Idea Book 1

The custom-built pop-up theater at TED was back for its second year. The space, from architect David Rockwell, was reassembled from thousands of laser-cut pieces.

After getting sneak peaks of the day’s talks, visual artist Derek Cascio worked overnight to draw massive black and white murals of those themes onto the walls of the convention center with a dry-erase tool known as IdeaPaint. Then attendees added their own layers as the sessions got underway.

Attendees at TED explored the Osmo by Loop.pH, a map of more than 3,000 stars and planets etched into a membrane.

TEDActive attendees seeking a break from the week’s activities—as well as a chance to reflect on the conference's hallmark "Ideas Worth Spreading"—could find downtime in a tranquil meditation room, where a lounge setup mimicked a campfire setting.

TEDActive hosts Kelly Stoetzel and Jay Herratti warmed up the crowd with a Truth or Dare wheel in keeping with this year's conference theme. Attendees could spin the wheel and land on truth or dare, or win a prize.

TEDActive offered a place for attendees to sit and be still, under open domes strung with thought-provoking hand-written signs.

In keeping with TED2015’s theme Truth and Dare, the Truth Booth offered different daily activities curated by TEDActive’s resident so-called "Truth Fairies."

Catering at TEDActive included deconstructed takes on bloody Marys served in shot glasses.

TED attendees used headsets to experience virtual reality, one of the hottest topics on the tech radar.

TED Social Spaces included the beanbag seating—which has become a trademark of the conference—that encouraged creative thinking in a nontraditional, unstuffy environment.

Out-of-the-ordinary activities and experiences within TED's Social Spaces included the Harmonograph Swingset, a modern-day, hand-crafted timber swing that played off a 19th-century invention that recorded harmonic frequencies as visual art.

The TED conferences encourage movement whenever possible, keeping attendees active and engaged, rather than passive.

Attendees were encouraged to stay hydrated in an eco-friendly way at a refilling station.

Oversize letters on both vertical and horizontal planes provided clean graphic decor at TED's Social Spaces.

Lollipop-style signage clearly lead the way to the TEDxChange dinner.

Thought-provoking social media prompts covered coffee cups served at TED's Social Spaces.

Messages regarding public health decorated raw wooden furnishings and decor within TED's Social Spaces.

Guests snacked on an elegant presentation of oysters at the TED Prize dinner reception on March 17.

Summit convened 900 tech leaders on Powder Mountain in Eden, Utah. The “glamping” experience included talks and activities, but no Internet connection.

Organizers built temporary and permanent structures on the sloped sides of the mountain and even placed desks outdoors for the “Office Hours” program.