Media Release
For Immediate Release Tuesday, 28 August 2012 Auckland, New Zealand
More Speakers Join TEDxAuckland Lineup
TEDxAuckland is shaping up to be a sell-out event with the main floor of the ASB Theatre reaching full capacity less
than two weeks after the first speakers were announced.
The October event will present a diverse range of speakers that will ignite conversation, encourage new thinking and
expose attendees to world-changing ideas from the minds of New Zealand’s top scientists, artists, educators and
technologists.
With momentum building, TEDxAuckland is announcing the names of more inspiring New Zealanders who will take the stage
alongside an already impressive line-up of speakers.
Event organiser Elliott Blade believes this year’s speakers have what it takes to draw the crowds and spark an inspiring
relationship between New Zealanders and the TEDx platform.
“We have chosen to host the event at Aotea Centre in Central Auckland so that we can accommodate the expected demand.
For many people this will be their first TEDx experience and I hope that it will be the beginning of an inspiring and
thought provoking relationship with TED and the TEDx platform.”
Newly announced speakers for this year’s event include distinguished documentary director of The Last Ocean, Peter Young; Comedian, entertainer and social entrepreneur, Philip Patston; award-winning playwright, Pip Hall; and Aakash Polra, Jade Tan and Mohit Singh, the trio behind software start-up Mobileeye.
These inspiring individuals will present their ideas alongside physicist and political advisor Sean Gourley; change development specialist Paul Wood; physicist and pursuer of the Higgs boson ‘god particle’ David Krofcheck; materials and biomedical engineer Michelle Dickinson; internationally recognised architect Andrew Patterson; Co-founder of medical start-up SIMTICs John Windsor; Founder of the 100 Days Project Emma Rogan; CEO of Arvus Group Matthew Simmons; and dental surgeon and founder of ICARE Assil Russell.
TEDxAuckland will take place on Saturday 6 October at the ASB Theatre in the Aotea Centre. Eighteen speakers are set to
take part in the full day event which will run from 10.00am until 5.30pm. A complete speaker line up will be announced
in September.
TEDxAuckland is proudly sponsored by Yellow®, Kordia, New Zealand Post, Sony, Powershop, Scoop Media Cartel, Digital
Arts Network, Flitter, Deafradio and The Goat Farm.
Tickets are now available for purchase from The Edge for $80 + booking fees.
For more information about this year’s speakers and all other updates visit http://www.tedxauckland.com/
Facebook: Facebook.com/tedxakl
Twitter: Twitter.com/TEDxAkl
Event Information:
Date: Saturday, 6 October 2012
Venue: ASB Theatre, Aotea Centre
Time: 10am - 5:30pm
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.)
About TED
TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. Started as a four-day conference in California 25
years ago, TED has grown to support those world-changing ideas with multiple initiatives. The annual TED Conference
invites the world’s leading thinkers and doers to speak for 18 minutes. Their talks are then made available, free, at
TED.com. TED speakers have included Bill Gates, Al Gore, Jane Goodall, Elizabeth Gilbert, Sir Richard Branson, Nandan
Nilekani, Philippe Starck, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Isabel Allende and former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown. The annual TED
Conference takes place each spring in Long Beach, California, along with the TEDActive simulcast in Palm Springs; the
annual TEDGlobal conference is held each summer in Edinburgh, Scotland.
TED's media initiatives include TED.com, where new TEDTalks are posted daily, the recently launched TED-Ed platform for
students and educators, the Open Translation Project, which provides subtitles and interactive transcripts as well as
the ability for any TEDTalk to be translated by volunteers worldwide, and TEDBooks, short e-books by speakers that
elaborate on a single idea originally presented on TED's stage. TED has established the annual TED Prize, where
exceptional individuals with a wish to change the world are given the opportunity to put their wishes into action; TEDx,
which offers individuals or groups a way to host local, self-organized events around the world, and the TED Fellows
program, helping world-changing innovators from around the globe to become part of the TED community and, with its help,
amplify the impact of their remarkable projects and activities. Follow TED on Twitter or on Facebook.
ENDS