TED (conference)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
TED (Technology Entertainment Design) is an annual conference held in Monterey, California and recently, semi-annually in other cities around the world. TED describes itself as a "group of remarkable people that gather to exchange ideas of incalculable value". Its lectures cover a broad set of topics including science, arts, politics, global issues, architecture, music and more. The speakers themselves are from a wide variety of communities and disciplines. The TED Conference also has a companion conference, TED Global, held in varying locations.
[edit] History
TED was founded by Richard Saul Wurman and Harry Marks in 1984, and was held annually from 1990. Wurman left after the 2002 conference and it is now hosted by Chris Anderson and owned by his non-profit The Sapling Foundation, devoted to leveraging the power of ideas to change the world. In 2006, attendance cost $4,400 and was by invitation only.[1] The membership model was shifted in January of 2007 to an annual membership fee of $6,000 which includes attendance of the conference, club mailings, networking tools and conference DVDs.
In 2005, the TED Prize was introduced. Three individuals are each given $100,000 and granted a "wish to change the world" which they unveil at TED. The inaugural winners were Bono, Edward Burtynsky and Robert Fischell. Bono's wish resulted in more than one million people signing up to join the ONE Campaign to eradicate poverty.
In 2007, the prize awarded $100,000 to Bill Clinton, Edward O. Wilson and James Nachtwey.
