Reflections on the first TEDxPhnomPenh

Cambodia’s first TEDx event has come and gone, and all of the members of the first planning committee are breathing a sigh of relief.  We have been delighted to read so many comments agreeing that the day was indeed a success.  This had to do with so many factors, and we wanted to highlight a few of them for others who are planning similar events, for ourselves to remember for the future, and for all of you to be able to add your voice.

This event was a success because:

1) We had amazing speakers and performers.  Some speakers, have done lots of presenting, and they brought a calm yet passionate presence to the stage.  Others were speaking to a global audience for the first time, or presenting on a topic new to them, and each put many hours into practicing and perfecting their talks.

2) Practice. Practice. Practice. We think that one of the reasons this event was so successful was that the speakers really took the time to practice their talks. In addition to the two run-thrus the TEDx team planned over the last two weeks, many speakers presented their talks at Khmer Young Entrepreneurs (KYE) meetings,  We were all so impressed with the improvements and changes we saw in so many of the presentations over the course of the last few months and we know that the time the speakers put into their their talks made it easier for their passion and personalities to shine through on the day of the event.

3) Fabulous partners. Our sponsors were fabulous: Northbridge, EZECOM, and Cellcard gave us the support and funding we needed to make the event possible and to livestream the day on the internet. As we mentioned yesterday, Rob and his wife Kelli from Northbridge schools were key to making this event possible. The Northbridge students who helped volunteer were essential to keeping the event running! Lift magazine made it possible for us to host an Essay Contest to select a final speaker, and we want to congratulate Seiha again on putting his presentation together in such a short time after winning the contest!

4) A great team. The team of people involved in getting TEDxPhnomPenh off the ground was far greater than even the number of people we were allowed to invite to the event. There were more than 30 people who attended planning meetings and gave their time and energy to getting the event off the ground. At the same time that we started the TEDxPhnomPenh meetings, the KYE team started and has over 100 members. This group helped vet and coach speakers as well as gather interest and support for the TEDx event among young Khmer students and professionals who might not have heard of TED before. The audience had to apply to be a part of the day – and we were inspired by the essay submissions we received from applicants. Our team of 9 organizers got so much out of the event – from meeting the speakers, from getting to know the audience, and from working with each other. We all believed in the idea of bringing “Ideas Worth Spreading” to Cambodia and, because of a shared commitment to the team and the event, we all grew from taking this project on.

So – THANK YOU all for being a part of this. For spreading the word, for giving your time, for sharing your ideas, for voting, for nominating, for attending, for “liking”, for commenting, and for supporting this event!  We’re grateful to have been a part of this inaugural event!  If you are interested in being part of the the next TEDxPhnomPenh planning committee, please be in touch with us ([email protected]) as we are already starting to think about the next event!  (Note: We’d LOVE more Khmer leaders on our planning team – so spread the word!).

Thank you, and we hope to see you all involved in the next event!

- The First TEDxPhnomPenh Planning Commitee
Allie Hoffman, Bryse Gaboury, Daniela Papi, Justin Lorenzon, Marc Rousseau, Megan Clavier, Melina Chan, Nikola Errington, and Rithy Thul