Why have you chosen for this theme?
‘Change is much more present than you often realize. You cannot go through life without noticing change. For some people change is a motivational factor. Yet, a lot of people in society fear change. The goal of our event is to convey the message that change is normal and can be a positive factor.’
How did you select the speakers?
‘We first held auditions. In total, 39 people signed up, with only 12 spots available. We appointed a jury to select the speakers on some of the following criteria: Is the speaker capable of conveying the topic in an understandable fashion and is the participant coachable? All the participants received training from our trainers. As you can imagine, the participants have to learn how to speak in public in a very short amount of time. You can compare it to a pressure cooker.’
What can visitors expect?
‘What is important to us is the way the speakers approach this subject. We’re excited about their chosen topics. There will be talks about the current political protest climate, another speaker will talk about how everything you may have been taught can be wrong and there will even be a speaker talking about locked-in syndrome with a patient being there as well. If we achieve to maybe even inspire one person then, I will be very happy!’
Selection based on motivation
TEDxTwenteU will return again on the 12th of February, at Concordia in the city centre. Tickets are still available until the 1st of February. The organization is selecting the attending crowd based on their motivation. Since the venue offers limited seating, the organisation wants the most intrinsically motivated crowd to be present during the talks.
