Conferences

Two or more times a year, a group of interesting and impactful people gathers for a week-long TED experience — which attendees have described as "the ultimate brain spa" and "a journey into the future in the company of those creating it." Dedicated to TED’s global mission of researching and sharing great new ideas, conference speakers are selected by our curatorial research team who identify and investigate ideas and innovations that matter. We invite prominent academics, educators, researchers, philanthropists, environmentalists, scientists, technologists, artists and others to attend and present short lectures – our signature TEDTalks - in their areas of research and expertise. It's a winning formula of brilliant, curious minds and groundbreaking content in an immersive and educational environment.

What is a TED conference?

TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design — three broad subject areas that are collectively shaping our world. But a TED conference is broader still, showcasing important research and ideas from all disciplines and exploring how they connect. The format is fast-paced: 50+ talks over the course of a week, as well as morning and evening get-togethers. As they take in the program, attendees and speakers from vastly different fields can cross-fertilize and draw inspiration from unlikely places. This is the magic of TED.

Types of TED conferences

TED

The flagship TED Conference is held annually on the North American West Coast. The breadth of content includes science, business, the arts, technology and global issues. Eighteen-minute talks are interspersed with shorter presentations, including music, performances and comedy. Learn more

TEDGlobal

TEDGlobal travels the world and is slightly more international in nature. The full TED format is maintained, with a wide-ranging roster of speakers and performers for a week of inspiring sessions. TEDGlobal was held in Oxford, UK, in 2005, 2009 and 2010; in Arusha, Tanzania, in 2007; and in Edinburgh, Scotland in 2011, 2012 and 2013. In 2014, TEDGlobal went "South!" to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Learn more

TEDWomen

TEDWomen is a three-day conference about the power of women and girls to be creators and change-makers. The program of speakers, workshops, events — and daring discussions — has sparked some of TED's most iconic moments yet. TEDWomen was held in 2010 in Washington, DC, in 2013 in San Francisco,CA and in 2015 in Monterey, CA. Learn more

TEDYouth

TEDYouth is a day-long event for middle and high school students, with live speakers, hands-on activities and great conversations. Speakers share short talks on what they do best, serving both as a source of knowledge and inspiration for youth around the globe.TEDYouth was held in New York City in 2011, 2012, 2014, and 2015, and in New Orleans in 2013. Learn more

Other TED events

TED also regularly hosts other special events around the globe. TEDIndia was held in November 2009 in Mysore, celebrating and exploring the beckoning future of South Asia. TEDCity2.0, powered by the 2012 TED Prize, presented a day of new thinking about urban life. TED Talks Live took place in 2015, bringing six separate programs of curated TED Talks New York City’s Theater district.

TED also hosts smaller events, including TED Salons, evening-length events with speakers and performers, and TED@250 events, curated by TED staff in our New York office to explore issues of interest. Meanwhile, TED Institute events bring TED's curatorial lens to the ideas found within large companies.

Attending a TED Conference

Attendance at TED is by application, and the attendees — scientists, CEOs, designers, intellectuals — are as extraordinary as the speakers. TED's success is in bringing together up to 1,200 of the world's most remarkable people across many fields. The result? Unexpected connections. Extraordinary insights. Powerful inspiration.

TED conference memberships come in a variety of levels, and fees differ depending on which conference you want to attend. A portion of most conference fees is tax-deductible, and goes to support TED's free programs, from TED Talks videos to the million-dollar annual TED Prize.

Find out more about attending a TED Conference

Speaking at TED

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Past TEDs

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Recent talks from TED conferences

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