TEDActive 2011 was an incredible experience (this is the main room where we watched the talks streamed live from Long Beach). A lot of people asked me why anyone would spend money to watch a simulcast of a conference, even if it was TED, but that misses the point. The thing I learned at TEDGlobal last year was that although the talks were fascinating (and it was great having discussions with speakers), the most important takeaway was the relationships I formed with other attendees. TED is what it is because the attendees are just as incredible as the speakers, and with a little effort, you can meet and truly connect with amazing people that could have a tremendous impact on you, now or in the future. TEDActive in Palm Springs focuses on that aspect of TED. It draws in a younger generation of attendees than Long Beach, and much of the time is spent engaged in activities with others, such as the five TEDActive Projects. The talks are almost secondary and that’s okay. By the end of the week, you’ve really gotten to know a wide variety of people and learned from each other in the process. As the name implies, it’s more “active” than the main TED. This year, TEDActive was also very TEDx heavy, with over 160 TEDx organizers from around the world coming together, which led to some great collaboration and sharing of ideas. Now it’s our job to continue the conversations and follow-through on what we discussed. That said, there were a few things I missed at TEDActive: 1. The TEDFellows. I woke up at 6am to drive to Long Beach on the day before TED to see the Fellows talks. The Fellows were one of my favorite parts of TEDGlobal and although a few were at TEDActive, most were in Long Beach. 2. Having discussions with speakers after their talks. While it was great to go in-depth with other TEDActive attendees about this year’s talks, I definitely missed being able to personally meet and ask questions of the speakers themselves. 3. Compared to TEDGlobal, I found TEDActive to be a little more clique-ish and not quite as open. I suppose this is because it’s been going on a few years and people naturally form groups, but not everyone was as eager to meet others as at TEDGlobal. Because I already knew so many people and TEDx was such a huge group, this didn’t really affect me, but it was noticeable. Will I return next year? Absolutely. Although it’s possible I may try out Long Beach.

TEDActive 2011 was an incredible experience (this is the main room where we watched the talks streamed live from Long Beach). A lot of people asked me why anyone would spend money to watch a simulcast of a conference, even if it was TED, but that misses the point.

The thing I learned at TEDGlobal last year was that although the talks were fascinating (and it was great having discussions with speakers), the most important takeaway was the relationships I formed with other attendees. TED is what it is because the attendees are just as incredible as the speakers, and with a little effort, you can meet and truly connect with amazing people that could have a tremendous impact on you, now or in the future. TEDActive in Palm Springs focuses on that aspect of TED. It draws in a younger generation of attendees than Long Beach, and much of the time is spent engaged in activities with others, such as the five TEDActive Projects. The talks are almost secondary and that’s okay. By the end of the week, you’ve really gotten to know a wide variety of people and learned from each other in the process. As the name implies, it’s more “active” than the main TED.

This year, TEDActive was also very TEDx heavy, with over 160 TEDx organizers from around the world coming together, which led to some great collaboration and sharing of ideas. Now it’s our job to continue the conversations and follow-through on what we discussed.

That said, there were a few things I missed at TEDActive:

1. The TEDFellows. I woke up at 6am to drive to Long Beach on the day before TED to see the Fellows talks. The Fellows were one of my favorite parts of TEDGlobal and although a few were at TEDActive, most were in Long Beach.

2. Having discussions with speakers after their talks. While it was great to go in-depth with other TEDActive attendees about this year’s talks, I definitely missed being able to personally meet and ask questions of the speakers themselves.

3. Compared to TEDGlobal, I found TEDActive to be a little more clique-ish and not quite as open. I suppose this is because it’s been going on a few years and people naturally form groups, but not everyone was as eager to meet others as at TEDGlobal. Because I already knew so many people and TEDx was such a huge group, this didn’t really affect me, but it was noticeable.

Will I return next year? Absolutely. Although it’s possible I may try out Long Beach.