A Taste of What TED2014 Vancouver Has to Offer

TED makes its return to Vancouver on March 17th to celebrate its 30th anniversary with a line-up of 100 of the best TED speakers of all time. TED2014 will be held at the Vancouver Convention Centre, located just steps away from the Pan Pacific Vancouver. TED opted to move their annual West Coast conference from Long beach, California to Vancouver, Canada based on the city’s “thriving innovation and stunning views”. The stage designers plan to incorporate the panoramic views of the North Shore Mountains by tying them into this year’s TED theatre.

TED, which is known as “the ultimate brain spa”, will host a line-up of the leading thinkers and doers of our generation. Tickets for TED2014 have already sold out, however, you can still take part in the action. For the first time ever, TED is offering a livestream of the event for a very small fraction of the $7,500 ticket price.

Below, you will get a small taste of what TED2014 has to offer:

Chris Hadfield – Astronaut (@Cmdr_Hadfield)

Chris Hadfield, famously known for rekindling us with our love for outer space, will be joining this year’s line-up of TED speakers. Using social media, Hadfield gave us an in-depth look into life in space during his five month journey on the ISS (International Space Shuttle). Here’s a video of Hadfield teaching the world how to brush their teeth in space.

Bill Gates – Philanthropist (@BillGates)

Founder and former CEO of Microsoft, Bill Gates is the tech icon that lead Microsoft from its humble beginnings to a household name that has been used by millions since its inception in the mid 70’s. Since 2008, Gates has adjusted his focus to Philanthropy. Alongside his wife Melinda, who will also be speaking at TED2014, he has donated millions to HIV/AIDS programs, libraries, agriculture research and disaster relief – and has offered guidance and funding to programs in global health and education.

Sting – Composer, Singer, Author and Activist (@OfficialSting)

Sting began his ever-evolving career as a musician as the lead singer and bassist for english rock-band, The Police, before venturing off on his massively successful solo career. 100 million album sales, 16 Grammy awards and 14 albums later, Sting is continuing to amaze the world with his talents. Sting is also a committed activist. In 1989, Sting and his wife Trudie founded The Rainforest Fund to protect the world’s rainforests and the indigenous people living there.

Janet Echelman – Artist (www.echelman.com)

Janet Echelman is known for crafting for creating building-sized sculptures that respond to their surroundings. Echelman’s works include: “Her Secret is Patience” spanning two city blocks in downtown Phoenix, “Water Sky Garden” which premiered for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics and “She Changes” on the waterfront in Porto, Portugal. On March 17th, she will be completing her largest ever aerial sculpture for the launch of TED2014. The sculpture is currently being worked on at Vancouver’s Waterfront and spans the length of two football fields.

Click here to view the full list of speakers at TED2014