The TEDxAmsterdam event kicked off (just a few minutes behind schedule) with a short video by +1 Amsterdam, followed by a short video comment form Chris Andersen, TED curator. Chris pointed out that the head TED organisation has little to do with today’s event, which has been made possible because of the passion of the local organisers to make it all happen. Jim Stolze then took the stage, welcoming everyone to Amsterdam, “a city that breathes and needs new ideas.”
Jim Stolze: Celebrating the creativity in Amsterdam and beyond.
Jim, known as “the thank you guy” from last year’s event (as he was the last person to take the stage and thanked virtually every person in the building and in the surrounding neighbourhood), passed on greetings from Joris Luyendijk, last year’s host, who was unfortunately unable to join us today. Instead, today’s event will be hosted by Jon “Pep” Rosenfeld, Art Director and one of the founders of Amsterdam comedy club Boom Chicago. Pep welcomed the 750 people in attendance at today’s event: the TED heads, an elite club, like people who read “The Economist,” who are the high school nerds who made it. More than 5000 people were on the waiting list for today’s event, and our hope is that many of them are watching today’s talks from the numerous simulcasts located around the Netherlands and abroad.
Pep Rosenfeld does 3D for the simulcast at Tuschinski.
Time to sit back and take in the first session…. for those tweeting about the event, use #TEDxAMS. Enjoy….
TEDxAmsterdam: It's a full house.
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