In an hour and 20 minutes, TEDxUF 2016 sold out Wednesday night.
The 1,500 free tickets available for the annual event, in which speakers give talks to inspire and educate others about various topics, went on sale at 6 p.m. Last year, the event sold out in two hours. The conference’s budget was about $40,000.
Those who received tickets must claim them between 3 p.m. and 4:30 p.m on March 25.
Unclaimed tickets will then be available on a first-come, first-served basis at the Phillips Center for the Performing Arts’ Box Office after 4:30 p.m.
The theme for the event, held at the Phillips Center, will be identity, said Kristia Watkins, the public relations coordinator of the event.
About 10 speakers, including a UF student and an NFL player, will discuss topics such as genetics, social media, politics and biology, she said.
Caroline Nickerson, a 21-year-old UF history and East Asian languages and literature junior, said she went online at 7 p.m. to secure her spot.
She said she felt relieved to have a ticket.
“I felt excited and lucky because shortly after they posted online that they were sold out,” she said.
Nickerson said she’s excited to attend the event for a second time.
“I’m obsessed with TED talks, and the UF TED team does a phenomenal job,” she said. “They are of the same caliber of all the TED talks on the Internet.”
