Attend TEDx Mid Atlantic: Sense of Place
Few things are worth getting up for before 7:00 a.m. on a Saturday morning, unless there’s a TEDx event in town. Attendees of this year’s TEDx MidAtlantic will probably be so blown away by the line-up of guest speakers they won’t need to be fortified with copious amounts of caffeine.
Washington is filled with think tanks, but TEDx MidAtlantic is a brain trust event that takes a populist approach to big thinking. These events have been called “A journey into the future, in the company of those creating it.” Read our previous post about TED and TEDx to learn more about these incredible events.
As is always the case, TEDx MidAtlantic has brought together leaders and thinkers from a wide spectrum of disciplines such as food, media, technology, public life, business, music, performance arts, photography, politics, philanthropy, and many others. Hosting and introducing the day’s guests will be seasoned PBS NewsHour Anchor Judy Woodruff. The list of the day’s speakers is impressive and includes luminaries such as:
- José Andrés, chef/owner of ThinkFoodGroup in Washington, DC, and 2011 James Beard Outstanding Chef of the Year
- Jean Case, CEO of the Case Foundation, and 2011 Philanthropist of the Year
- Vint Cerf, Vice President, and chief Internet evangelist for Google who co-designed the TCP/IP protocols and architecture of the Internet, a man many have called one of the “Fathers of the Internet”; and Dr. Jane Lubchenco, Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and Administrator of NOAA.
This year, in addition to the regular speakers, the organizers have an unbelievable treat in store for attendees: a roundtable discussion with cast members of the phenomenal HBO television program The Wire! Appearing will be Michael Kenneth Williams, who portrayed Omar Little on the series, and now plays Chalky White on HBO’s Boardwalk Empire, and Sonja Sohn, who played the role of Kima Greggs on The Wire, and now stars in Body of Proof on ABC. Although The Wire was only on the air for five seasons, from 2002 to 2008, critics believe it was the greatest television series ever made, and it’s writing has been considered a literary tour de force in fiction.
Each year, TEDx MidAtlantic chooses a theme, and for 2011, the theme is “Sense of Place.” According to conference organizers, “TEDx MidAtlantic 2011 celebrates and explores place, mobility, context, and locality – and humanity’s ongoing desire to achieve a sense of place.” The Wire’s brilliant approach to drama, and it’s unique emphasis on locale as an integral element in the plot, embodied this theme and graphically illustrated the role of context in finding one’s sense of place.
It’s just under 2 weeks until TEDx MidAtlantic, there’s just a few tickets left so there’s no time to waste if you haven’t registered yet!
What: TEDx MidAtlantic
When: October 29, 2011 | 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Where: Sidney Harman Hall | 610 F St NW, Washington, DC 20059
Who: trend spotters, tech lovers, fans of new ideas, visionaries, idea people, entertainment fans, college students, IT people, entrepreneurs
What’s Next: Buy tickets online! Nobody is making money from TEDx MidAtlantic and no speakers have been paid. You can only purchase one ticket at a time.
Image Courtesy of TEDxMidAtlantic
Category: CONFERENCES, NETWORK, NEW EVENTS
