WELCOME TO THE HACKING THE RED CIRCLE PODCAST

 
Show update: This podcast started in 2017 as a resource for TEDx Organizers and lasted 85 episodes while covering a wide range of topics. If you are a first-time organizer or a seasoned professional, there's a show for you. Unfortunately, we stopped production in early 2020 with the rise of COVID and the ability to produce live events. Since then, we've dedicated our efforts to creating our virtual TEDx Salon. We encourage all organizers to join the very active Facebook Group.

The HACKING THE RED CIRCLE Podcast illustrates organizing, producing, promoting, and creating world-class events.

TEDx Organizers from around the globe share their stories and expertise around creating their events. Veterans and first-timers alike will benefit from expert accounts, advice, and inspiration.

The show explores the many surprises, challenges, and hidden gems we discover as we help our speakers launch their ideas worth spreading. Not an organizer (yet)? We hope to inspire you to get involved in a local TEDx event in your community.

Enjoy the show.

Featured Episodes

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TEDxUCLouvain – Creating an Experience in spite of COVID

Finding ways to be creative and stay connected to your TEDx Community during these challenging times of sequestering and dealing with a global pandemic can test even the most creative Organizers.
Listen here
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Lara Stein – Founder of TEDx

On the first day of TED2019 in Vancouver, Randy Bretz, TEDxLincoln, Emeritus, and I were honored to interview the founder of TEDx, Lara Stein.
Listen here
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TEDxSydney – Remo Giuffre – Organizer

Remo Giuffre, the original licensee of TEDxSydney, has the envious position of curating one of the most widely respected TEDx events in the world.
Listen here
See all episodes

Topics

TEDx Organizers have superpowers they leverage to make their event unique. By working with a team of dedicated volunteers, they accomplish amazing things. Most Organizers have had plenty of challenges and surprises. We talk about lessons they've learned, the advice they'd give and how they hacked the red circle to make their event look like a million dollars while staying on a modest budget.

Organizing

There are hundreds of things to keep track of at a TEDx. Organizers share their unique strengths and challenges. Listen.

Collaborating

Nothing gets done without first building an amazing team. Some Organizers say that this is the most important part of the job. Listen.

Marketing

Design and communications bring an event’s theme to life. Visually compelling events create lifelong memories. Listen.

Curating

A powerful theme, compelling speakers and an engaged audience combine to make a successful event. Listen.

Producing

A TEDx event is like a television production with a live audience. From the Green Room to the Lobby, nothing is left to chance. Listen.

Partnering

Events are based on strategic partnerships with the Community. Long lasting relationships are keys to success. Listen.

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  • Curating a TEDx event in your community can be a very lonely job. After all, unless you live in a very large metropolitan area, there's no one else around who's doing the same thing. I've found that connecting with TEDx folks around the world gives me ideas, gives me purpose, gives me encouragement. Hacking the Red Circle is a great way to learn from others, to make your event valuable to your audience and to keep you going on days when the task seems overwhelming.
    Dr. Randy Bretz
    TEDxLincoln
  • People are surprised when I tell them it takes a year to produce a TEDx event, as the planning process for next year begins the day after our event concludes. From creating the theme, to crafting the program, forging partnerships and securing a venue, our team never stops working. Hacking the Red Circle goes inside some of the best TEDx organizations to show how their processes work, and to reveal the complex ins-and-outs of producing a memorable event.
    Mark Lovett
    TEDxSanDiego
  • Organizing a TEDx comes with unique challenges. Many things are different from other events. The culture, the partnership, the curation, etc. What’s the best way to deal with those challenges? Hacking the Red Circle gives us privileged access into the brain of TEDx organizers. How they built the success of their TEDx, how they face difficulty and what are their best tips. It’s a concentrated shot of inspiration. Thanks, Mark and all the HTRC team for creating this podcast.
    Denis François Gravel
    TEDxQuebec
  • When I created my first TEDx, I kept wondering how other people faced the same challenges that confronted me… If only I had a resource like “Hacking the Red Circle,” it would have been so much easier! This awesome podcast is like a cheat-sheet, a behind-the-scenes opportunity to learn from people who have already done great things. Follow the interviews, learn from our mistakes, and find your own voice while bringing your own event series to the next level.
    Aaron Sylvan
    TEDxFultonStreet
cog

About the Show

Hacking the Red Circle was a podcast created for and about TEDx Organizers and the TEDx Universe. It showcased the many talents required to produce a world-class event worthy of the TEDx brand. So, if you're thinking of producing a TEDx or have been involved with one and want to learn more, this is the show for you. Also, if you've been involved with a TEDx event and are now stepping into a leadership role, you'll enjoy our guest's unique perspective of success.

We interviewed organizers before and after their events and talked to them about what makes the event specific to their locale and what particular talents they bring to the organization. Some are great at managing, curating, building partnerships, rallying volunteers, and creating compelling user experiences. We bring it all to you in their voice.

We interviewed TEDx Speakers and those who provide services to the TEDx ecosystem to talk about their experience with TEDx. Seeing the event from their point of view is often illuminating. In addition, seeing TEDx from the outside provides a unique perspective that is only sometimes heard.

Mark Sylvester is the Executive Producer of TEDxSantaBarbara. He has been attending TED for over 28 years and started producing his own TEDx in 2010, called initially TEDxAmericanRiviera. He's worked with many Organizers, helping them navigate through the hundreds of decisions necessary to create a world-class event. He currently produces a bi-weekly Salon called Making Waves: Conversations with Influencers and Disruptors.

You can learn more about Mark and how he took his See What You Think philosophy and embedded it in a talk for TEDxFargo at his personal site, MarkSylvester.com. Please connect with Mark on his website if you have questions about the show.

Hacking the Red Circle is an independent production and is not affiliated with the TED organization.

Episodes Feature Organizers From Around the World