January

1. Join the Fellows private Facebook group

  • All TED Fellows are invited to join our private Facebook group. This is a safe space for Fellows to pitch ideas, ask for advice or offer a couch to a fellow Fellow. If you don’t receive an invite to join by email once the announcement has gone public, please follow this link and click on the "Ask to join" button.

2. Sign up for the pre-conference webinars

  • To prepare you for the conference and to help you create your stage presentation, we have set up a series of helpful webinars from the pros in our community. RSVP for each webinar with our Producer (dianaalmahmood@ted.com). We’ll be recording every video, so make sure to watch the recordings if you are not able to attend.

3. Start writing your TED talk

  • All Fellows give a four-minute talk at the TED conference during the Fellows sessions. Preparing this talk is the most important aspect to preparing to attend TED. With this talk, you are not simply sharing an overview of your work (although that may be appropriate), but instead your “idea worth spreading.”

  • We will talk to you up to six times about your talk over the course of the four months leading up to the conference.

  • To help you get started, watch other Fellows talks.

  • Please note that not all talks are posted as TED talks of the day. While we always advocate for Fellows, the decision is ultimately up to TED’s editorial team. If your first talk doesn’t get published, we will try to find another opportunity for you to give a talk.

4. Connect with BWK PR

  • We will connect you with BWK, the PR partner to the TED Fellows program, for an individual PR strategy call. The BWK team will be working with new Fellows in the months leading up to the conference, helping you tailor your message so it resonates with reporters who will be onsite in Vancouver. (While we can't guarantee press coverage, the BWK team will work to connect you with relevant reporters for interviews and briefings during the TED conference.)

5. Book your travel

  • Our travel + logistics team will reach out with a travel survey to begin booking your flights and help with any visa applications. Please respond quickly as flights are quickly filled around the conference.