Countdown event

Since the Countdown global launch in 2020, local events have aimed to amplify and demonstrate climate solutions. At their core, they use the TEDx model and rules, and are held in various formats: live or virtual gatherings centered on original local speakers or TED Countdown talks, showcases of solution technologies, and even volunteer activities contributing to positive change. Over 1,000 events in 99 countries took place to feature innovative solutions against the climate challenge we all face.

Learn all about the Countdown Global Launch, Countdown Summit, Global Livestream, and local Countdown events here.

Your event will be named using the TEDx naming guidelines. Read more about the rules for naming your event. Events using the name of a nonprofit or government organization must remain internal, and cannot be promoted externally.

Your audience should be open and inclusive, bringing together a wide range of people and organizations to learn more about solutions to the global threat of climate change. If the event is held in the name of a nonprofit or government organization, the audience remains internal for employees only.

(For events within businesses, please explore our TEDx Business License options.)

Like all other in-person TEDx events, Countdown events can have up to 100 in-person attendees. Only individuals who have attended a qualifying TED conference can organize an event with more than 100 in-person attendees.

Virtual events have no size limit but we encourage all organizers to be thoughtful about their audience. You may host a Countdown event on any platform, but your archive cannot remain up after your event has taken place if it includes any TED talks. For more information about hosting a virtual event, please review the TEDx Remote Production Guide and Virtual Gatherings resource page.

The focus of the event is climate change; each talk should reflect that. This is not a regular TEDx event. The Countdown initiative is focused on five subject areas: energy, transport, materials, food and nature. If you decide to host live speakers, these are the solution areas to explore. You can find more information about the Countdown initiative at countdown.ted.com. You can find guidance on finding, inviting and preparing speakers in the TEDx organizer guide.

The event can be as brief as a couple of hours and up to one day in length. It can be held anytime until December 31, 2023.

Your Countdown event can be as simple or elaborate as you want it to be.
You can:

*Share talks from the Countdown library (provided to you from TED as downloadable videos).

*Choose to curate your own speaker talks and share them.

*Feature a combination of TED Countdown talks and local speakers.

*Plan activities that bring your community together to brainstorm and debate local solutions.

You may charge up to $100 USD per ticket to participants, only to cover expenses. TEDx events are nonprofit, volunteer endeavors.

All events that plan on using YouTube as a platform to stream their event must inform us by filling out this form. This allows us to temporarily unblock their event’s official YouTube channel (personal YouTube channels will not be unblocked) for the day of the event and ensure that they don’t run into any issues while streaming TED content. TED Talks are copyrighted material, and as a result, blocked by other channels for sharing on YouTube.

If the channel is not temporarily unblocked, your streaming will be automatically stopped by YouTube.

Please make sure that you fill out this form at least a week before your event is set to take place so we’re able to unblock your channel in a timely manner.

In collaboration with nine amazing TEDx events around the world – Fine Acts developed Sprints — a creative bootcamp where visual artists had 48 hours to produce an artwork on the topic of climate change with the goal to envision what a better climate future looks like.

Take a look at the artwork from TEDxSãoPaulo (Brazil), TEDxMontréal (Canada), TEDxJohannesburg (South Africa), TEDxNapierBridge (India), TEDxVarese (Italy), TEDxSadovoeRing (Russia), TEDxTarragona (Spain), TEDxBrighton (UK), and TEDxCalzadaDeLosHéroes (Mexico) on the Sprints x TEDx website.