Here are some guiding principles to follow when it comes to finding and choosing your event

space:

Strive for intimacy and comfort

It’s important to balance the size of your space with the size of your audience. Bigger doesn’t
necessarily mean better, but you want to create enough space to give people room to stretch,
mingle and breathe.

Keep it simple
Remember that the venue will set the tone of your event. Don’t choose a space that’s easy to get
lost in.

Know your scale and ambitions

Work with your budget manager to figure out what you can afford for your event space. Can you
get a space donated? Is your venue union-operated? This may impact your budget.

Here’s an event checklist to use when scouting an event space:

● An ability to project and watch videos
● A stage for the host and live speakers
● A location for food and beverage setup
● Conveniently located bathrooms
● Exhibit space for sponsor materials, speakers, a bloggers’ lounge, etc.
● Party space for sponsored lunches and other events

Venues based on event size

If you hold a smaller event (under 100 guests) ...
● Select a cozy venue. You don't want your guests to feel like they're drowning in the
space. It should be an intimate and comfortable gathering where they can easily
connect with the people sitting next to them.
● Look for a site that is wide rather than deep, with the shortest possible distance from
audience members to the stage, like a theater or an auditorium (as opposed to a
conference hall). This helps create a connection between the speakers and the
audience, and among all the audience members.
● If you don’t have a theater-style space and your event is small enough, think of any
intimate venues you have access to (or even a big room in a venue you know and like)
where you may be able to set up your own seats.
● The best venues for smaller events include small auditoriums, hotel conference rooms,
theaters, “white box” spaces (think art gallery!), and private music venues.

Design the experience

There are critical elements of stage design that will give
your speakers confidence in their presentations, and your
audience an optimal view — that way, everyone at your
event can have the best experience possible.

Design your stage

The way your stage is designed will make a big impact on the presentation of your event. Here
are some things to know:

Use your full official TEDx logo

Every stage is required to include your official TEDx logo with your full event name. So make
sure you create a large logo and place it in a visible space on the stage. If you can’t get a
stand-up, 3D logo, an image on screen, a poster, or a projected logo can also work.

Consider the view

Position your speakers, the screen and any props carefully so that there’s a good view for the
audience. For example, you’ll want to give your speakers a specific place to stand for their talk.
(A red circular carpet, perhaps?)

Lose the clutter

Power cables, multiple laptops, and projection rigs will distract your audience, so make sure
they’re out of sight (or minimally visible). You'll want your guests to be able to give their full
attention to the talks and performances.

Be creative
Without a little decoration, your stage will look cold and flat. Showcase your region, city, or local
culture on your stage with props and visual elements. Even an interesting piece of art,
technology or furniture (for example, an object that speaks to your event’s theme) can give your
event a unique personality, and accent the speakers on stage.

Setting up your screen

The screen you use to show your TED Talks and speaker slides should be well-placed and
primed to be accessible to everyone in the audience:

A well-placed screen
You'll want to place your projection or video screen where the audience won't have to turn their
heads to see it, but also where it won't interfere with the live speaker.
Screen presentation
Use a screen with a 16:9 aspect ratio, and that's large enough to display text legibly in the back
row.

Screen and speaker positioning

Raise your screen well above the head of your speaker to ensure all cameras get a clean shot of
the speaker. If you can’t raise your screen high enough, place the speakers’ “home base”
position to the side of the screen.

Lighting needs
You’re lighting the stage for video production, which is very different from your standard stage
lighting. Things to make sure of:

Light the stage

Light enough of the stage so the speakers can roam around. Put a light on your TEDx event’s
logo if possible, and light on your drape or background.

Keep light off of the screen

This one is important. Do everything you can to prevent light from spilling onto the screen; it
could make for a big problem to both the live and recorded experiences.

Light your live speakers for video

Plan on a three-point lighting scheme. If necessary, consult a lighting director familiar with video
production.

Seating arrangements
Consider the view and comfort level
If you’re creating your own seating arrangements, think carefully about the comfort of your
audience. Make sure that everyone can see the screen and/or the speakers, and can navigate
easily through seat rows. One option is to “rake,” or elevate, the seats.

Easy entrance and exit

Offer your host and speakers a simple way to get on and off the stage. There’s no need for a
green room: participants and your host can even enter the stage from the audience.

Check out our Production Guide for more details on stage design and setup.

Green your event

What does being “green” mean?
Being green means being as environmentally friendly as possible. This means sourcing locally if
you can, reducing waste, being energy efficient and working to have a TEDx event that's
sustainable.

What can I do?

Follow the eco-friendly suggestions in our Greening Your Event Guide to keep the environmental
impact of your TEDx event as low as possible. Also check out this How to TEDx talk on how to
green your event.

Social areas
You’ll want to think about how to utilize the space outside of your main stage area, so that
your guests can also have a comfortable (and even stimulating) experience when they’re not
in their seat.

Social spaces for your event

Here are some things to consider when designing the space that exists outside of the main
stage:

Create a layout of the space

Create a blueprint for your event space and label what goes where, including sponsor spaces,
tech crews, restrooms, speaker prep, and where guests will eat and mingle in between sessions.

Prioritize “foot traffic”

You want your guests to be able to easily navigate the social areas without bumping into each
other. When outlining your space, make sure you leave ample room for people to walk to and
from the bathroom, form a line for coffee, and get back into the main stage room. Create signs
directing people where to go, and use barriers or rope line dividers if needed. (Your volunteers
should also be available to direct your guests from room to room, which we’ll get into later in the
guide.)

Design the space

Establish a partnership with a local furniture rental company — nice furniture is a simple way to
spruce up a space. Is the space mostly empty, or is it the kind of venue that already has a lot of
personality? Make sure whatever signage you create is consistent with the design/color scheme
of your logo and/or theme.

Special activity areas

Designate the spaces outside the stage area for other experiences at your event. In the past,
TEDx events have included special areas, such as:

Innovation lab
An area for attendees to try out new software, gadgets, technologies and other products. This is
also a great place to creatively integrate your sponsors/partners.

Bloggers' alley
Consider setting up a dedicated bloggers’ area, outside of the main stage, with desks, chairs and
power outlets. (Laptops inside the auditorium can be a big distraction.)

Simulcast lounge
If you anticipate an overflow of people, you can consider setting up viewing monitors outside of
the main stage.

Editorial exhibits
One great way to highlight your speakers is to have a visual and interactive exhibit that
showcases your speakers’ ideas and works. Have a mini-gallery of an artist’s work, or display
one of your speaker’s inventions in the exhibit for guests to try out.

Event production
Event production is the magic that makes the action happen. You’ll find most of what you
need for event production in our TEDx Production Guide — this is what your production
team will be primarily using for your event. In the meantime, here’s a general outline.

Production needs
Any event producer knows that there is a lot to cover when it comes to event production. The key
to success is to plan ahead, and take care of your needs as early as possible. Here are the
need-to-knows that will guide you in your production planning:

Logistics
Your video and production manager should create a production schedule and checklist, so you
make sure you have everything covered. This includes the very smallest of details: At what time
and where will your equipment will get loaded into the venue? (Hint: the day before the show.)
Who is the point person for video setup? Logistics should be a priority in your production
planning.

Equipment and crew

There’s a good chance you will have multiple people managing the production of your event.
Make sure you have enough people to cover all tasks, and that everyone knows each other well.
You should also have a list of the equipment needed for each aspect of production.

Audio needs
Your microphones are one of the most important components of a TEDx event. After all, this is
what your speakers will be using to communicate their story to the audience. You’ll want to
double, triple and quadruple check that all mics are working, and that the audio is optimized for
the space you’re in. Audio recording is another big consideration — if the audio on your talks is
bad it will have less chance of being considered for TED.com.

Slides and projector

All of your live speakers should rehearse using their slides to make sure that they work.
Speakers will either have a remote to change slides themselves, or you’ll need to give someone
the sole task of changing slides. You’ll also want to make sure all of the slides are in the right
order, according to the event program.

Lighting needs
Remember that your lighting is for a video production. Creating an environment on stage that
works for the camera is very different from your standard stage lighting for a play or conference.
If possible, consult with a lighting director familiar with video production.

Video production
You’ll want your video production to be at its highest quality so that you can share your local
TEDx speakers with the world. Our Production Guide has all of the relevant information on video
production, including appropriate equipment, camera angles and livestream needs.

Technology
What kinds of technical needs do you have for both recording your live talks and featuring your
recorded TED Talks? Will you have someone to fill the role of technical assistant, in case any
problems arise? Will your event have wi-fi? Hire or task someone with tech experience with the
role of technical director to make sure all your tech needs are in place.

Electricity
Make sure you have electric outlets in the right places, and/or enough extension cords. You
should also know where the circuit breaker is in your venue, in case of a blown fuse. Ask the
owner or manager of your venue if there are other electricity needs you should be aware of.

Make sure to check out our entire Production Guide

The big day

On the day of the event, your production crew and manager should have an easy and reliable
form of communication to be in constant contact with each other. We encourage a two-channel
Clear-Com system or similar party line system: one channel for the tech director to call lighting
and presentation cues, and one for the camera director to relay orders to each cameraperson.
This system allows for overlapping dialogue, and is much more effective than walkie talkies
during the event.

All relevant members of your executive staff should also be able to easily contact key people in
your production crew, in case anything should go wrong.