Guest blog by Moe Carrick, TEDxBend Lead Organizer and Founder/Principal Moementum, Inc.

TEDx gets under your skin.

I remember that happening the first time I attended TEDxBend 5 years ago and thought “Whoa, how exciting to have such powerful talks and performers right here in little ole’ Bend!”

I had watched TED talks online for years and used them with clients, but the live event locally really got my mental wheels turning and my heart jumping at possibilities, innovation, and yes, ideas worth sharing. It is why I jumped in to Co-Lead the first ever TEDxBend Women event in 2015, why my company has sponsored, and why I said “YES!” to the invitation to Lead this year’s event, now at it’s 5^th anniversary here in Bend.

We know from our experience that TEDx talks can change the world. For example, last year’s TEDxBend featured speaker Emily Wapnick’s talk on Why Some of Us Don’t Have One True Calling, selected by TED.com as a featured video, now has 2.4 M views—a testament to how many people are exploring their own potential. Another example is that Naomi Rose’s talk at TEDx Bend on Throwing Shamu a Retirement Party contributed to the recent announcement about SeaWorld changing their Orca breeding program!

In addition to the promise of an incredible program again this year our all volunteer team has been eagerly working on a few new things to mark this, our milestone 5^th Birthday! In particular, we hope to make this year’s event more accessible to all, because at it’s best, TEDxBend is truly, owned by the communi

Hall of Dreamers

One way we are hoping to expand the inclusion this year is through the Hall of Dreams. We have sought out members of our greater community to find out what makes them tick. What dreams and ideas do they have for themselves, their family, the planet, the future or that magic thought that might rock the world?  In the hall where attendees wait to enter the theater, we will display graphic representations of these selected community members and their Ideas Worth Spreading. The graphic treatment will include an image of the individual with their ideas or dreams overlaying the image.  Dreamers are being reviewed by a community leader task force this week and will be announced next week.

Interactive Art Exhibit

Our fabulous creative team, with the help of the folks at DIY Cave, is busy creating up to 4 interactive art displays that we have affectionately dubbed “the dream tribe.”  These upright wood sculptures, to be unveiled this Thursday at the Ticket Release Party, will provide an opportunity for every citizen, young and old, to share their view of the paradoxes of having a dream: hope and risk; love and fear; joy and darkness, amongst others. The art will travel around our community at partner and other locations providing a chance for everyone to weigh in about their dreams, landing at the end at the main event at Bend High April 23.

Art Show at the Bash

We are proud to feature juried art on the theme of “Dream Forward” at the event Bash, our after-party, to take place at the Old Mill District. As it has been in the past, the Bash provides a chance for all of us to cut loose and enjoy engaging conversation, and merriment after the stage event to expand on our ideas and inspiration, connecting with others to help make our dreams come true. The fine art we showcase will layer on new dimensions of reflection and thought to all who view it and meet the artists.

New Ticketing Options

For the past four years, TEDxBend has sold out at astonishing speed. We love that you love to be inspired just as much as we do. But we know many of you have been left out, so this year we are holding a Ticket Lottery to make sure every dreamer has an equal chance to be inspired.

Here’s how the lottery will work: Tickets will go on sale at 7am on March 25th and will remain open until Monday, March 28th at 12pm. Tickets are $58 for general admission. This year’s attendees will be randomly selected using a third-party system. We’ll notify those that get in by Tuesday, March 29th and will have a waitlist for those we are not able to accommodate in the theater.

Sponsor a Student and get a jump on the lottery! The day before the lottery, 225 Youth Sponsored Tickets will be released. Purchase one ticket for yourself AND one ticket for a youth attendee for $98 for both tickets. We will distribute the youth tickets to Central Oregon high school and COCC students. Youth Sponsored Tickets will be available until they sell out.

Live Feed at Home or Work

Since we know that only about 1500 lucky folks will get to join us at the live event on April 23, we are following the TED tradition by streaming the event on texbend.com. Anyone can open their computer, phone, or television on April 23^rd from 1-6 pm and see the event, start to finish, via the live streaming. We will be offering a guide to hosting a viewing party in your home or venue (limited to 100 people per space, please!) as well as discussion questions to interact with whomever joins you at your party!  We hope to feature some streaming parties via social media, so let us know if you plan to host by emailing us at

Speaker Announcement

Breaking from tradition, we have decided to spread the news earlier and more fully than we have in the past!  Speakers were released to our partners last Friday (yes, they are in the know!!) and will be shared with the public at large this week at the Ticket Release Party!  You will be able to look up all of our presenters ahead of time to get engaged with their inspiring topics well in advance of the event itself!

Suffice it to say, TEDxBend will once again get my mind activated and my heart and soul touched as an incredible line-up comes to our community with their incredible ideas worth sharing.  I am truly excited! We hope you find a way to engage with us this year in one of the ways we have described, and thank you to all of our amazing partners, including the Old Mill District!