We can seat just under 500 people in the Main Hall at the Monterey Conference Center, and these tickets tend to sell out a full year in advance of each conference. However, thanks to the extraordinary efforts of our partners Steelcase and Sony, we are able to seat another 600 in our famous Simulcast Lounge, where you watch the conference on large-screen high-definition monitors from carefully designed clusters of comfy chairs and sofas. This grants you flexible movement, with access to refreshments and Wi-Fi. The first paid registrants to TED each year receive passes that guarantee access to the Main Hall for all sessions (provided you arrive before the start of the session). Subsequent registrants will receive Conference passes that guarantee access to the Simulcast Lounge for all sessions, but will also still allow access to the Main Hall if there is space available one minute before the official start time of each session.
In recent TED conferences, most Conference pass holders have been able to gain access to the Main Hall for many sessions, for the simple reason that many Main Hall Priority pass holders like to spend time in the Simulcast Lounge! Both types of passes are sold at the same price and are considered full conference passes, granting access to social events, activities, workshops and our TED Book Club.
Another way to see TED: We recently announced TED@Aspen, a simulcast event in Aspen, Colorado. Hosted by the Aspen Institute, this event will feature all the presentations of TED2008 in Monterey, fed by satellite link and presented in real time on gorgeous Sony HDTV monitors -- as well as an exciting program of speakers and performers on-site, and a full roster of social events. Read more »
