TedXQueensU is hosting a two-day in-person conference and executives want students to attend.
The conference is supposed to bring together speakers and people in talks designed to inspire the audience. TedXQueensU is Canada’s second largest TedX conference and is completely student run. This year, the theme is “revive.”
“People from different backgrounds [and] life experiences all come together. The beauty of Ted is that none of the speakers are necessarily famous. They’re just regular people, and it’s nice to be able to learn from them,” Saman Saeidi, Sci ’24, and TedXQueensU co-chair, told The Journal.
Saeidi said there’s a broad range of speakers and topics discussed for all students. Madeline Ritter, ArtSci ’24, and TedXQueensU co-chair, said the speakers will inform attendees on a wide range of topics and engage with a variety of audiences.
Speakers include two students from Queen’s, professors, and a line-up of speakers from who have connections with Queen’s. An Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Indigeneity specialist from NASA is making an appearance, along with a former Royal Canadian Air Force pilot who runs a local tech start-up.
“It’s only $20 per night if you’re a student, which is a significant decrease from years past and other TEDx events that are run by universities in the country,” Ritter said to The Journal.
A ticket bursary closes the evening of Jan. 31. Ritter said this is an opportunity to allow for more students to engage with the conference and learn from speakers.
“We have an innovation lab where a lot of local businesses and Queen’s clubs are attending and interacting with their delegates,” Saeidi said.
“We have an art showcase as well as networking representatives who are going to be available to speak to students about their experiences and their professions. Some of which include McKinsey, BCG, Deloitte, and Conrad.”
For both Saeidi and Ritter, TedXQueensU has been one of the highlights of their time at Queen’s. They’ve worked on the club for three years now, and both say the opportunity to manage the team has been special.
“It’s nice to have a lot of like-minded individuals, just working hard to put this event together,” Saeidi said.
“I think [TedXQueensU is] important because a lot of the time students can be in our own bubbles, our own friend groups, maybe our own faculties and disciplines. It’s nice to be able to come together for an event that has such a wide range of speakers, as well as the interactive activities.”
The conference will be held at the Grand Theatre on Feb. 5 to 6. Tickets are still on sale.
Tags
conference, Networking, speaker, TEDx QueensU
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