This is where you'll find a plethora of information about TEDxIndianaUniversity, promoting not only generational knowledge but also ideas worth spreading!

Quick Links

How do I use the wiki?

• Visit other pages using the sidebar to the left and click the arrow to see subpages.

• Using the search bar, enter the name of a page or ask a question like, "How do I host a salon?"

How do I edit?

To contribute to our wiki, you'll need to be a part of TEDxIndianaUniversity and sign in to our GitBook account. At this time, we do not accept public contributions to our wiki... but maybe this will be something for the future!

Want to get involved with TEDxIndianaUniversity? We'd love to have you! Do you know there are several different ways to get involved?

Join the Team

At the beginning of every academic year, we open applications to join our team! Learn more about the application process on our website:

Partner with Us (Companies, Professors, Organizations)

If you're a part of a company or organization, you can support ideas worth spreading while reaching out to the hundreds of TEDx-talk lovers right here in Bloomington and thousands of students on the Indiana University campus. Spread your brand while doing some good! Get started today on our website:

Donate

Help keep TEDx Talks alive in Bloomington! Your contribution helps support an entirely non-profit, 100% student-run organization that entirely depends on the generosity and support of the community. Donate today by visiting our website at:

Apply to Speak

Looking to share an idea worth spreading? Check out how you can apply to give your very own TEDx Talk on our website at:

Org Structure

1. Decide a date and time for the event. Be sure it's 3+ weeks out from now.

2. Request a location for your event: Room Reservations

   1. Need guidance? Have questions? Message Ops by . Be sure to @Operations Team.

3. Determine what supplies you need for the event. There's even free campus services for some items. If we need to order items, share the items and links with Finance by . Be sure to @Finance Team.

   1. In order to buy items, Finance must request the P-Card 1.5 weeks before the purchase date. This means you'll likely need to make the request 2-3 weeks before the event.

4. Request graphics from Marketing & Design . Be sure to @Marketing + Design Team.

   1. Include date, time, location, description of the event, and what visuals/aesthetic/vibe you want from the graphics. Do this at least 2 weeks in advance.

   2. Work with Marketing to determine when this event will appear on Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, X (formerly Twitter), etc.

5. Request a BeInvolved update, website update, and ticketing link from Technical Production . Be sure to @Production Team.

   1. Include date, time, location, and a description of the event. Consider that Production will need Marketing's graphics for BeInvolved/the website.... and Marketing will need Production's ticketing link. Work in advance on this one, too.

   2. Inform Technical Production of any audio, presentation, video recording, live streaming, or stage design needs for your event.

   3. Work with Technical Production if you'd like an email blast to our emailing list

6. Tell Membership and Engagement to promote your event at tabling and installations by posting in the and , respectively. Be sure to @mention each of them.

We all know how important public transport is in Bloomington! Both IU buses and Bloomington Transit busses allow for marketing outside and inside the bus... for a relatively reasonable price.

IU Bus

One can advertise using indoor card ads ("Rail Signs") for 2 months on all bus routes(!) for a relatively reasonable price. Additionally, for outdoor ads, Curb-side Queen, Street-side Queen, Street-side King, and Full Wrap are available.

Visit the IU Bus Advertising webpage for more information on how to get started.

Bloomington Transit

Advertising is available for King Panels, Queen Panels, King Panels, Tail Panels, Full Wraps, Interior Car Cards, and Aisle Ceilings.

Visit the for more information about how to get started.

Pamphlet Template

Print Details

In the past we've printed the pamphlets using the printer Mr. Copy on 10th street with the following specifications, assuming you export the file . You can submit an order to [email protected]. Using these specifications, you can expect to pay about $1115.

• 400 booklets

• Full bleed

• 32# stock

• 12 page booklet

How to Export as Press Proof

When exporting the file, you'll want bleed and other print-quality requirements.

Event Calendars

Newsrooms

Learn without Editing the Main Site

Want to mess around on your own? Want to follow a tutorial? You can do so on our ... just click "Edit Site" and create a new page! This site doesn't change our main website, so it's full fun and no consequences! (Gasp.)

Visit our User Interface Guidelines here:

To access different TEDxIndianaUniversity accounts and websites, you'll either need to...

1. Log in using our ,

2. Join using your IU account for some services like Teams and 💜

The best team in TEDxIU! Hehe

Jokes aside, curation is a team where you can decide who speaks at our event! You’ll get to:

• Talk to so many people

• Develop a one-on-one connection with your speaker

• Aid them with talk development

Web-Based Editors

• Photoshop for Web:

• Illustrator for Web:

Digital or Physical Model

Making a model is the last phase of stage design. You can either do this physically or digitally. Physical models are great for understanding spacing in addition to not needing to learn any software. That being said, because they're small and hand-done, they are more time-intensive than digital models, which can also be more details. I (Reece) personally use hand sketching and digital modelling; however, do whatever is best for your team. If someone prefers physical models, great!

Most IU Digital Signage

Get seen across the IU campus using digital signage! Learn more about requesting signage 30-60 days before the event on their .

IMU & Residential Halls

So now you understand what a TEDx Talk is. And we've also just revealed the theme for this year's conference! Now it's time to interpret it.

What's a theme? abstract, open-to-interpretation title/tagline

Getting Started:

• Think about the theme for a while

• Write down anything that comes into your head, which can be words, sentences, stories, anything!

I recognize that copy-pasting from the subpages below can leave the format a little wonky. I'll have the subpages still up for reference, but please copy and paste from to maintain formatting!

About Staging

Staging is largely up to your team as to wea

Here's what to expect as a TEDxIndianaUniversity curator 😄

• Weekly individual calls (5-10 mins)

• Biweekly team meetings (~1 hour)

• Phase 1: Onboarding | 2 onboarding meetings in October with mini assignments

• Phase 2: Outreach | 15 speakers a week for three weeks + 5 speakers for onboarding week = 50 speakers each

• Phase 3: Pre-conference | Meet with your speaker biweekly for deliverables including 2 drafts, 1 final, and visuals and important packets

• Phase 4: Conference | Assist your speaker and enjoy the show! 😀

• We made an effort this year to reach out to local businesses

• Because of our incredibly pressed timeline, this wasn’t sent out early enough.

  • I think we gave them 1.5 weeks to say yes/no, and the conference was 3 weeks after that

  • Definitely give yourself 6-8 weeks in advance! (think late December/early January)

• See the “Work Distribution” section in the “Team Considerations” page for further information

• We didn’t have any during the 2023-2024 year :(

• I reached out to corporate sponsors, such as Adobe, but I looked for campus ambassadors and reached out to them, so I didn’t document that at all

  • I think Adobe would be SUCH a cool sponsor, and their mission aligns quite well with ours

  • It didn’t pan out this year, but maybe you’ll have the chance to this year!

• Note: we’ve never done this in the past, so if nothing happens, you didn’t let anyone down/disappoint anybody. You have absolutely no precedent to match

Don't see something here you need? Check out the TED guidelines.

What is a Salon?

At a Salon, attendees watch TED Talks, sometimes host a few speakers (though it’s not required) and have informal discussions about the talks they witnessed. Salons re-engage your community and team during the time between your main TEDx events, and spark discussion on issues of interest to your local community.

Salon Expectations

What is expected of you at a Salon? .... possibly by more questions. The goal is that you should be able to answer most of them.

You should also be sure to follow during whatever event you may hosting.

Salon Format

• The discussion: A critical element of salon is lively discussions relevant to the community, allowing attendees to actively participate in the event. With much smaller audiences than a standard TEDx event, salons bring attendees together in more intimate spaces, and with more chances to get know and exchange ideas as with each other.

• The single subject: Having the ability to focus on only one subject creates focused audience and atmosphere.

• The choice of format: Salon events range anywhere from dinner party settings to mini standard TEDx events, and anything in between. It’s up to organizers to decide what size and format is best for their community.

Example Salon Events

Overview

Projection mapping is an amazing way to make a stage (or any venue) more interesting! You can "map" a video onto an object or even change the shape of your screen. At the BCT, we use their movie projector that fills the proscenium, allowing us to map anywhere on stage!

Software

Good project mapping software can cost some money. Personally, I (Reece) like using , which costs a bit under $50 for 1 month of use. That being said, they have an educational discount, which would get you 30% off.

Using MadMapper

This is a video involving a small object; however, you can easily do all of these things on a stage!

Our Internal Knowledge Base and some other services might require you to log in with your Indiana University Microsoft 365 Account (Microsoft Entra ID). If you run into issues, this is a good place to start!

User {email} is blocked because they are not a direct member of a group with access

This error means that only members of the TEDxIndianaUniversity group in Entra ID have access to this resource. This means that either:

1. You're not a member of TEDxIndiana University (and won't receive access, sorry!)

2. You're a member but aren't a part of our Microsoft Teams group. If this is you, please contact the Director of Technical Production to resolve the issue.

There's a different error

It's Before July 2026

Please contact the Director of Technical Production to resolve the issue with the error and what you are attempting to do.

It's After July 2026

If it is after July 2026, please contact the Director of Technical Production, telling them to "Update GitBook with a new Microsoft Azure Entra ID client secret for the application called TEDxAccess." Then send them a link to this article.

If you're on Technical Production and are attempting to update the client secret for , you can visit for more information. (Broken link? .) Once you complete this process, update the dates in this support document to reflect the new client secret expiration date.

Wells Library

Tripods, cameras, lighting, tools: https://iub.libcal.com/reserve/equipment/makerspace

Club Hub

Chalk, tabling supplies, crafts:

Music Library

Field microphones:

Subject: Follow-Up on TEDxIndianaUniversity Speaker Opportunity

Dear [Speaker's Name],

Thank you again for taking the time to speak with me! I really enjoyed learning about your experiences and ideas regarding [what they talked about]. As we’re in the process of meeting with a number of potential speakers, we’re still exploring who might be the best fit for this year’s conference.

We will continue to assess how the different talks could come together for the overall theme, and I will definitely keep your ideas in mind as we move forward. I’ll be in touch with more details as our planning progresses over the coming weeks.

In the meantime, if you have any further thoughts or questions, don’t hesitate to reach out. Thank you again for sharing your time and story with us!

Best,

[Your Name]

Curator

TEDxIndianaUniversity

Luddy School of Information, Computation, and Engineering

Indiana University, Bloomington

|

Library Equipment Checkout

Conference Videography Guidelines

Subject: Potential Opportunity to Speak at TEDxIndianaUniversity (feel free to modify subject line, just run it through me first!)

Dear _____,

My name is _____ -- I am a curator at TEDxIndianaUniversity. I am reaching out to explore an exciting opportunity for you to give a TEDx Talk. Each year, TEDxIndianaUniversity brings together over 50,000 students and members of the Bloomington community to share ideas worth spreading.

On February 21st, 2025, we will host six speakers and 700 attendees at the historic Buskirk Chumley theater for a night of exploration and learning. This year, our theme is Tipping Point.

With your experience in ______ and unique perspective ______ we believe you would be a wonderful addition to the lineup. As a TEDx organization we cover all travel, lodging, and dining expenses to ensure you have a great experience at Indiana University.

We would like to arrange a time to get to know you more and speak regarding potential fit. We can take this time to answer any questions you may have as well. We look forward to hearing from you!

Best,

[Your Name]

Curator

TEDxIndianaUniversity

Luddy School of Information, Computation, and Engineering

Indiana University, Bloomington

|

Big TED

• TED gives out grants/funding too I think

• I didn’t look into this at all this year, but Amanda was saying something about it

Metz Grant

• An opportunity that comes every 2 years

• We received this 2 years ago when Lucy was Director

• It wasn’t available for me to apply for in time for conference this year

• Maybe something you can investigate in the fall

FYE (First Year Experience)

• I think they discontinued this because I could find nothing on it

• They used to give us $500, but I suspect they were usurped by RHA

• Something you could investigate as well

General Grants/Funding

• Suki (past president) was interested in this line of thinking

• She wanted to diversify funding sources, in case IU can't give out as much some years

• Essentially, there are probably general grants/scholarships/etc. out there that we could apply to

• The only thing I would caution is that Luddy and IU and TED have guidelines about how we can receive money

Intro to Types of Equipment

An introduction to different types of microphones and recorders from Luddy Indianapolis:

Equipment We Have

Rent-able Equipment

Mics

• Lapel Mics

  • Always set to "Split Mode" (See )

  • Use as Computer Input using USB

  • Use as Mixer Mic Inputs with a

Awesome! I (and the rest of exec) are super excited to hear about your speaker. Before we can finalize on your speaker, you will have to fill out this speaker pitch document. Be as comprehensive as you can -- thoughts, assumptions, helpful links/videos/documents, reservations.

Exec Approved:

Congratulations, we are so excited for you to get started with talk development. Before that, send them an official invitation email using

The Director of Curation will handle official communications following this approval, including the delivery of speaker info packet, logistics forms, content agreement forms, pre-conference brief documents, etc. Your Director will CC you on all official emails as well.

However, once these forms have been sent out to your speaker, it is your responsibility to ensure that you're following up on them to ensure that they send all packets back to us by December 15, 11:59 PM.

Exec Denied:

Don't worry. We have a buffer period so that you can either look for another speaker or for you to get to know another amazing speaker that your curator friends have found. Continue the outreach process until you find your speaker and once you've found them, pitch them to us again!

About Web Dev at TEDxIndianaUniversity

We utilise Wix Studio, which allows us to create a full stack website while still allowing updates of the site to be made by people unfamiliar with web development. It's hard to strike a balance between these two. After all, as a student organisation, it's hard to guarentee that you'll have several web developers on staff. However, if you know web development, you can achieve a level of design and implementation that frameworks and website builders can only hope to reach. Wix Studio is somewhere in the middle of these two: requiring that you think responsively while still allowing for a drag-and-drop experience for simple and complex elements alike.

Front End

Front end work is extremely important to TEDxIndianaUniversity. For a number of years, we utilised (practically) a static website, and this worked fine, because all we required was text and images. Consistent with Ideas Worth Spreading, we want an inspiring experience for our users, which leads to much thought about user experience and web design. When considering front end, we oft (and should always) design utilising iterative design fundamentals. Consider the following

Back End

That being said, it can be helpful to have some back-end functionality on our site. This is less common work, and we have to be very careful that any back-end work that we do is transferable to the next generation of leaders. As such, it's our responsibility as student developers to consider whether our implementation would make things easier or harder for future developers. Some features may make things a lot easier (e.g. the use of Wix CMS), so long as it is well documented here. As such, when you consider doing back end at TEDxIndianaUniversity, always ask yourself these questions:

1. Does this code really make anyone's lives easier?

2. Can this code survive after I've graduated?

3. Is the friction of learning/understanding how to use this code easier than doing everything manually?

4. Am I willing to document what is done, how it works, and how it is utilised?

Slides

• Speaker slide guidelines and template are on the . You can edit those guidelines just like you would this Knowledge Base.

• Use PowerPoint or Keynote ONLY. DO NOT allow Google Slides, Canva, or Prezi. Again: don't allow any other

Overview

Both from an ethical standpoint and a compliance/policy standpoint, we are obliged to ensure that we handle data in an appropriate manner. The way in which we handle data — including where it's stored, how it's stored, whom it's shared with, and how long it's retained — depends on the data type, as listed below. In the following sections, PII refers to Personally Identifiable Information, such as emails, names, addresses, etc.

As part of Phase 2, you will be reaching out a minimum of 15 speakers* each week. This will take place from mid-October to mid-November.

What it will look like:

1. Research potential speakers. Check what's happening in our community, explore what's interesting to you, look for ideas worth spreading.

2. Every time you find a speaker, send them an email/LinkedIn message/any other professional medium with (remember, you don't have to think they'd be perfect to give a TEDx Talk -- you are simply exploring and getting to know them before you actually select a speaker).

Photos

Our Photos

You can access our photos archive in our in Teams. You should also upload any photos you have there. Found some great photos? Sort them into the SELECTS folder for later use.

What is UX Sketching?

Rather than wasting a lot of time coding, recoding, and then recoding a site with every design change that needs to happen, we UX sketch (User Experience Sketch) sites quickly and get ideas out on physical paper. We can easily modify our ideas when they're on a sheet of paper, which makes it perfect for the beginning phases of design. So we keep sketching! Over and over! Once we're completely happy with our ideas, only then will we start transferring them to a digital form.

CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) is a declarative language that controls how webpages look in the browser. The browser applies CSS style declarations to selected elements to display them properly.

Introduction to CSS

Using an App

I prefer using , which is a cross-platform GUI application built on top of yt-dlp, an open source project well known for allowing video and audio archiving.

Because Stacher7 is built on top of yt-dlp and ffmpeg packages, you may be prompted to install those command line packages.

Tips and How-Tos

• (Wall)

Member/Club Reimbursements

• I had a strict no member reimbursement policy this year

• They’re a logistical nightmare for all parties and take anywhere from 4-6 weeks to complete

The Director of Finance is the primary person responsible for acquiring the funding necessary to put on the annual conference, support the activities of all the other teams, be the "middleman" between different directors and Karen (our faculty advisor) and the p-card, and create a budget and track expenses.

About TEDx Partnerships

Calculating Costs

• Our contract with the BCT was estimated to be almost $7,000

  • I think in the end we paid them almost $5,000

• How this works, they have a list of things they provide/do

Classroom Database

Get photos and info about classrooms and other venues in the .

Reserving a Room

Subject: Follow-up on TEDxIndianaUniversity Speaker Opportunity

Hi [Name],

Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me about a TEDxIndianaUniversity Talk. I truly enjoyed learning about your experiences and insights on [what you discussed with them].

After careful consideration, we’ve decided not to move forward with an invitation to speak at this year’s conference. That said, I genuinely appreciate the opportunity to learn more about your journey.

Thank you again for your time, and I wish you all the best for your upcoming projects!

Best,

[Your Name]

Curator

TEDxIndianaUniversity

Luddy School of Information, Computation, and Engineering

Photography

• I’m not sure who’s job this actually is, but I co-wrote the email to the photographer this year

• Lucy told me to specify how many photos we wanted and when we wanted these photos so I made sure to do all of that

Overview

Visual and Historical Research

Think about the theme or topic... What words come to mind? What visuals? What historical periods or cultural elements? What verbs or adjectives? Start in this phase of "just letting your brain steep." After you dump a bunch of words and ideas out onto a paper or whiteboard or document, begin to do some research. Research for stage design can be formal, in the case of historical events, or

Downloadable Version

Intro

This document is the source of truth. These are the expectations for your upcoming TEDxIndianaUniversity Salon and the questions you should be asking yourself. Think of these as pieces of gold: little tidbits of knowledge that are essential to getting your Salon right. These are the expectation, not the exception. This means that you should be able to concretely answer these core questions. We believe that every one of you is more than capable of achieving these. This is why you’re a part of TEDxIndianaUniversity. You wouldn't be here if we thought differently.

Part 1: Your Theme & the Video

· You should choose a theme like you're putting on a TEDx conference. Why should a busy, tired person care about your Salon topic, or are they there just for the snacks? (Hint: If they're here for the snacks, you're doing something wrong.)

· Why is this topic essential to be talked about now, by this group of people? People should be demanding to respond and discuss the topic. If it's true Ideas are Everything, what makes them care about this idea over all the others in their life?

· Does your video have gravity? Does it make people want to engage in the conversation? People can watch half-baked Netflix content on their own time. At TEDx, we only want the most inspiring and thought-provoking content.

· What do you want the audience to take from this conversation? If your answer is "a good time" or "they feel inspired," you obviously haven't thought about your theme enough. This should be tangible. Why do they now care about this topic? Why is it imperative for them to care about this? (Hint: Your discussion should be so fulfilling that people think about it in the shower.)

Part 2: Discussion & Your Activity

· If you've thought through the above questions well enough before your Salon, you shouldn't have to put too much energy into getting people to talk. If they aren't interested in talking, maybe that means something was done wrong. The discussion should be so strong that it stands alone: you shouldn't even need an activity (though, still do one).

· Does your video actually support this kind of discussion? Is your discussion actually supported by your video? How do the selected talks support the conversation? How do they add to it? How can the audience add to the video's commentary? If you're just realizing that your video doesn't do these, it's time revisit part 1 and re-think that :P

· You should plan to guide the conversation. With any topic that people are salivating to discuss, things will get off topic. You need to recenter it. Your questions should foster conversation without belittling it. Don't ask people, “what do you think.” Ask them what change now needs to happen in their lives… in others’ lives. If you're going to ask a question, the question should have been deeply thought about for a good while... battle tested... making it better than any other question to be asked.

· How are you as a team going to ensure that everyone has a voice? Everyone has Ideas Worth Spreading, but not everyone will be comfortable voicing them in all settings. If someone has an excellent idea worth sharing, how are you going to make sure it's heard? Your Salon may not be a setting someone is naturally comfortable in. What if someone disagrees with the video? Or someone else in the room?

Part 2.71828 (Part e): Promotion

· People should walk down the street, see a poster, and want to go to your Salon. Does your Salon name spark interest? A name should be properly descriptive, accurately representing the content of the Salon without confusion; however, it must also be enough to draw people in.

· When you talk about this Salon with your friends, do you speak with excitement? (Hint: Why should they care if you don’t seem to?)

Part 3: Expectations

· This is a ticketed event from an organization that has hundreds of annual attendees. This event should hold up to that rigor.

· People are coming to this event thinking of the TEDx brand. Do you represent TEDx in a positive light? How do you present? Does your appearance and attitude match that of an international non-profit?

· Other teams put in their own time to make this opportunity available to new members. Make them feel like they want to be a part of this project. Why do they want to help you?

· This event goes on our website. Publicly. Forever. (Hint: Is this work what you want posterity to know is your own?)

· Your admittance to TEDxIndianaUniversity relies on your performance, care, and crafting of this Salon. You will remain in the organization not if you merely do the Salon but if you do it well.

· MOST OF ALL: Are you acting like this is as big of a deal as it is? Not just anyone gets into TEDx. Not just anyone has a platform to share ideas. You’re expected to treat this Salon with the same care as a conference.

We’re excited to attend your Salon,

TEDxIndianaUniversity Executive Board

Items Needed Throughout This Phase

• 2 drafts of their talk

• 1 final draft of their talk

• 1 recorded talk

• Visuals

Timeline

Once you have confirmed the speaker and gotten Exec approval, start meeting with them biweekly and get started on Draft 1 early on! With the curation knowledge from the TEDx book, walk with your speaker to develop their final throughline and outline the talk together. For draft 1, take a more hands-off approach after developing the throughline and outline. See what the speaker comes up with! (Provided they have referred and read through the Speaker Guide (link TBD).

January 6: (need to confirm with Ops. Ignore this point for now) Your speaker will get confirmations regarding their flights and hotel bookings. This will be communicated to the speaker via the TEDxIU email -- meaning, you don't have to worry about this bit. If they ask, at any point in time after speaker selection regarding these logistics, tell them they will know by Jan 6.

January 6: Email your speaker with this visual guide (link TBD); this is to help them prepare the slide deck that gets presented on-screen while they give their talk during the conference.

January 11: First draft due!

Between these two dates, it is crucial that you're meeting with your speaker biweekly (weekly if possible) to polish their draft. Exec will read and return with thoughts, feedbacks, and reservations after this first draft to you on January 14. In your call with your speaker, relay Exec's thoughts and feedback politely.

January 22: Second draft, recorded talk, and visual due!

January 31: (need to confirm with TP+D. Ignore this point for now) Technical production will provide revised, edited visuals. Send this to your speaker and ask them if they want to make any revisions/additions/edits.

January 31: Final draft due!

February 7: Speaker sends us their revised visuals. No change to visuals from speaker possible beyond this point. Director of Curation emails speakers a pre-conference brief packet.

February 14: Director of Curation joins in on your calls with your speaker so we can have one final round of review.

February 21: Conference day!

Any questions, comments, or concerns throughout this process should be immediately communicated to San Mi Mi ([email protected]).

• Summer

  • Meet with the exec board a few times o Solidify a theme

  • Have each exec member interpret what the theme means to them

• August/1st Week September

  • Advertise TED

  • Host Info Sessions

  • Release Application for New Members

  • Note: think about how many members you want on the finance team before you start recruiting

• 2nd Week September

  • New Member Interviews

  • I can’t remember exactly, but I think sometime around here I submitted a budget to Luddy

• 3rd Week September

  • Hold All-Staff with New & Old Members

• 4th Week September/1st Week October

  • Contact OVPR

• 2nd/3rd Week of October

  • Know how many speakers we’ll have

    • Try not to deviate too far from this initial number

    • It’s easier to adjust for less speakers than more

• End of October/1st Week November o Submit IUFB Application

  • Submit HHC Application

  • Submit RHA Application

  • Reach out to corporate sponsors (or their campus ambassadors)

• 2nd–4th Week November

  • Compile list of local businesses you want to reach out to, begin reaching out to them using a "partnership package” document

  • Not really your job, but just so you know, we should (hopefully) be booking hotels and flights in this time

• 1st Week January

  • Reconnect with local partners, make sure they are happy and you are happy

  • Ditto for corporate sponsors

• 2nd–4th Week January

  • Maintain these relationships

  • I think Luddy asked for our budget again during this time

• February

  • Make sure everything is ordered for conference

  • Finish all the BCT paperwork and review all their additional charges

• Conference Week February

  • Acquire the p-card for multiple days

  • This requires express permission from Karen and Luddy so let them know that you’ll be doing this at least at the beginning of February

• 1st Week March

  • Collect all the reimbursement information from speakers and get this process started

• End of April

  • Submit all necessary paperwork to IUFB

  • Submit all necessary paperwork to HHC

  • Note: you will have to email both of these organizations to receive an extension

Sample Tech Form

Things to Know

Tables

They have lots of tables... use them! Note: their table cloths are "maroon" which are literally just brownish. If you want "red" TEDx will need to procure some on our own.

Merch

You may consider selling merch at the BCT. Consider two things. (1) Don't pay for a BCT staff member to sell the merch. Put 2-3 TEDx members on it. (2) TEDx is an official unit of IU and cannot use venmo/cash app/paypal to process payments. You must use an IU approved method.

Parking

Be sure to reserve parking! It's right behind the BCT and will be needed to load in staging stuff.

Stage

Generally, we go for a 6ft. extension on the stage. Work with the BCT in advance if you want to fly (i.e. hang) anything from the stage. "Soft goods" (curtains, drapes, etc.) under 100lbs generally don't need to be counter-balanced and aren't a big deal. Heavier objects deserve a meeting with the venue technical director to see if they're feasible/safe/need stage-hand labour.

Audio

Generally, we rent 2 handheld mics and 4 lapel mics. In the past, BCT staff have been sound engineer (i.e. they operate the sound board). If a live performance is occuring (e.g. intermission or one of the speakers), consider if there's instruments or vocalists that will need mics, monitors/speakers, music stands, etc. Get those folks in the conversation early so they can work with the venue on what they need.

A/V and Slides

Always use laptop audio and laptop out for slides. Be sure to have more laptops than necessary and pre-plan/rehearse how people will work things. Generally, we use PowerPoint for slides.

Lighting

Since we release video recordings of our TEDx Talks, we use a three-point lighting scheme. Additionally, it would be nice if the TEDx sign was illuminated with low intensity by an additional front light (not just top light).

Videography

The cameras at the BCT are eh. But they're way cheaper than other models

[Reece needs to show price comparison here]

Additional Equipment

• Mic harnesses or mic straps for people who might have ill-fit clothes for wireless packs

• D'San Speaker Timer (Markeys)

• Decimator for confidence monitors (Markeys)

• BCT Logitech Long-Distance Clicker (or the better D'San Perfect Cue for $81)

What to Consider

Before, during, and after the conference, people will likely be utilising the venue's additional space! There are a number of things to consider:

1. Time

Audience members will utilise the spaces differently at different times... what do they need or expect along every step of the way? What do we need to add/change/move/remove during the conference so the physical spaces are ready for when the audience needs them?

• Pre-Conference: Mulling about, waiting for doors to open, don't know anything about the talks... maybe just know the theme

• Mid-Conference Intermission: Likely rushing to use the restrooms, getting a drink, or stretching their legs

• Leaving Conference: Either rushing straight out... or taking some time to talk with friends and family about what they just saw... maybe using the restroom again or buying that merch that caught their eye for the 3rd time... giving a donation because they loved conference?

2. Location

Different parts of the spaces are better suited for certain experiences. Consider how we can engage people along each step of their experience.

• Outside the venue: Guiding lost audience members to the venue, luring in passersby, advertising the event to future patrons

• Ticketing counter and coat room: Audience members will likely want to check in at the box office and unload their coats and umbrellas right has they enter the venue

• Lobby: After ticketing, you have a chance to create experiences that they interact with... is it to sell them something? engage them with the theme? encourage them to sit down and have a chat with friends or strangers?

3. Physical Considerations

Now, consider the signs, booths, furniture, and technology that sit in these spaces

• Signage: Show audience members where to go for ticketing, coat room, auditorium, booths/experiences, restrooms, etc.

• Tables to sell goods, achieve call-to-action, collect data: What do we need them from them before they leave? social follows? emailing list? purchases? donations?

• Engagement Tables/Booths: How can they engage with the theme? How can this conference be memorable?

4. Customer Experience (CX) or Audience Experience

• Comfort: What do members need to do to make the audience feel at home? Welcomed? Feel like they have amazing service where they don't have to worry about anything?

• Accessibility: What are we doing for people with limited mobility? In wheelchairs? For people who are mute or partially mute? What about parents with small children? What about someone who (crap, not now!) is having their period?

Resources

Recommendations from TED:

BCT Venue Plot for Planning:

Karen

• Karen is very nice and extremely hardworking... meet with her/president once per month!

• She basically never remembered me (once I saw her 3 times in 5 days and each time, she forgot me)

  • It’s incredibly important that she does know (and remembers) you though. If you have a good/trusting relationship with her, she’ll be more likely to forgive you when something (inevitably) goes wrong, or you want something done last minute

  • Meet with her once before the semester ends

  • Next year, try to meet her at least once a month, even invite her to a coffee or something!

  • (Reece:) Karen is amazing! She's super chatty and just wants to get to know the students she's supporting. She's chill, easy going, and has lots of tea. Definitely drop by her office, even if you don't have anything you need! She loves when students check in to see how she's doing with no pretext.

• Karen is always very busy, do your best to give her 1.5-2 weeks in advance for whatever you need

  • This means your board will need to have everything sorted prior to this. Definitely inform of this constraint early in the year and keep bringing up how important it is that you get any requests early enough to give Karen time

• Side note: Tiana is someone I’ve never interacted with, but is extremely crucial to this TEDx, Luddy, Karen dynamic

  • Tiana is Karen’s boss (and is a girl boss in general -Reece)

  • She is a great connection to have for all things Luddy/Funding/TEDx related

  • If for some reason you ever need money from Luddy, ask Karen to introduce you to Tiana
• I spoke to Karen recently and she said she prefers to be contacted from your personal IU email so that she can match the name with the request

  • Try to cc the TED email on every email you send her so that there is more transparency for everyone

Luddy

• Luddy is not the easiest to work with

• They consistently change their rules and make it difficult to get things done quickly (think a lot of red tape). This is both because the school is growing and bc IU keeps changing their policy

• Just really try to plan ahead and give yourself 2 weeks to accomplish any task with them

• Luddy Makerspace

The TEDx Bank Account

• All of the money we receive goes to a general Luddy account

• Generally, whoever deposits the money is supposed to select the correct sub-account so that Karen knows it’s our money

  • Sometimes they forget to do this *cough RHA cough*

• Whenever you expect a deposit, let Karen know who to expect it from, why we’re receiving it, and the quantity to expect

How-To

1. Visit Chrome River (Emburse Enterprise)

2. Click "Create" next to "Expenses"

1. Enter details; make sure "Report Type" is "Out-of-Pocket Reimbursement"

1. Find the correct commodity for what you're getting reimbursed for

1. Fill out all the fields except for "Project Code" and "Organization Reference Id." Note the account should be {ACCOUNT NUMBER} TEDX BL-INAD SICE SOA and you should upload the receipt in the "Attachment" section

Download and Use our Logos

TEDxIndianaUniversity Members can access our official logos in .

Recruiting

• As I'm sure you know, historically the finance team has been 1 Director + 2-3 Members

• When Lucy was director, there were 2 members. When Aashna was director, there were 3 members. When I was director, there were 2 members.

Subject Line: TEDxIndianaUniversity Speaking Invitation for [Name]

[Speaker],

I am thrilled to formally invite you to give a TEDx Talk at TEDxIndianaUniversity's 2024-2025 Conference, Tipping Point! Everyone here at TEDxIU is ecstatic about the prospect of you joining us, and we cannot wait to welcome you to Bloomington.

If you would like to accept, the first step in crafting your talk is signing the Speaker Content Development Agreement attached to this email. Please send a signed copy back to me before (Date). Within the next few weeks, you will also be receiving a Speaker Information Packet, which will include details about TEDxIU, the theme, the speaker reimbursement process, and a tentative timeline for the conference.

Lastly, I would love to connect on either a video or phone call to start planning your talk. I’m available on [Availability]. If those times don’t work, I'm happy to find a mutually convenient time.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Best,

[Your Name]

Resources

Quick-and-dirty podcast-sound enhacer: https://podcast.adobe.com/enhance

Mic check for podcasts: https://podcast.adobe.com/miccheck

Adobe Audition DAW for Desktop: https://uits.iu.edu/adobe/

Adobe Web-Based Studio DAW: https://podcast.adobe.com/studio

We have several Microsoft Teams, Microsoft SharePoint, IU ACM (Access Control Management), and Microsoft Loop groups. Here's what you should have access to:

*Some Production members and automated system accounts may have access for data management, data compliance, and other IT-related reasons

**This service grants access to other services but general members should not have edit access

***Available only after specific training is completed

IUFB (Indiana University Funding Board)

• First week of october- theme decided, interpretation figured out+# of speakers

• I enjoyed working with IUFB this year!

• They gave us $20,000 in total this year! Woohoo!!

• Everyone kept telling me how easy IUFB related things were but no one actually told me what to do, so here’s my guide for you

  • 1. Application

  • 2. They review application

  • 3. They arrange funding pitch time
• IUFB holds these little “Get to know us” events throughout the year. Somehow, I ended up attending 3 of these

  • They were EXTREMELY helpful

    • They literally walked you through how to fill out an application, answered my 948,593 questions, and taught me little tips/tricks to get more money out of them (10/10 recommend by the way)

    • They have specific rules about how much can be requested for what types of items, so it’s good to go to the events just to learn this information

• IUFB also have bylaws that are also helpful

  • They outline everything that can/cannot be requested o I don’t suggest reading through the whole thing or anything, but if you ever have a question, check the bylaws before emailing them

• IUFB is student run

  • All your funding pitches will be to students

  • It really takes the pressure off

  • They’re usually very casual and chill which is nice
• Funding Pitches

  • They schedule you a 10 minute slot

    • In my experience it usually only takes 7 minutes

    • They are always behind schedule though, so block off 30 minutes for sure
• As this is done through BeInvolved, the Director of Finance is the only person who is able to see and submit an application

OVPR (Office of the Vice Provost of Research)

• Historically (my understanding is at least 3-5 years), they gave us $10,000 in exchange for using a speaker of their choosing

• Normally how that happened was that you emailed Jane and Bethan (they works under the OVPR department), she would set up a Zoom call, you would make a pitch (take the President and Director of Curation to this meeting), and then she would email you with approval/rejection

  • Jane Drake’s Email:

HHC (Hutton Honors College Funding Board)

• They gave us $5,000 in the 2023-2024 year!

• Their application is crazy long and asks for very specific information

• They care about what we will do for Hutton Honors College kids

• This is how someone at IUFB explained how to get money from them

RHA (Residence Hall Association)

• We received $2,000 from them during the 2023-2024 year (this is the max they give out!)

• There is no funding pitch/presentation for them, just an application

• They have a schedule that they put on their website, try to submit the application 1.5-2 weeks before the meeting date you want them to look at your application

• Interestingly, of all the funding boards, RHA was the fastest to look at what I sent and get back to me with a response

P-Card

• The Luddy debit card!

• With great power comes great responsibility

Preparing to be a TEDx curator can be tough. It's not just good networking skills, time commitment, and great organizational skills that go into it. At the core, you have to really understand what makes a good TED talk, a good TED talk.

Anyone can give a talk, but not anyone can give a great TED talk.

Before we start the process of outreach, we need to make sure you understand what makes a TED talk different. To do this, you'll have to:

• Read TED Talks: The Official Guide to Public Speaking in its entirety (we will provide you with physical copies, YAY!)

  Critical chapters: 1-9. Since onboarding will happen within 1.5 weeks and I recognize that this might not be enough time to digest the entire book, we will be having milestones in our biweekly meetings where we summarize a certain number of chapters together with the rest of the team!

Connecting Devices

To record live audio or use live audio from mics and mixers as an input on your computer, you'll need to use a Digital Interface (or "DI"). This converts the analogue signal from the mixer ("physical" sound waves from two 1/4" TRS or XLR cables) to digital signal used by the computer (1s and 0s over a USB or Thunderbolt cable).

Here's a quick, simplified example set up. They have a smaller mixer than we do, but it follows the same set-up.