TEDxUGA Presenter Prep and Curation

Aid a TEDxUGA 2023 presenter with the preparation and curation of their talk

Date: Spring 2023
Assistant Curator

I worked with Jarryd Wallace, one of the TEDxUGA 2023 presenters, in the preparation of his talk by helping him formulate his idea, curate his script, and create the visuals for his presentation. In order to ensure Jarryd performed his best at the event, I adhered to TED guidelines and used recommendations from Resonate by Nancy Duarte for a successful presentation. Ultimately, his performance was phenomenal and the event was an absolute success.

A TED Talk is a presentation where a speaker shares his/her big idea in under 18 minutes.

My challenge was to help Jarryd Wallace present his “Mastering Transitions” idea, in a compelling and effective manner, at the TEDxUGA stage. First, I had to help him formulate and curate a script that connected with the audience and had an emotional, analytical, and visual balance. Then, I had to create his visuals following TED guidelines. Once the tangible work was completed, I had to aid him in the memorization of his talk by holding practice sessions. Finally, on the day of the event as assistant curator, I had to encourage and support him and other eight speakers in any way I could so their performance was outstanding.

Presenter Prep and Curation
In order for Jarryd to have a successful talk and performance, the other members of the curation team and I met with him at least once a week throughout the semester to discuss his progress. At these weekly meetings we ensured that Jarryd’s talk:

Memorization
Once the team and I felt that Jarryd’s script and visual where stage ready, we started helping him memorize his talk. We provided memorization tips, such as recording himself and listening to the recording throughout the day. Further, we held a few practice sessions with other curations teams and the TEDxUGA Advisory Council as the audience. This allowed him to get used to presenting in front of other people and to get feedback before taking the stage.

As the day of TEDxUGA 2023 approached, the curation team and I were Jarryd’s primary point of contact for any questions or concerns he had about the event. We were responsible for communicating all important information to him, such as explaining what the dress rehearsal and day of the event were going to look like and what was expected of him.

Taking the Stage
On dress rehearsal and day of TEDxUGA 2023 I served as assistant curator. As the nine presenters took the stage on dress rehearsal and prepared for the event, I aided them by providing final feedback. The production team, the main curator, and I worked on making any final changes to the visuals of all the presenters. Further we ensured that all of them were ready to take the stage the following day. At this point, Jarryd had his talk completely memorized and he did an amazing job on the dress rehearsal and on the day of the event.

Throughout this entire process I collaborated with other student curators, the production team, and the TEDxUGA Student and Advisory Council.

Ultimately, TEDxUGA 2023 was incredibly successful and all nine speakers did a phenomenal job taking the stage and presenting their compelling ideas. All of them provided the audience with incredible insight on different topics such as the medical industry, altruism, human rights, self improvement, and more.

Although a success, the preparation of this event provided us with many learning opportunities which will be implemented next year at TEDxUGA 2024. For instance, some presenters didn’t have enough time to memorize, so deadlines for the script and visuals should be sooner next time. Further, there was confusion on what their confidence monitor would display during their talk and some speakers expect more help from the monitor. Next year clearer communication will be provided on this matter.

In collaboration with the entire TEDxUGA 2023 Fam, Jarryd presented an outstanding performance and his compelling “Mastering Transitions” idea inspired many individuals in the audience. Click here to see Jarryd’s TEDxUGA talk.

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