5 Reasons Your TEDx Talk Application Keeps Getting Rejected
For the past four years, I have had the distinct privilege of curating TEDxNormal, an independently organized event hosted in Normal, Illinois. Yes, that’s a real place! And we’ve been running our TEDx event since 2015.
Over the years, I’ve reviewed close to 1,000 TEDx applications. Many of our applicants have been applying to different events for years. One of our speaker alums applied five years in a row before being selected for our 2022 event. Sending rejection notices is never easy but it pains me to disqualify speakers who fail to consider important speaker selection criteria in their applications. If “be a TEDx speaker” is on your list of new year goals, I want to help by giving you the inside scoop that can help your application stand out.
First of all, there are some important points from a curator’s perspective that aren’t immediately clear to applicants. TEDx events are independently organized, which means that each curator applies for a license from TEDx to hold the event. When granted a license, there are lots of rules that we have to follow in order to remain in good standing.
Next, there’s a specific relationship between a curator and TEDx. There are two basic points of interaction that curators have with the TEDx organization: license application and video posting. Curators do…
