Speaker Idea Submission
Speakers for TEDxChicagoSalon 2024: Lighting the Way (Friday, September 27th @ The Harris) have been selected
Speakers for TEDxChicago 2025 (Fall @ Harris Theater)
Submissions through March 2025 (3/31) may be considered
Speakers are selected April 2025
Submissions can be made throughout the year. TEDxChicago is always looking for great ideas worth spreading.The submission form is open for anyone, but speakers must reside in Chicago. You can submit for yourself or for someone else.
Curation Team Review: The curation team reviews and selects speakers many months before any given event to allow time for coaching and content development. During the review period, we’ll reach out if we identify that your submission is one we’d like to engage further. Given the number of submissions, we will not be able to respond to all inquiries.
What makes a great TEDx Talk
Our mission is to elevate ideas worth spreading from Chicago. An idea that is fit for TEDxChicago is new, unique, and can offer an impactful insight or a new way of thinking to a widely diverse audience. Selected speakers are often those who are doing the work, and are considered experts in the subject, often grounded in their own research.
We are a licensed TEDx of TED, and as such we are deeply grounded in TED’s Curation Guidelines, which espouses these curation values: Curiosity, Reason, Imagination, Inclusion, Generosity, Debate, and Impact.
TEDTalks are highly focused on a topic and an idea. A topic is generally the direction you want to take your topic, for example, “We need to be resilient against climate change.” An idea is a specific thread from that topic, a unique message, solution, or insight that only you can share. For example, “For our cities to be resilient, we must invest in a new form of architecture that we learned from other parts of the world, and I have studied and implemented this architecture for many years with powerful results.”
What makes for a great submission / potential TEDxTalk
New inventions, scientific or economic theories that will change the way we live, work or play. Keyword: NEW and NOVEL - our audience must be learning something new and original that they’ve never heard before.
Universal and unique insights gained through unusual or unexpected personal experiences, and/or extensive experience or research
The nominee presenting a crystal-clear, singular idea within 7-15 min.
A unique perspective on important and timely issues given by subject matter experts. This means that you are uniquely positioned and the best one to give this talk. Speakers must demonstrate expertise, and where relevant, credentials in the field they are speaking about. You will be fact checked.
An idea that addresses a topic of acute interest to our audience or a pressing challenge in our community. — Remember you are sharing an IDEA not an ISSUE.
We are looking for ideas from Chicago and for the World. Thus, we only work with candidates from Chicago and in some cases broader Illinois.
The idea was founded in proven data / evidence or experience and have broader application than just to the speaker’s life or situation.
The idea is novel: We have not heard it before at TEDxChicago or from any other TED or TEDx speaker.
One of the most important aspects of creating a great talk is to show a willingness to be vulnerable.
View the TEDx content guidelines.
Conversely, what to avoid:
“How to be more successful” presentations
Motivational talks
Personal narratives or those that wish to speak about a very personal experience or a personal philosophy
Canned talks that have been given in another conference or event
Speakers and performers may not promote themselves, their company, or a product from the TEDx stage
Fundraising asks for a cause or company
Speakers and performers cannot be paid for their talk on the TEDxChicago stage.
Speakers must have an average of 1-2 hours per week to devote to TEDx between selection and the event date
As outlined in the TEDx content guidelines, we avoid political agendas, religion, commercial agendas, and unproven / little research science (aka “bad science”)
What’s expected of TEDx Speakers
You’re required to be responsive and provide talk outlines, slides and other information we ask for. You’ll be going through a 3 to 4 month coaching program that leads you through the talks development.
You’re expected to work with the speaker coaches to modify your talk to optimize impact according and at the pace you agree on with them.
You must be present the entire event, for the dress rehearsal and preferably also at speaker/sponsor gathering.
We also emphasize that you are available for interaction with attendees before and after your talk at the day of the event.
Please note, only complete and well-developed speaker submissions will be considered.