A breakthrough is an idea that is so powerful, it blows all obstacles aside. In this case the concept is so strong, it seems it will take flight on its own. TEDxAmsterdam is such a concept, it unleashes a creative primal force in people. The Netherlands urgently needs TED and dozens of people are keen to make this happen. In doing so it releases a lot of vigor and effort, which is just fantastic. This is why as a member of the advisory board it is my pleasure to give it my all for TEDx Amsterdam.

The shower
I see TED as a platform that enables people to inspire other people, in person and through TED.com. Personally I get inspiration from silence. Every day you are exposed to so many stimuli, there is not enough time to process it all. That is why the first thing I do in the morning is turn of the radio, which my wife had switched on. I am more inspired in the shower when the radio is off, and I can organize the impressions in my mind. Only then can you transform inspiration into action. Try to find an hour a month to process all the inspiration you encounter. We keep suggesting movies or books to each other, but it is more important to transform these forms of inspiration into action. This action will enable a breakthrough.

Tip: a ton of inspiration is great, but don’t forget to turn it into action!

Credits
Interview by Tessa Stolze
Translation by Ferhaan Kajee
Photography by Ivo van der Bent

Breakthrough: The team from Silo Design accept their award last night

Last night the TEDxAmsterdam team sat in amid a swirl of funky sneakers and black-rimmed glasses to attend the annual European Design Awards, which this year were held in Rotterdam.

The awards were the culmination of the 3-day European Design Festival, which celebrates stellar design and creative from around the continent. Delegates get the opportunity to share cases studies, critique, network, and ultimately – let their hair down for a fun awards ceremony that began in the Rotterdam City Hall with an address by the Mayor. Suitably plied with alcohol, the raucous crowd (would you expect it any other way in the creative community?) sat through a lively event, each agency seemingly trying to outdo the last for outlandish award acceptance antics.

The TEDxAmsterdam book, Breakthrough, was initiated and designed by our creative agency Silo, and published and edited by Elise de Bres at VLDB. It faced some stiff competition, but ultimately came up trumps with a Gold Prize in the Publications category.

Designed as a momento for last year’s event, the first major event for TEDx in Europe, it brings together unique design and binding elements to make a very special souvenier of our debut event. It’s still available to buy at the ABC bookstore, although at last count stocks were depleting fast.

We congratulate and thank everyone who worked on the project!

TEDxAmsterdam book: “Breakthrough”

The awards were established ”To celebrate European design with all its regional distinctive elements as well as its common ground. To facilitate European designers to meet, benchmark, be inspired and build networks. To promote and raise standards for communication design throughout Europe.“  Hey, we are happy to be part of that great goal!

The award ceremony is part of the European Design Festival 2010, which will take place in Rotterdam during the last week of May, with the award ceremony on May 29. If you already have a copy of the book, treasure it as a future collection item! And if you still want to get hold of a copy, order it today!

Needless to say, we are thrilled with the news, and just for those that want to know more, let me repeat an earlier blog post on the topic:

• TEDxAmsterdam partner Silodesign came up with a wonderful concept and design, which included beautiful line renditions of the speaker portraits, different types of paper, special inserts by Dutch artists, and a series of portraits and interviews with our partners. Kudos to Rene Toneman, Dennis Flinterman, Leon Dijkstra amd Scott Savage!.

• Elise de Bres of VL&DB stepped in as the much needed publisher -  VL&DB is specialised in the production of special books, and Elise was the link between Silodesign, the TEDxAmsterdam team and the many many partners who contributed texts, pictures and artwork. Page by page, let’s have 148 hurrays for Elise!

• We were lucky to have Veenman Drukkers in Rotterdam as a supporter of the whole project. Kisses for all Veenmans employees!

• And of course there was a team of editors to produce and correct all those texts, let’s have a big round of applause for Tessa Stolze, Ferhaan Kajee and Barbara Barnes-Gravesteijn for their dedication and attention to detail.

• Let’s not forget the 7 artists that freely contributed their work for the enclosed booklets. Nadine Stijns, Yomar Augusto, Daan Botlek, Amie Dicke, Martyn F. Overweel, Ivo Victoria and photographer Ivo van der Bent, who also made great portraits: we love you to the end of time.
  

• Our trusted book partner was the American Bookstore, who sold books at the event, gave book vouchers to all, hosted a simulcast party for booklovers, and promoted TEDx in their window display on the Spui -  let’s have fireworks for Lynn Kaplanian Buller and Reinoud Degelink! The ABC bookstore in Amsterdam has the exclusive right to sell the remaining copies (feel free to get hold of one of those last remaining copies.)

Or have a look at the adventures of the TEDxAmsterdam book during the event in November 2009..

The Adventures of the Book Breakthrough at TEDxAmsterdam 2009 from Elise de Bres on Vimeo.

The Adventures of the Book Breakthrough at TEDxAmsterdam 2009 from Elise de Bres on Vimeo.

TEDxAmsterdam was a production of many different partners. So apart from the great speakers and the wonderful  audience, the TEDxAmsterdam “experience” actually involved things like the Isyou gift bag made in Burkina Faso (filled to the brim with gifts), and the Who’s who application developed by frog design.

One project not yet discussed on this site, is the TEDxAmsterdam book, a splendid production – and we have many people to thank for this 148-page-work of wonder. (Order it today!) Why is this book special?

• TEDxAmsterdam partner Silodesign came up with a wonderful concept and design, which included beautiful line renditions of the speaker portraits, different types of paper, special inserts by Dutch artists, and a series of portraits and interviews with our partners. Kudos to Rene Toneman, Dennis Flinterman, Leon Dijkstra amd Scott Savage!.

• Elise de Bres of VL&DB stepped in as the much needed publisher -  VL&DB is specialised in the production of special books, and Elise was the linking pin between Silodesign, the TEDxAmsterdam team and the many many partners who contributed texts, pictures and artwork. Page by page, let’s have 148 hurrays for Elise!

• We were lucky to have Veenman Drukkers in Rotterdam as a supporter of the whole project. Kisses for all Veenmans employees!

• And of course there was a team of editors to produce and correct all those texts, let’s have a big round of applause for Tessa Stolze, Ferhaan Kajee and Barbara Barnes-Gravesteijn for their dedication and attention to detail.

• Let’s not forget the 7 artists that freely contributed their work for the enclosed booklets. Nadine Stijns, Yomar Augusto, Daan Botlek, Amie Dicke, Martyn F. Overweel, Ivo Victoria and photographer Ivo van der Bent, who also made great portraits: we love you to the end of time..
  

• Our trusted book partner was the American Bookstore, who sold books at the event, gave book vouchers to all, hosted a simulcast party for booklovers, and promoted TEDx in their window display on the Spui -  let’s have fireworks for Lynn Kaplanian Buller and Reinoud Degelink!

Are you now extremely curious, and want to get hold of a copy? The ABC bookstore in Amsterdam has the exclusive right to sell the remaining copies. Visit the order form right here.

Breakthrough - the TEDxAmsterdam book

In Europe, for the second year running the United Nations Regional Information Centre for Western Europe (UNRIC) has launched a European public information campaign. CoolPlanet2009 is the centerpiece of the European chorus to “Seal the Deal”. It is geared at generating interest and involvement in climate change issues and to explore what else is happening in and around Europe.

The website, www.CoolPlanet2009.org, went live at a press conference of the five Nordic Prime Ministers at the Blue Lagoon, Iceland, on the 27th of February this year. UNRIC is working with artists, individuals and NGOs to put climate change on the agenda and mobilise support for a new climate agreement in December. On the website you can see what Europe is doing in terms of events, project and innovations. Using the wall of events you can post your own initiatives or be inspired by what others are doing.

The calls to Seal the Deal was first introduced in Europe at a press conference in Brussels on 23 April by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and European Commission President José Manuel Barroso. President Barroso promised the European Union’s support:

“We have to Seal the Deal, this is indeed our priority now to Seal the Deal in Copenhagen and I want to say that we are going to work hand in hand with the United Nations to make that a great success for the future of our planet.”

In order to spread the message further and promote the global chorus, Cool-Planet2009 has joined forces with numerous Cool Friends andPartners, such as French photographer Yann Arthus Bertrand and his NGO Good Planet, the Icelandic rock band Sigur Rós, Björk´s NGO Náttúra; UK green band Weapons of Sound and the three chairwomen of Road to Copenhagen initiative, Margot Wallström, Vice President of the European Union, Gro Harlem Brundtland, UN Special Envoy on Climate Change and Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland.

The first concerned European citizen to join the campaign was the Icelandic artist Björk who participated in a press conference in Brussels on 6 November 2008, where the CoolPlanet2009 initiative was first presented. Among our other supporters, Cool Planet2009 is promoting is a new Wear-Seal-the-Deal concept designed in partnership with the Belgian designer Jean-Paul Knott, featuring downloadable Seal the Deal campaign tools based on a do-it-yourself philosophy. It includes Seal the Deal postcards, pins and t-shirts. Jean-Paul Knott explains every step of the production in a 3 minute Wear-Sealthe-Deal video clip.

You can also watch the new 30 second video of Seal the Deal Europe, all of which can be found on the website or on YouTube.

The web-based campaign’s aim is to galvanize public support and to get Europeans to join the rest of the world in sending a message to world leaders that will gather in Copenhagen in December. The message is simple but urgent: “Seal the Deal” in December to protect people and the planet we live on. Time is of the essence. The latest scientific statistics shows our climate is changing more rapidly than estimated in the 2007 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report. Millions of people are already suffering from the effects of climate change. Hundreds of millions more could be affected if we do not act immediately. Leadership at the highest level is needed to protect the planet, save lives, and build a more sustainable global economy for all. Reaching a deal by the time the meetings end on December 18th will depend not only on he political negotiations but also on the public pressure from around the globe. Public support must be galvanized.

More information can be found on CoolPlanet2009.org.

TED is a circle of inspiration and genuine energy for me. It is a micro-bomb of energy and inspiration, a place where you can learn a lot in a short amount of time and that you can endlessly relish. The subtitle ‘Ideas worth spreading’ is most appealing to me, it is all about the ideas. We live in an era, where ideas can thrive. And that is great, because ideas only have value if they are shared. I’m inspired by the way TEDxAmsterdam shares intellectual capital. That is the reason I happily joined the advisory board of TEDxAmsterdam. I entered a circle that has always fascinated me and it is an ideal platform to get in touch with people who find inspiration through sharing.

Another source of inspiration for me, is waking up early. It reminds me of puberty, when I had a newspaper route. Starting the day by getting up early and not getting caught up by the day, gives me a sense of much strength, Focus and perseverance. I get up at six am, do my yoga, sometimes take a run and then I am ready for the rest of the day. Getting up early is a universal activity, it can be done everywhere. In the city, in the country, alone or with many, it is an autonomous act. It is a moment for myself, I am in my own world. I do not set my alarm anymore, I seize the day. These are the optimal circumstances for inspiration.

Tip: Let’s try it, do not be afraid to make mistakes

“What are we doing?” or in good Dutch waar zijn we mee bezig? That is the main question that insurer Achmea asks itself and the Dutch society in its most recent campaign. The campaign concentrates around socially relevant questions that many people recognize but are unable to identify as a problem, or even as an issue.

Like working 80 hours a week for example, and not spending time with family, kids or on hobby’s? Why are we doing that? Why do we frustrate our work-life balance in such a way? Or another issue: we all find it extremely important that we get a nice pension after our active working career, yet we fail to even answer the most basic questions on how our pension works. We don’t seem to care. Or healthcare. What if modern day nutrition in combination with an increasingly passive lifestyle makes our children more sensitive to obesity? The campaign raises the questions, Achmea facilitates the discussion and in the best possible scenario its insurance brands have solutions or will come up with them. But not in all cases.

According to Achmea identifying the issues and bringing them to the top of our minds, within our society, is something the company feels obliged to do.

Today’s ideas, tomorrow’s reality
Building on its cooperative roots, Achmea feels that its identity is formed on a solid base of solidarity. This also means that we consider it our corporate social responsibility to take care of all our stakeholders, of which our clients are the most important ones. Since almost every Dutch household has an insurance with one of our companies, we consider all Dutch citizens to be our audience. Within the campaign we want to focus on the issues worth discussing; if it results in ideas worth spreading we most certainly will! Getting more customers or selling more policies is not Achmea’s main focus. We want to point out the socially relevant issues and if possible show the world how Achmea deals with them or at least stimulate our self ánd society to search for answers.

Achmea is the largest insurance group in the Dutch market. Achmea is the holding company of brands like Centraal Beheer Achmea, Interpolis, Zilveren Kruis Achmea, Avéro Achmea, Agis en FBTO. The common goal of all insurance companies within Achmea, is to de-stress its clients. Central issues are safety, health, retirement funds, employment and business continuity. To de-stress our customers Achmea positions itself as a company with core values like empathy, renewal and fulfillment. Achmea has 20.000 employees and has nine key locations throughout The Netherlands.

Ricoh wants to conduct business with its customers, employees and other stakeholders in a responsible manner. Our goal is to constantly grow as a sustainable entrepreneur, in order to continue to live up to our position as a respected business.

Ricoh is a strong brand that is known both worldwide and locally. We operate in an IT market that moves quickly and in which our clients increasingly operate internationally. Visibility on a global scale has therefore become crucial for Ricoh. The integration of Nashuatec/NRG Group Benelux and Ricoh is part of this effort. Furthermore it fits with our development from a printer and copier supplier to a document solutions provider. Thanks to this integration and the accompanying rebranding we can better position ourselves as an IT player in the area of information logistics.
By sponsoring leading cultural and sports events, like TEDxAmsterdam, we make ourselves visible to a broad public. Moreover we also deliver printing solutions for a lot of these events. In the past year we have connected our name to golf, basketball and tennis amongst others, all‘green’and environmentally friendly sports

Ambitious company goals
The corporate philosophy surrounding People, Planet and Profit is soundly embedded in the way Ricoh conducts business. We have broadened the interpretation of this to four themes: Integrity, Environment, People and Society. To decrease the impact of our business on people, environment and society we set ambitious goals for ourselves each year. This policy is a further development of Ricoh’s group goals. To guarantee and measure continuous development we use management systems. But it is the involvement, creativity and innovative skills of our employees that determine the success. We therefor stimulate personal development of our employees and offer our staff room for MVO initiatives.

Sustainable business:
also for our customers More and more businesses are conducting sustainable and responsible business. Customer notice that sustainable entrepreneurship is more than a hollow marketing phrase for Ricoh. We feel responsible for a balanced and responsible manner to conduct business within our own corporation and for our clients. As world player in the field of IT and Document Solutions we connect external parties, processes and information sources from within this domain with our solutions efficiently and effectively This is how we take ideas to the next level. We help our clients with solutions that come straight from our own vision of sustainability in the area of information logistics. .

This example becomes specific in;
Reduction of paper and printing costs by way of digitalization

 Reduction of CO2 output and energy and paper use by using the right equipment with the right functions

 Active monitoring of use and savings utilizing key performance indicators (kpi’s) and matching reports.

Focus on an integrated approach
The past year we have focused strongly on an integrated approach of sustainability via our themes: integrity, environment, people and society with the cooperation of our core team Sustainable Entrepreneurship.

The Dialogues House (Amsterdam) is both a theater and a platform on which eye-opening and inspiring conversations, meetings, workshops and presentations are organized by and for people who are committed to entrepreneurship, innovation, cooperation and sustainability. Dialogues stands for our belief in collective intelligence and strength through diversity.

Through the fusion of ideas, visions and viewpoints we can reach higher levels of creativity and powerful cooperation. The actions that flow from such a process outperform individual initiatives and form an example of true synergy. One of the inhabitants is the Dialogues Incubator. The Incubator team is steadfast to capture the essence of the transient economic and social environment, with a fresh perspective, dedication and entrepreneurial spirit.

The Dialogues Incubator supports two initiatives aiming to improve the climate for (social) entrepreneurs: The first one is the Incubator Exchange, a foundation, aiming at connecting innovation professionals worldwide from different industries.

Brilliant failures
The goal of the second one, the Institute of Brilliant Failures, is to bring about a shift in the way we view failure; a valuable experience. The institute is our tribute to inventors and those who had the courage to try something different, and our way of laying down a challenge for the rest of us.

Want to join the Societal Incubator, to be launched at TEDxAmsterdam?
Out of our experience we have distilled the following knowledge: First of all, we have to dialogue with others to develop new solutions and secondly: Failure is an option! However, that’s okay: Failing to try at all doesn’t bring any progress.

We would like to leverage this knowledge into a new venture. Solving societal issues within the boundaries of an open innovation incubator: Outside in, partnering with other specialists and adding value to society and business. To create an incubator that hosts real change in society requires cooperation, resources, time, dedication and partnering. That partnering could be you. Are you interested in joining us and do your ultimate best to make a difference?

Please send a message to heleen. de.pagter@dialogueshouse.eu for more information and your confirmation tomake a change.

 Join us. We will be back at TEDxAmsterdam 2010 to share the results we have achieved… with you.

In 2009 sustainability is firmly on the agenda of national and international governments, the private- and the non-profit sector. A sense of urgency has arisen that sustainable solutions are necessary. This sense of urgency has developed into attention for policies and implementation in the area of sustainability by the government and into vision and product development in the private sector. The focus on Cradle to Cradle is a prime example of this.. Now is the time to act. Breakthroughs are needed in our thinking and planning. A critical mass is needed to achieve this: More and more people have to design practical sustainable development.

From thought to action
Through the Learning for Sustainability Development (LfSD) program, SenterNovem helps organizations, individuals and society as a whole, make a sustainable comparative assessment and translate the concept of sustainability into concrete action. The aim of the program is to get effective learning processes in motion, in order to enable people to sustainable considerations when decisions that will affect the development of a clean, just and prosperous world. In order to achieve a sustainable assessment, improving competencies is of the essence. Some of these competencies are: Thinking in systems Seeing the cohesion of nature, society and economy. Spotting and preventing the shift of unsustainable effects to other fields of knowledge, to future generations or elsewhere in the world.

Ideas worth spreading
The LfSD program collaborates with parties who have “ideas worth spreading”. LfSD has for example put Louise Vet’s name forward to speak at TEDxAmsterdam. She will talk about system thinking from an ecological perspective. A random selection of other “ideas worth spreading”, made possible by LfSD.

10 tips for smart control
The book, “10 tips for smart control” by SenterNovem employee Caroline van Leenders, gives tips for tranformation processes aimed at sustainable development. The book can be downloaded for free at www.slimmesturing.nl.

In company Cradle to Cradle
Written by Mariek van der Werf, this book gives inspiration and lessens learned on how the Cradle to Cradle concept can be implemented. It shows fifteen practical Dutch C2C examples.

Sense and sustainability
This book, written by Ken Webster and Craig Johnson gives insights into the way in which sustainable development and part of its subject matter can be utilized for developments into new ways of thinking, innovations on the cutting edge of design, industry and business.

Essays on Sustainable Development
The essays on Sustainable Development contribute to thinking about sustainable development in the Netherlands. There is a lot of emphasis on the performance of government. As many discussion and perspectives as possible are given. The essays can be ordered or downloaded on www.lerenvoorduurzameontwikkeling.nl

The Cradle to Cradle information map
This map was formed by literature research and think tank sessions with experts in the area of Cradle to Cradle. It is not an argument map, but an information map that explains what C2C is and how it can benefit and organization. The map can be downloaded from www.lerenvoorduurzameontwikkeling.nl.

Senternovem, for innovation and sustainability
A strong innovative business community in a viable, sustainable society.

Senternovum stimulates sustainable economic growth by bridging the gap between the market and government both nationally and internationally. Companies, (knowledge) organizations and governments can approach Senternovem for counsel, information and financial support. We connect companies who strive to work towards a sustainable and innovative society with pasion and enthusiasm.

SenterNovem is an agency of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and realizes policies under the authority of the Government of the Netherlands in a professional, effective and inspiring manner.