One year ago, as the rest of the world moved into lazy summer mode, we TEDxPeachtree volunteers began gearing up for our November 2012 event. Today, I take us back one year in time to see the topics that captivated audiences while we were working behind the scenes, preparing for what would become our most successful event to date.

When you’re Lynda Gratton of TEDxLondonBusinessSchool, you don’t get summers off! Gratton gave an impassioned TEDx Talk on How to Get Ready for the Future, Now. She began with a narrative of a trip she took to Africa with her then 12-year-old son, where a Maasai warrior in full regalia with spear in hand showed them his people’s territory and explained its traditions…then his cell phone went off. Gratton’s talk centers on being prepared during this modern and transformative era we live in.

Another talk with ideas worth spreading took place at TEDxGrandRapids in June 2012. Against a backdrop of different faiths offering conflicting views, Rev. Michael Dowd spoke on Why We Struggle Now, staking his position that “scientific, historic, and cross-cultural evidence [serves as] modern-day scripture.” He talked about the addictions modern man has to substances that weren’t even around hundreds of years ago, and contends once you understand how the brain works, the answers fall into place.

In addition to numerous TEDx videos posted last June, we can find a few from TED itself. One, in particular, caught my eye, Marco Tempest‘s story of Nikola Tesla. I’d heard Tesla’s name mentioned, knew he had something to do with electricity, but didn’t know his whole story. Tesla discovered the alternating current, and died penniless. Denied his rightful place in history books, Tempest uses an elaborate pop-up book to tell this genius’s story.

Summertime is a time to kick back, but not for TEDxPeachtree volunteers–because we’re getting ready for our next event! This means crafting blog posts, connecting with sponsors, evaluating speaker nominations and making sure the community is well informed about the event. Multiply the amount of effort by the number of TEDx events held annually, and you’ll get a feel for how this has become an international movement. Last month alone, 221 TEDx events took place globally. An article from Forbes last year gives some perspective as well. Impressive. And that was one year ago. We’ve grown since.

Forget a lazy summer. Take the time to view some videos. They’re addictive. They’re fun. If you don’t believe me, see for yourself. Check out some TED videos. Or, let us whet your appetite with past TEDxPeachtree talks from 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009. Either way, save the date: TEDxPeachtree 2013 will be held on November 8 at the historic Buckhead Theater in Atlanta, and it’s not to be missed.

Wendy Kalman attended the 2009 TEDxPeachtree event and became hooked, volunteering each year ever since. By day, she works as a Proposal Manager, and by night, her alter ego as involved parent, engaged volunteer, music lover, and Facebook addict emerges.

Flickr photo by jayneandd

I can barely believe that TEDxPeachtree 2012 is tomorrow. Ten months of planning, persuading, evangelizing and plain ole executing is all coming to a head in  about 18 hours. While I have been involved in the three previous conferences, this would be my first year as co-organizer. [Essentially translates into: "she's one of two 'throats to choke' should anything untoward happen."]

I won’t lie. The journey has not been easy.

TEDxPeachtree is not just an annual conference, it’s really a state of mind and a community of individuals who share that state of mind. It is about curiosity, respect, integrity, diversity and wanting to make an impact. It’s about ideas and those who can think them. It’s also about those who can help see them to fruition. I wouldn’t want to short change my colleagues by saying that this is a definitive list but I do believe that when distilled, these represent the tenets of TEDx that majority of our community identify with.

In the last 10 months, my fellow TEDxPeachtree volunteers and I have experienced highs, lows and moments of pure “transcendence.”  There were many firsts.

Tickets, Please

For the very first time, we are charging for admission. Many late night phone conferences were had before we arrived at this decision. But at the core, we knew that for TEDxPeachtree to be sustainable, we had to be willing to let our community vote with their wallets. And you did. In spades! Tickets were sold out two weeks ago.

Our community’s belief in the ideals of TEDx ensures that TEDxPeachtree will continue beyond me and the current slate of amazing volunteers. It ensures that we and the subsequent cohorts won’t be forced to say “Yes” to corporate interests and self-promotion. Yes, this scenario happened this year for the first time. And it happened at the offices of multiple brands; brands that you know. Brands that should know better. A good friend consoled me by saying that this display of crassness is a validation of the credibility of the TEDxPeachtree stage within the TEDx brand.

The continued support from you the private individual and commercial entities is what will help us preserve what is special and unique about the TEDx experience.

Despite the challenges, transcendent moments abound, particularly in the last 10 days.

Uhmm…Got Design?

Mark Sorensen answered our “Mayday” for graphic design assistance last Wednesday (6 short days ago) when things fell through with our incumbent partner. Upon agreeing to the challenge this last Tuesday night, Mark was on a helicopter the next day taking aerial shots of the city! He turned a bad situation into a good one and thanks to him and his team, we have event collateral and an event program. You’ll see Mark’s amazing handiwork in the livestream (the speaker backdrop) and at event day (posters, badge, etc.).

Wi-Fi, What?

It wasn’t until last Friday that we learned that Buckhead Theatre couldn’t provide  Wi-Fi access to attendees! Fellow board member Bill Schnitzer spent many frustrating hours talking with multiple engineers, companies and the venue. Things were looking pretty dire until local entrepreneur and startup gadfly Sanjay Parekh  sprinkled his magic dust on the situation. Outcome: Attendees will have Wi-Fi access at the show. As an aside: Parekh is a personal friend and has given a TEDx talk at TEDxEmory.

The spirit in which Mark and Sanjay gave of their time and expertise is what community is all about. There is an entire community of individuals just like them who make TEDxPeachtree happen every year since 2009. It is this community that I am grateful for. It is this community that I continue to serve for as long as it/you let me.

Jacqui Chew is a TEDxPeachtree co-organizer. When not working on this, she can be found being inspired by and helping startup founders pursue their vision. You can reach her at @jacquichew | http://www.facebook.com/launchaid |www.ifusionmarketing.com.

David Schendowich, an artist and marketer, describes himself as curious, disruptive and tangential. No matter what he’s working on, he gets his thrills by “discovering the obvious as well as the not-so-obvious.”

Today, he’s an established director of marketing involved with The Breman Jewish Heritage Museum, the Promotion Marketing Association, AiMA and more.  As a visual artist, Schendowich owns his own business, Studio 361, where he specializes in turning client photographs of sports, pets, portraits and more into one-of-a-kind works of art.

He uses his mastery of visual arts in the production of the annual TEDx conference, set for Nov. 2 at the Buckhead Theatre. (Buy tickets here!)

Schendowich has been an integral part of the team that has made the annual TEDxPeachtree conference a success since year one. He assists in the development and production of creative materials for the event. “After meeting Al Meyers and learning of his plans, I muscled my way in because I have been a fan of TED for several years,” he said.

Being a part of the TEDxPeachtree community seemed like a natural fit for Schendowich from the start. As a result, Schendowich found inspiration to develop his career in marketing and promotions. Still a marketer, and now living in Atlanta after time in New York City, his inner artist re-emerged. Thanks to the TED experience, he says that he is more aware of the innovation in the world around him.

Schendowich embodies this year’s theme “Transcend,” because he has absorbed ideas that are shared on the TED stage and has been able to translate them into his own life, beyond limitations. Through working with the team, Schendowich said he’s more inclined to watch TED talks and read more about new subjects that are changing and shaping the world. It has helped develop his perspective on life. “I am also more apt to apply the ideas of the TED community to my work and personal challenges,” he said.

One of his favorite talks, Jill Bolte Taylor’s “Stroke of Insight,” inspired Schendowich because it made him realize that there is a fine line separating normal life and chaos. “Everything we do is contingent on biological and physical conditions that are fragile and can easily be disrupted,” he said. “It also gave me hope that people can work hard to overcome almost any catastrophic occurrences and continue with a sense of normalcy in their lives.”

Written by Maria Stephens/ Contributor

Maria Stephens is a marketing professional working at Emcien Corporation(@EmcienCorp). She enjoys reading nonfiction and learning as much as possible. Maria was born in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and speaks fluent Russian,