Wow! This is all I can say after a week of attending the TED conference here in Vancouver, Canada. Wow. 5 long days and $14,000 later.
Yes, it comes with that price tag. $10,000 USD, but once you add in the poor CAD conversion here and some credit card fees, it’s another $4,000.
Steep? Absolutely.
Worth it? Stay tuned…
The first night I met a Forbes 30 under 30 fashion designer from New York. The second night was the CEO of TED, and the third night was a billionaire.
Among tons of other people and connections over the 5 long days.
Today I am doing a post dedicated to my experience at the TED conference in 2023 called Possibility.
If you don’t already know what TED is - it’s an American-Canadian non-profit which stands for Technology, Entertainment, and Design.
It posts free talks online, which are “ideas worth spreading.”
TEDx is a local and much smaller one-day event. They are held daily all over the globe and host a wide range of speakers.
I’ve attended TEDx for the previous 8 years all over British Columbia. I’ve always been inspired and pumped up after each one.
With the ability to meet new people through networking and hear from some world-class speakers on world-changing ideas.
The TED conference has been held in Vancouver, BC, Canada, since 2014. Previously located in Long Beach, California, USA.
It’s funny because I didn’t even know it was held in Vancouver, even after attending multiple TEDx events.
The TED conference isn’t just about the 90 + speakers from countries worldwide but also about creating a world-class experience for network and community building.
After speaking with nearly 100 people about why they wanted to attend TED, I got a similar answer from most of them - the community and people they could talk to.
While this answer almost seems shocking, as TED is known for bringing in unreal speakers from many backgrounds, I agree with these people.
Being able to speak with and have conversations with people from all different sorts of backgrounds, income levels, and stories is so so important to building this community.
As I stated before, I have been a longtime TEDx lover. I have also believed in what TED stands for and its global impact.
Giving back to causes and the environment is only a fraction of what it does. TED is no doubt impacting the globe in some shape or form.
I first heard of TED being in Vancouver after doing some in-depth online research about finding local TEDx events.
From there, I came across TED 2023 Possibility and learned it was held in my backyard, Vancouver, Canada - go figures…
Then I found the price tag for attending the event - $10,000 USD. For a 5 day conference - Monday to Friday. Morning to night, it would run—barely time for sleep or rest.
Was I shocked - yes. I mean, who wouldn’t be?
A $10K conference is steep, no matter who you are.
But I dug deeper into the event and what I could gain from it.
From there, I found out that there was a cheaper option that existed called the Vanguard membership.
This is the cheapest form of membership for early-career individuals who have never been to attend. You must apply within extensive applications, and only specific individuals will be selected.
You can only participate in this Vanguard membership for one year if accepted. From there, you must pay a total of $10K USD.
I thought to myself, what the heck - I’m going to apply to the Vanguard and see what happens—not knowing if I’d get in.
I crafted my membership application with care, focusing on my early stage of business running a Career Coaching business in Vancouver.
About 2 weeks later, I received an email that TED had accepted my Vanguard application, and I could attend the conference for a 50% discount…
I wasn’t entirely sure if everyone got this email or if it was rare. I started poking around online and asking some of the people I knew about the membership. It seemed like not many people got accepted to attend the conference for the cheaper price tag.
With a little more thought, I knew I had to jump on this opportunity.
After all, was said and done, it cost me $7,000 Canadian on my credit card to attend—the strength of the US dollar, along with some fees for the exchange.
At the heart of the TED conference is connection. They tell you immediately to leave your comfort zone and talk to everyone.
No matter who they are or how they might look. Discuss anything, and it doesn’t have to be about business.
I had nearly 100 conversations with people from multiple countries and continents.
I met the CEO and Board Director of TED, Jay Herratti, and talked with a billionaire and many successful people.
The list is fairly stacked of who attends, I even saw Al Gore and Ray Dalio beside me at different points of the week.
To make the most of my week, I had to leave my comfort zone and talk to as many people as possible.
I walked up to and spoke with tons of people and exchanged contact info with tons of them through the TEDConnect app.
I think this is the most conversations I’ve had combined since COVID hit back in early 2020—all in 5 jam-packed days.
The other portion of the TED conference, which makes it what it is, is the Discovery Sessions.
These run Monday to Wednesday and are 1.5-3 hours in length. They are sessions from industry experts on a wide range of topics.
From a giving circle, Web3, hikes, yoga, AI, Spin class, Scavenger hunts, and so much more.
They’re designed to help you learn and engage with more people at the conference. To meet people who you otherwise might not.
I attended 3 different discovery sessions and loved the variety they offered. It was nice to break up the speeches and one-on-one conversations with people in the halls to more of a group setting.
While I could go on and on about this conference for another 1000-plus words, I won’t.
I’ll keep it straight and to the point of the main things you need to know.
And why you might want to attend in the future.
TED will be back in Vancouver in April 2024.
Will I be attending? I sure plan to.
It will cost me double, though, at $10,000 USD.
Being a Canadian, this no doubt makes it more difficult to pay. Being local also saves me thousands on a flight, food, and travel from all the others in attendance.
So, with the experience now over, I have A LOT to digest and absorb.
Contacts I hope to build further relationships with.
And ideas that are bigger than ever.
Was it worth it? 100%.
If you attend next year, please come by and say hello. I’d love to connect and meet you!
Chris M Wilson
Chris Wilson is a keynote speaker, CTI coach, and entrepreneur. Through his Hover to Fly framework, he aims to impact the next generation in their careers and lives.
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