The Sapling Foundation, the organizing body behind TED, made the announcement today that they will be moving their annual North American conference from Long Beach California to Vancouver for 2014 and 2015, in celebration of the 30th anniversary of the innovative not-for-profit event. TEDActive, sister event and live simulcast of the main conference will also make the move from Palm Springs to Whistler. The decision comes after a Vancouver TEDx event last year drew in large numbers and following a long negotiation process between the organizers, the Canadian Tourism Commission, Tourism Vancouver and the Vancouver Convention Centre.
In a conversation with the Sacremento Bee, TED curator Chris Anderson cited the fact that the city is already the home of TED’s conference operations team in explaining the decision. Other factors that contributed to the decision include Vancouver’s reputation as a livable, walkable, sustainable, and innovative city. The functionality of the new Vancouver Convention Centre, as well as its proximity to amenities and its location on Vancouver’s picturesque harbor also played had an impact on the choice. Organizers are currently designing a custom theatre for the space that they hope will “maximize the impact of the talks.”
Registration for the 2014 talks open on February 11th.
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Eva Voinigescu is an intern at Toronto Standard. Follow her on Twitter @EvaVoinigescu.
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