Propose a TEDxOshkosh Talk

Do you have a new and interesting idea worth spreading? Would you like to speak at TEDxOshkosh? Like TED itself, TEDxOshkosh is focused on Ideas Worth Spreading, placing the emphasis on the idea. If you have an idea that could inspire the TEDxOshkosh audience, we would love to have you submit your idea to us for consideration for a TEDxOshkosh conference.

If you know someone else with an idea worth spreading, please direct them to this page on our Web site and encourage them to submit their idea.

Accepting Speaker Nominations for TEDxOshkosh

Pre-registration for April 30 in-person Pitch Night auditions is open. Please read this page thoroughly, then follow the link to register to make your in-person pitch to speak.

We continuously accept speaker proposals for TEDxOshkosh. If you have an idea worth spreading, or know someone who does, please consider submitting your idea for consideration.

Talk Ideas - What Works & What Does Not

The TED and TEDx world seeks new or little-known ideas, and focuses on having a very wide variety of content. The TEDxOshkosh team selects speakers with those extremely important focal points in mind.

Examples of Talks that "Work"

1. Talks by previous TEDxOshkosh speakers (on our YouTube channel)
2. TED's current "Editor's picks" of TEDx talks (on the global TEDx YouTube channel), including a TEDxOshkosh talk from 2023 by Juliëtte Sterkens
3. TED releases a "best of" list of TEDx talks each year. If you want to see examples of what works really well, we encourage you to review the The Best of TEDx (2022) YouTube playlist. For interest, the talk on that list by Jim VandeHei was delivered at TEDxOshkosh.

Ideas That Have a Better Chance of Being Accepted

• New, or little-known to the general public
• Relevant to current events
• Have a connection to our geographic area
• Challenge common thought
• Data-backed and founded in scientific principles

Ideas That Have Little (or no) Chance of Being Accepted

• Focused on advancing the speaker's business success
• Pseudo-science
• Predominantly present the work of someone else, and not the presenter
• Stories that are primarily the description of a personal journey
• Focused primarily on motivation

Learn More About Proposing a Talk Idea

If you're intrigued by the idea of spreading your idea via TEDxOshkosh, we ask that you take 4 simple - but very important - steps:

1. Browse this Web site to learn more about TEDxOshkosh, and watch talk videos of our past speakers, which you can find in the "Prior Events" section.
2. Learn more about the nature of good TEDx talks by subscribing to the TEDx YouTube channel and watch the videos that appear in your subscription
3. Download and read all of the TEDxOshkosh Potential Speaker Packet (PDF download) to ensure you are able to fulfil the requirements of presenting at TEDxOshkosh
4. Are you ready? Let us know about your talk idea

Propose Your Talk - 2 Options

NOTE: If your goal in giving a TEDx talk is to promote your business or brand, we ask you to reconsider submitting your idea, as we virtually never select speakers who approach us with that focus. Thank you for your understanding.

• Option 1 - In-Person Audition: Pre-register to present your best 4 minutes at our in-person Pitch Night on April 30. See more details and submit the required audition pre-registration. Slots are limited!
• Option 2 - Submit a Text Application: If you are unable to present at our in-person pitch night, you are welcome submit your talk proposal in text format via our online application form. This form is available year-round, 24/7/365

Questions?

Get in touch; we'll be happy to have a conversation with you about being a TEDxOshkosh speaker.