NOTE: This form is to apply to be a speaker yourself. If you wish to nominate someone else to be a speaker, please fill out this form instead.

We're inviting anyone with an idea worth spreading to apply to speak at TEDxBirmingham. What is an idea worth spreading? Chris Anderson, the curator of TED, explains TED's broad definition of an idea in TED Talks: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking: 

"It doesn't have to be a scientific breakthrough, a genius invention, or a complex legal theory. It can be a simple how-to. Or a human insight illustrated with the power of a story. Or a beautiful image that has meaning. Or an event you wish might happen in the future. Or perhaps just a reminder of what matters most in life."

So do you have an idea worth spreading to others? Tell us about it! If it fits within our programming needs, we may invite you to share it at a future TEDxBirmingham event, a series of independently organized events in the spirit of the TED Conferences. You don’t have to be a professional speaker to speak at TEDxBirmingham! Give us your best proposal, and if selected, our team will work with you to take your talk to the next level.

TEDx talks focus on “ideas worth spreading.” We look for talks that demonstrate new ways of approaching old problems, challenges to the status quo, fascinating research, innovative technology and design, and jaw-dropping performances. Many of the applications we receive are lectures, personal stories, and motivational talks. These types of talks, while meaningful, differ from our focus for TEDxBirmingham.

So what are we looking for? Inventors, teachers, artists, scientists, change agents, storytellers, big-picture thinkers, prodigies, performers, makers, technologists … you name it. What we’re not looking for: business proposals, fundraising pitches, self-promoters, or motivational speakers. 

TEDx events are multidisciplinary, so we welcome talk proposals from all subject areas. Our firm content restrictions are: no commercial agendas, no pseudoscience, and no inflammatory political or religious agendas.

We thank you wholeheartedly for proposing an idea to our curation team and helping us on our quest to find the best ideas in Birmingham. Due to the volume of applications, we cannot respond to every one, but we do read and consider them all.

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* 1. Your contact info

We value diversity in our speaker lineup, however TEDxBirmingham does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status. Answering demographic questions is completely voluntary and optional.

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* 2. What is your age?

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* 3. What is your gender?

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* 4. What is your race/ethnicity?

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* 5. What is your connection to the Birmingham, Alabama, area?

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* 6. Tell us briefly about yourself. Occupation? Any honors or distinctions? Recent work?

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* 7. TEDxBirmingham aims to showcase innovative, creative people with unique ideas that positively impact communities. TEDx talks focus on "ideas worth spreading" - they are not just lectures, biographies, personal stories, or motivational speeches. We are looking for talks that demonstrate new ways of approaching old problems, challenges to the status quo, fascinating research, innovative technology and design, and jaw-dropping performances. With this in mind, what is your big idea worth spreading?

(Hint: 90% of applicants are eliminated based solely on their answer to this question. It is more important than all other answers COMBINED. Be brief, but be clear and specific. Don't just tease an idea or pitch a title.)

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* 8. Tell us up to three things you want people to tweet after your talk. (Each tweet is limited to 140 characters.)

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* 9. What makes you uniquely qualified to share this idea?

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* 10. Under which of the following categories might this idea fall? (Please choose at least one.)

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* 11. Approximately how many minutes do you need to effectively convey your idea in a TEDx talk? (Hint: Shorter talk proposals have a greater chance of being selected.)

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* 12. Please provide up to three links that help tell us more about you and your work. For example, online video or audio featuring you, or any articles or web pages about or by you.

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