TEDxPeachtree Challenges Atlantans with the Question of “What if…?
On December 4th 2009, the fabulous Savannah College of Art and Design played host to the inaugural TEDxPeachtree Conference. A capacity crowd of more than 100 invitation-only attendees assembled to listen to an eclectic slate of thought-provoking presentations ranging from Brad Bent on 3D entertainment without the glasses, to Wendell and Kevin Adams, who introduced the audience to a revolutionary invention that brings a bulk-water solution to the world’s impoverished areas.
The event drew a diverse audience of both business owners and industry professionals from a variety of sectors including education, technology, professional services and financial services. The crowd enjoyed a day of social networking, inspiring presentations and thought-provoking peer discussions on “ideas worth spreading.”
TEDxPeachtree Audience
“I’ve been attending the TED Conference for 10 years now and TEDxPeachtree successfully captured the essence of TED, which is about showcasing ideas that matter,” said Bill Nussey, TEDxPeachtree attendee and CEO of Atlanta-based Silverpop Systems, Inc.
TEDxPeachtree was also streamed live over the Internet, which drew an even larger, globally stratified group of individuals originating from six of the seven continents. In fact, TED curator Chris Anderson was among these online participants. His tweet notified the event producers that he was watching TEDxPeachtree on an airplane en route to his next destination!
The event was organized by an all-volunteer team led by local entrepreneur and previous TED Conference attendee, Al Meyers. Event attendance was free but attendees had to submit an application which was vetted by the organizing team who sent invitations to successful applicants.
TEDxPeachtree was organized around the theme, “What if…?” The conference featured 13 live and recorded presentations on diverse topics as follows (click on the description for the video on YouTube):
- A future of glasses-free 3D entertainment (Brad Bent)
- The impact of $5/gallon of gas on our daily lives (Mike McQuary)
- An argument for leveraging the world’s best practices in medicine to transform the lives of Georgians and the rest of our nation (Ross Mason)
- Bringing to Atlanta a globally renowned program that uses music as an instrument for social change (Stanford Thompson)
- A rare Japanese art form that allows artists to “paint on water” (Amy Lee Segami)
- A foray into hip hop culture from a global perspective (Daddy-O)
- A revolutionary invention that brings a bulk-water solution to the world’s impoverished areas (Wendell & Kevin Adams)
- A humorous, yet actionable monologue about the follies of the current air travel experience (Hollis Gillespie)
- A provocative talk demonstrating how comic books can be used in the modern classroom (Josh Elder)
“Challenging the audience to be inspired by topics that transcend their everyday lives is part of the TEDx experience,” said Al Meyers, Founder and official licensee of TEDxPeachtree. “We set the bar very high with the presenters for our inaugural event, with the hope that we will be able to host future TEDxPeachtree conferences so that we can expose more people from Atlanta and beyond to this unique experience,” he added.
Pianist Elizabeth Pridgen and Violinist Robert McDuffie
The conference closed with a rousing presentation on artistry and entrepreneurship by critically-acclaimed violinist (and Macon native) Robert McDuffie. To dramatically illustrate his topic, the violin virtuoso serenaded the crowd with his $3.5 million dollar 1735 Guarnerius violin. McDuffie’s presentation, which included accompanist Elizabeth Pridgen, received a standing ovation marking a fitting end to a day of inspiring and insightful talks.
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