Connect the Dots
Ticket Price Hike Signals Change at TEDx
The venue changed, new speakers were selected and the ticket price has doubled, but despite the changes, TEDxConcordia’s organizers say interest has never been higher.
“We received 200 applications in the first eight hours after we opened for registrations,” said David Chouinard, the head of public relations and marketing for the Concordia event. “We knew that a big pool of people were interested in this, but not to the extent of the interest we got.”
With only 400 slots open at the one-day event on Feb. 19—an independently organized offshoot of the global conference series on technology, education and design—applicants are being vetted before being accepted to attend.
“The response has been pretty insane, both inside and outside of Concordia,” said Chouinard.
Only half of all applicants to attend the event have been students. However, even the organizers could not confirm how many of those students are from Concordia.
“A big part of the conference is making sure that the people who are there are the people who want to be there,” said Chouinard. “We are looking for passionate, curious, interested people who can give back to the community.”
According to Chouinard, the increase in the ticket price to $50 per attendee had less to do with financial pressures than it did with maintaining the integrity of the event. The organizer called the increased admission a “roadblock” to ensure that the right people attend.
“TED isn’t about the talks. There is a reason that the talks are put online; it’s to make sure that people who want to hear the talks stay home and listen to them,” said Chouinard. “The big thing is the experience, to make sure that everyone who is there is contributing to the experience.”
The price of food contributed to a larger than expected price tag for the event, with organizers spending $30 per attendee on food.
“We are going to make sure that food isn’t on people’s minds,” joked Chouinard.
The organizers cited the quality of their speakers as a reason for the vigorous response from both inside and outside of Concordia. The 14 speakers represent a varied cross-section of Montreal life, covering topics from microbiology to social media.
One-third of the speakers at Tedx will be students.
“The speakers I am the most excited for are the students,” said Chouinard.
This article originally appeared in Volume 31, Issue 21, published February 1, 2011.
