TEDxUNC ‘saves the date’

Last year, it took only 34 seconds for TEDxUNC to sell out the FedEx Global Education Center.

TEDxUNC, a project of Carolina Creates, held a “Save the Date” launch event Thursday in the Pit for its second ever event.

Last year’s TEDxUNC conference
, an adaptation of TED Talks that will feature lectures from “innovative thinkers,” presented to a full house.

And this year’s event, which will be held Feb. 9, is expected to draw an even larger crowd, said Mackenzie Thomas, one of the founders of TEDxUNC.

“Last year was definitely a trial run,” Thomas said. “We were trying to see the extent that students got excited, and ultimately, tickets sold out in 34 seconds online.”

The 2013 event will be held in Memorial Hall, which can house a larger audience than the FedEx Global Education Center, where the kickoff conference was held last year.

Thomas said this year people will have more opportunities to get tickets through social media and contests with event partners and sponsors.

Rachel Myrick, co-founder of TEDxUNC, said there is a tentative list of speakers and a potential theme for the event, but they will remain a secret until mid-November at the next reveal in the Pit.

The goal of the conference is to provide an opportunity for people to learn how a variety of innovative thinkers approach some of the world’s biggest issues, Thomas said.

She added that the organizing committee works with speakers to make sure there will be a wide range of topics that link together under a common theme.

“We have big goals — we want to get all sorts of different people engaged,” Myrick said.

“Faculty, administration, community members, students ­­— all of them in the same space talking about cool ideas can bring everyone together.”

Musical performances will be integrated into the program to appeal to a wider audience, she said.

Myrick added that some Carolina Creates artists will be given a chance to perform as well.

“Ultimately, we want to create a buzz and bring people to Memorial Hall and get them to interact with different people,” Thomas said.

Myrick said partnerships with Carolina Performing Arts, the Center for Global Initiatives and the Global American South project will make attracting a crowd easier, as they will be holding events the same weekend.

“We’re basically sandwiched between all of this, so it’ll be a big extravaganza in one weekend,” Myrick said.

Senior Colleen Daly said she was unable to get a ticket last year, so she plans to snag one as soon as they become available at the box office.

“It’s almost like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Daly said.

“It’s so exciting and really just speaks to the spirit of Carolina — of the people, the learning, the passion, excitement and more.”

Contact the desk editor at university@dailytarheel.com.