TED is not someone you should know, TED is something you should know about. TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design) is a conference for anyone to attend with the emphasis on “Ideas Worth Spreading.”  The concept is simple; four days, 50 speakers, there are no breakout sessions or keynote speakers, everyone experiences the same talks at the same time. The list of speakers and topics are as impressive as the “talks” they give. Today, TED has more than 1,000 talks, all accessible and free of charge on the TED website!

Anyone can become a speaker at one of the TED conferences, but there are a few strict rules.

1. Your topic better be interesting.
2. Your topic should cover technology, entertainment or design.
3. Your talk cannot exceed 18 minutes! No matter if you’re the former president of the United States, or Joe 6-pack. 18 minutes!

If you want to attend a TED conference, you need to become a TED Member.  In 2006, the membership fee was $4,400.00, today if you want to become a member and attend the February 25 – March 1, 2013 conference, the cost is $7,500.00. Every conference sells out so you need to act quickly if you plan to attend.

Of the many speakers I’ve watched, here are three of my favorite, talks. It was not easy choosing just three, but here’s a taste of TED.

• Ric Elias, 3 Things I Learned While My Plane Crashed

Ric talks about how his life changed while sitting in first class aboard the USAir flight that landed in the Hudson River in New York. Listen to what’s really important to him as he reveals the 3^rd thing he learned; “Above all, above all, the only goal I have in life is to be a good dad.”

•  Simon Sinek, How Great Leaders Inspire Action

Simon is able to capture how to truly know what business you’re in by looking at your company through the “Golden Circle.” If you run a company, you need to ask why, to everything. Then you’ll begin to understand why you should look at your company from the inside out.

• Sir Ken Robinson, Schools Kill Creativity

As someone who was blessed with ADHD, I had trouble learning in a traditional school curriculum, for me this talk hits home. Sir Ken is a traditional school teacher who says, the way we teach kids today is completely outdated, and how we teach kids in school today is in need of, nothing short of, a complete and drastic overhaul. This is the number-one watched video of all time on TED.com. As I write this blog, it’s been viewed more than 10 million times!

Now you can blame me if you become addicted to TED; and if you’re at a party and find yourself telling other people about TED, then you’ve entered into the TED’ster zone!!

Welcome to the Club fellow TED’ster!!