED conference is and what a TEDxUF event can be,” said Stefan Wolff, curator of this year’s event.
Wolff and the TED Club at UF intend to “shake the ground beneath our feet at the Phillips Center.”
The auditorium seats about 2,000, and the studio theater next to it holds about 150 seats, which will be on a first-come, first-served basis. More than 2,000 people have already applied for the main auditorium.
The event is free and open to the public. The wait list opens at 9:30 a.m., and the studio theater and exhibits open at 10 a.m.
Gainesville-based agency Parisleaf’s CEO Chad Paris said it has been one of the hardest yet most rewarding experiences.
“TEDTalks are more like informational talks meant to motivate,” he said.
Wolff encouraged attendees to bring an open mind and a smartphone to access the TEDxUF app.
“Passion is dynamic, fluid and changes all the time,” Wolff said. “There is no one right answer.”
