TEDxCapeTown as a connector towards community collaboration

It is an honour to be part of the TEDxCapeTown community who create magic. Because of the curious, hard working, high calibre individuals it attracts - who give freely of their time on top of demanding day jobs and commitments - it is these contributions of heart and vision that help create structure, engage potential sponsors and spend time with selecting an array of speakers for our annual event on 20 July 2013.

It is exciting to be interacting with inspired individuals and be part of a wider active community, as well as make-it-happen team of dedicated volunteers and supporting partners who collaborate to create the magic that happens in the lead up and long after an event, but which truly comes together to be seen on the day of a TEDxCapeTown event such as 'Amazing People, Crazy Places', the 2013 annual event.

The true beauty of such a day, when the memories and conversations have settled, is in the treasures that are left behind long after the Baxter has cleared out on Saturday 20 July, whether the words of inspiration or the cutting edge ideas that inspire and compel attendees to action.

Inspired to action

In a 2013 application form, one attendee shared a story of how his girlfriend was so inspired by a TEDxCapeTown 2012 speaker's idea to re-imagine the publishing industry that she contacted him after the event. Today this girl is working with 2012 speaker, Arthur Attwell of Paperight.

It is often through other people's way of presenting an inspired idea that we learn and grow, by hearing opinions that we form and refine our own, and through sharing other people's journeys that we experience joy.

On the journey of preparing for a TEDx event, of sharing the journeys of a few TEDx Talks in the making, that I am reminded by just how special this platform is. TEDx, an independently organised TED-like event, is not just another conference, not just another event to attend in a spectator capacity. It is a beautifully crafted and well-curated audience opportunity. How involved you get is what adds quality and value to your experience.

Ideas taking flight

We've seen speaker's fledging dreams and ideas shared on stage and then within mere months we start hearing of the magic that has arisen from the platform of ideas worth spreading. Marcela Guerrero Casas spoke on 'Dreaming of open streets' in October 2012 and seven months later had 5,000 people flock to Lower Main Road in Observatory as she partnered with the City of Cape Town to shut the road to cars and create 'Open Streets' for the people of the city to play, interact and enjoy their city space in a new way.

But besides these stories which do sometimes get told, there are the ones that most people don't hear about. There are the endless hours, the energy, the love and the aligned opportunities that the team pursue in reaching out to partners who share the same vision and want to be part of supporting the magic.

From the team, all professionals in their industry and careers who give freely of their time, to the various supporters and partners who sponsor services, products or heavily discounted rates in order to produce top quality hospitality, production, filming and flow on the day.

Consider the AV requirements, the production team and the cameras to capture these TEDx Talks and then edit them afterwards into eternal idea offerings, the broadband capability required and the wifi so you can tweet to your heart's content and the livestreaming capacity so that we can share the ideas worth spreading beyond the walls of the Baxter.

Then of course we want to feed you, and to ensure you are nourished not only physically but also mentally and emotionally. We arrange interactive displays outside the venue - xLab and Alphabet Soup - so as to spark your thinking and inspire you while you sip your coffee and meet more amazing people.

We want our community to feel nourished at the end of the day, full of ideas and space to connect and collaborate. Whether you attend in person, or at a viewing party we can't wait to share the conversation and the awesome ideas worth spreading!