If you are hosting an event for your university or school community, your event can be named after the school or university. Names must include “School”, “University”, “College” or “U” qualifier as part of the name. (Note: Make sure you have permission of your school or university before applying.)

Some of great examples include TEDxUniversityofWorldEconomyAndDiplomacy (or TEDxUWED), TEDxNationalUniversityofUzbekistan (or TEDxNUU), TEDxSamarkandState University (or TEDxSSU), TEDxUrgenchStateUniversity (or TEDxUSU).

Choose participants from a wide variety of backgrounds who can contribute meaningfully to the conversation. Usually, the audience of a university event are students, faculty and/or administration, but it will ultimately be up to you to decide who you want your guests to be.

Use the following checklist when thinking about potential attendees:

• Are they from the community where I’m holding my TEDx event?
• Are they diverse by demographic, ethnicity, and background?
• Do they, or would they, have an interest in the theme, topics or speakers that I'm bringing to the stage?
• Do they support and value community-building and deep conversation?
• Could they be impacted by my TEDx event in a life-changing (or even world-changing) way?
• Will they carry my event’s “ideas worth spreading” out into the world?

Create an application form to simplify the selection process. At some point, you have to test your audiences’ commitment to participating in your event. Ask clear questions:

• Tell us about yourself.
• List up to three web links that will help us understand you better.
• What do you hope to get from this TEDx event?

Finally, although we wish you could accommodate everyone, sending rejections, however is inevitable. While addressing, please be polite.

Like standard TEDx events, university events can have up to 100 guests. Only individuals who have attended an official TED conference can organize an event with more than 100 attendees.

Event theme is the direction; it sets the tone of your event with one overarching question or statement. You’ll want to feature a diversity of speakers from across several disciplines, and speakers from the university where you’re holding your event.

Don’t go with a topic or a single subject like, “sustainability,” “medicine,” or “happiness”. Your theme should be abstract, and open to interpretation – it should be broad enough to leave room for a wide range of topics and speakers. Think of it like a title or tagline for your event. Here are some examples of different themes that were used by other TED and TEDx events:

Past TED themes: The Great Unveiling; The Big Questions; The Substance of Things Not Seen; The Age of Amazement; The Future You

Past TEDx themes: Ideas Empowered; Breakthrough!; Thriving on Turmoil; The Essence of a Changing World; Fast Forward Future.

How do you develop a theme? Follow this checklist

• Create a long list of big topics and subtle questions that fits the needs of your university;
• Ask questions no one raised before. New questions will lead you to new ideas;
• Think local – TEDx events should address the issues in your university at first place. Brainstorm: What new ideas are being discussed and created in your university? What critical issues are big thinkers and innovators talking about in your local community? How can we make Uzbekistani ideas heard worldwide? What are the bright ideas in the area of education of Uzbekistan that reflect global issues?
• Think global - Think about how you can reflect your university outward to the world. What could the rest of the world learn from your university? And alternatively, what could your university learn from the world that they don’t know?

So selecting, inviting, and preparing them for the big day will be one of the most important and the most exciting tasks you’ll have. Here are some guiding principles to follow in your search for speakers:

First things first: don’t search for the person; go after idea. Ask yourself: what will the audience walk away knowing – that this person exists, or a new idea?

But, how do you find great idea at all?

• Professors make great speakers — Super smart people who specialize in teaching others what they know? Perfect;
• Schools have a lot of ideas worth spreading; from students to teachers to professors and staff — all you have to do is find them;
• College and universities are not just students, or just faculty, but in fact, a huge community of students, faculty, staff, friends, family, and alumni. Remember, your TEDx event should help form connections and spark new ideas;
• Consider contacting department leaders for recommendations for speakers, or reaching out to campus publications to put out a call for speakers.

So, what ideas are you looking for?

• Look for new ideas that originate in your university but are widely relatable;
• Look for ideas that need to be defended – not something self-evident, but an interesting argument, perhaps with an antagonist;
• Look for an idea the TED world hasn't heard before. (In other words, not a copy of a TED Talk you like!);
• Look for ideas that change perceptions. (e.g., a scientific discovery that changes how you think about frogs, a philosophical argument that reshapes your notions of friendship.)

Lastly, try this checklist:

Is this speaker...

• a local voice that few people have heard before?
• someone who can present their field in a new light?
• someone with a perspective to which the global TED community may not have access?
• diverse by demographic, ethnicity, background, and/or topic?

Whether you’re a student, faculty member or staff, choosing speakers from among your colleagues is a sensitive process. As you research and pursue speakers, you’ll find many people who are doing fascinating things, but aren’t right for your event. Stay firm in your resolve to create the best TEDx experience possible, and try to let people down gently.

Team. You can’t organize a true TEDx event unless you have people who share values and vision of the project. Organizing TEDx event is an adventurous journey filled with passion, dedication and hard work. Assembled, your TEDx team will gift a project to your community worth working whose ideas are worth spreading.

Budget. Come up with creative ways in attracting partners who also share TED values. TEDx is a non-profit conference; you neither can raise money for event nor make money out of it. Before approaching your potential partners, make sure you allocate sufficient amount of time and effort in calculating your numbers correctly.

Communication strategy. Ideas are communicated. Do you know how will you introduce your speakers to the public? What your visuals will look like? Do you have the person in the team who can write eloquently? Did you set the time for all your publications? What are the main communication channels?

Venue. We have talked about it earlier, right? Your venue should reflect your TEDx name. Moreover, venue as piece of architectural art has the power to create a chemistry of ideas worth spreading. If you are accommodating 100 people, then your venue should have enough seats. Since you will be recording talks live, then your stage should have sufficient lighting equipment. If you selected a particular theme, think about how your stage can speak about your theme. Lastly, don’t forget about the lovely red rounded rug.

We want to make ideas from your university heard worldwide. Join our mission, because ideas are worth spreading.