TED is going everywhere. That’s the message from TED’s Lara Stein at TEDxUSC, the second showing of USC’s own independently owned TED event. TED–which is now being held in Long Beach, and is known for its very exclusive, invite-only atmosphere, and thoughtful thinkers–apparently is gearing up big time for independent events. According to TED’s Lara Stein at the event, the group more than 500 more planned for this year, quite a proliferation of TED events.

TEDxUSC — which, last year, was the first independent TED event ever organized — now faces dozens of local versions of TED and its thought inspiring talks. The USC event was excellent–definitely up to TED standards–but those hungry for TED events can now get their fill at TEDxAmericanRiviera, TEDxSB, TEDxCaltech, TEDxHollywood, TEDxMayanLA, TEDxMontecito, TEDxSanDiego, TEDxSLO, TEDxConejo, TEDxUCRPalmDesert, and even TEDxAguaDulce and  TEDxSimiValleyLibrary. (Astute observers will see that there appear to be three–maybe four, if you count SLO–Santa Barbara area events planned, for whatever reason…).

As for TEDxUSC, the event packed a huge crowd in to USC’s Bovard auditorium, and included  speakers such as Paul Frommer – the linguist who developed the Na’vi language for the movie Avatar, NASA Astronaut Dr. Nicholas Patrick, Michael Yap, Deputy CEO at the Media Development Authority of Singapore, and base jumper Jeb Corliss, among a number of other notable speakers. It was a well produced, great event, but as TED proliferates, the TEDxUSC event will have to work hard to keep up the quality of its speakers, and to attract attendees beyond its own campus…

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Conferences by Benjamin Kuo