All press releases should be submitted, in advance, to Laura Galloway, who handles TED's media relations, for final review and approval. Releases should be sent at least two weeks before your event -- earlier if possible. Please allow 48 hours for release turnaround and approval.
Your email to Laura Galloway should include:
- The date on which the release will be sent
- The method by which the release will be sent (formal service, e.g. PR Newswire, or your own media list)
Quotes: Due to the large number of events, TED does not provide quotes for individual press releases.
Writing the release
Your press release must include the following paragraph, amended to fit your specific event:
In the spirit of "ideas worth spreading," TED has created TEDx. TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. Our event is called TEDx[name], where x = independently organized TED event. At TEDx[name], TEDTalks video and live speakers will combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events, including ours, are self-organized.
Your press release must also include the following text:
About TED
TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. Started as a four-day conference in California 25 years ago, TED has grown to support those world-changing ideas with multiple initiatives. The annual TED Conference invites the world's leading thinkers and doers to speak for 18 minutes. Their talks are then made available, free, at TED.com. TED speakers have included Bill Gates, Al Gore, Jane Goodall, Elizabeth Gilbert, Sir Richard Branson, Nandan Nilekani, Philippe Starck, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Isabel Allende and UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown. The annual TED Conference takes place in Long Beach, California; TEDGlobal is held each year in Oxford, UK, and this November, the TEDIndia Conference will be held in Mysore, India. TED’s media initiatives include TED.com, where new TEDTalks are posted daily, and the Open Translation Project, which provides subtitles and interactive transcripts as well as the ability for any TEDTalk to be translated by volunteers worldwide. TED has established the annual TED Prize, where three exceptional individuals with a wish to change the world are given the opportunity to put their wishes into action; TEDx, which offers individuals or groups a way to host local, self-organized events around the world, and the TED Fellows program, helping world-changing innovators from around the globe to become part of the TED community and, with its help, amplify the impact of their remarkable projects and activities.
Follow TED on Twitter (twitter.com/TEDTalks), or on Facebook, (facebook.com/TED).
TED2010, “What the World Needs Now,” will be held Feb. 9–13, 2010, in Long Beach, California, with TEDActive, a simulcast conference of TED2010, in Palm Springs, California. TEDGlobal 2010, “And Now the Good News,” will be held July 13-16, 2010, in Oxford, UK.
What to include in your press release:
- Your event's name -- e.g. TEDxAustin, TEDxDubai
- Location -- be specific
- Date and time
- Whether your event is public or private. (If public, how can people participate?)
- List of speakers
- Theme
- Website and/or social media pages, e.g. Twitter account
- Live webcast URL
- Your contact information
