With your mind filled with exciting, engaging and inspirational ideas, it’s time for a short break to meet your fellow TEDxAmsterdam attendees. Amid the hubbub, we found a chance to talk to some of the speakers, get a breath of fresh air and look out for a quiet WiFi corner to share our experience with the world outside the Stadsschouwburg. We also had a great mash-up to share, where everything digital blended together in a creative mix of copy, videos, tweets and photos of the day.
And, now that we knew who was on-stage, we’re even more curious about who was off-stage, and how they’ve experienced the first session of TEDxAmsterdam 2010. Nico Baken, who was a speaker at last year’s TEDxAmsterdam, had a strong preference for Emer Beamer’s talk, because she “creates a new business case, which is actually a value-case.” Others were literally struck by Carol McFadden’s performance, since “she moves you from a sense of inconvenience towards a sense of ecstasy, by asking the public to contribute to her aria, which resulted in a surprising collective effort,” in the words of Ernst-Jan Pfauth. Aldith Unkar, who was actually running back and forth herself to report live from the event for Feller Media, was not able to see all the talks, but “loves the buzz going around.”
Although TEDxAmsterdam is metaphorically about feeding hungry minds, Food and Nutrition Delta focuses on actual food – throughout the day offering TEDxAmsterdam guests sustainable things to sustain our energy. Moonen Natural, in collaboration with We Are Perspective, provided all the food packaging, which was of 100% biodegradable material – although the great looks of it might had you thinking otherwise! They proved again that sustainability is not about making compromises.
But… What talks resonated with the public the most, and why? The talk by Peter Westerveld brought about a lot of discussion, and enthusiasm. The TEDxAmsterdam crowd generally agreed on the fact that the theme Science & Fiction is all about the fine line between technology and nature, as also addressed in Anita Goel’s story. How far can we go? Are we changing nature, or is nature changing us?
Concerning the talks themselves, what actually makes that perfect TED talk? According to guests Willemijn Verloop and Nina Tellegen it is all about “simplicity, a true innovative idea and a touch of humor”, and they saw all in the first slot. When speaking to people who are lucky enough to attend TEDxAmsterdam for the second time, they emphasized the increased diversity of the event. “There are more young people, and it feels as if there are more people from the world of business”, said Hanneke Verburg, and she thought it to be the added value of this year’s event.
When dinner is served, the mood is one of people who have known each other for longer than a mere eight hours, and whilst walking around you truly witness the sparks flying around, generating the future spin-offs for TEDxAmsterdam 2011! We are curious!
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