Next year, Charlottesville may receive a visit from TED. Heather Burns, director of the Charlottesville Writing Center, was recently licensed to host a local conference under the aegis of TED, the nonprofit devoted to the promotion of "ideas worth spreading."
Although official TED conferences usually take place in Long Beach or Palm Springs, the organization grants one-time licenses to third parties to host TEDx events in other cities. Franchisees must agree to adhere to a set of rules, including limiting the number of invited guests to 100 and showing at least two pre-recorded, official TED talks (over 900 of which are available for free online). Speakers are not paid and must agree to give TED the right to edit and distribute their presentation.
Although ted.com lists the Charlottesville TEDx conference for November 17, Burns is postponing the event to 2012 to give herself more time to find speakers and supporting organizations.
Local teacher John Hunter, the subject of the documentary World Peace and Other 4th Grade Achievements, spoke at a TED conference earlier this year.