Hickory – A group of local volunteers are planning the seventh year of TEDxHickory, a full-day event to be held November 23, 2019 at the The Belk Centrum at Lenoir-Rhyne University. The independently organized event — TEDxHickory — is licensed by TED and will feature a combination of live speakers and TED Talk videos that is sure to elevate the thinking and broaden the perspective of all who participate.

TEDx Hickory is looking for speakers to present at this coming year’s event, under the theme “Connect,” as expressed in the quotation from Fyodor Dostoevski, “A disturbance in one place is felt at the other end of the world,” and exemplified in iconic images from philosophies, religions, literature, and popular culture from around the world: Celtic Knots, Hindu Mandalas, the Ripple Effect, the Web of Life, 6 Degrees of Connection, Buddhism’s Eternal Knot.

Particular angles on the topic might include how things are connected, what connections are most vital, today, tomorrow, for the individual, the country, the species, the planet. Or how do our connections shape us? And what connections should be endorsed, which ones discouraged?

Modern technology with its instant links and broadcasts via social media and cellphones brings us all closer together, faster, and more often, whether we want to be or not. But is all this connectivity good or bad? Are the connections meaningful, purposeful, productive or just superficial? Do they help us “connect the dots”? Which of them are, as in the early days of cell phones, “bad connections”?

Here in Hickory we will soon be better connected through one of the oldest forms of connectivity there is. The pathways of CityWalk and RiverWalk will connect Lenoir Rhyne to downtown to the SALT Block to the Catawba River and many communities and attractions along the way. What does this make possible for us and how can we optimize our utilization of what it offers?

Now is your chance to connect with others interested in the ways, potentials, and issues of connecting. If you are ready to share your knowledge and perspective on connections in a format that educates and entertains, then you might be right for TEDxHickory this year as we explore how we do/can/should “Connect.”

Anyone interested in speaking will be asked to provide talks that fall under the “Connect” theme – however broad or specific. Per the rules of TEDx, presenters are allowed to speak for no more than 18 minutes each. From now through September 22, those interested can apply online by visiting TEDxhickory.com. Presentations will be chosen based on how well they fit the vision of TEDx and the variety of the presentations for the day.

About TEDx, x = independently organized event
In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized (Subject to certain rules and regulations). Follow TEDxHickory on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TEDxHickory/

About TED
TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. Started as a four-day conference in California 30 years ago, TED has grown to support its mission with multiple initiatives. The two annual TED Conferences invite the world’s leading thinkers and doers to speak. These talks are then made available at TED.com. TED speakers have included Bill Gates, Jane Goodall, Elizabeth Gilbert, Sir Richard Branson, Nandan Nilekani, Philippe Starck, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Sal Khan and Daniel Kahneman.

The annual TED Conference takes place each spring in Vancouver, British Columbia, along with the TEDActive and TEDFest events. TED’s media initiatives include TED.com, where new TED Talks are posted daily; the educational initiative TED-Ed; TEDx, which supports individuals or groups in hosting local, self- organized TED-style events around the world, and the TED Fellows program, helping world-changing innovators from around the globe to amplify the impact of their projects and activities.