A Look Back at TED Conference Ideas and Activations Through the Years

VANCOUVER—While the live event industry takes a brief pause due to COVID-19 concerns, we're taking a look back at some of our favorite April events. Last week, we rounded up inspiring activations from the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, which would have taken place this weekend but is now postponed to October.

Today, we're looking north to the buzzy TED Conference, which was originally slated for April 20 to 24. The annual Vancouver-based event is known for delivering a slate of diverse speakers and innovative sponsor activations for attendees. While the 2020 event has been delayed to July 26 to 30, get inspired now with these 10 stand-out ideas from years past.

TED2019

The 2019 edition of TED, held last April, had a "Bigger Than Us" theme. A five-dome structure created by artist Michael Pinsky invited guests to experience simulation of air in five different cities: Tautra, Norway, on a winter day; London on a February day; New Delhi, India; Beijing in November; and São Paulo, Brazil. International Flavors & Fragrances and Airlabs helped create the scents and filtered air inside the geodesic domes. As guests left, they were given information on how they can help the planet.

Photo: Marla Aufmuth/TED

Also in 2019, the Brightline Initiative's activation, produced by Domestic Data Streamers, had a participatory art installation that grew throughout the conference. Attendees were asked to share their thoughts on content from speaker sessions and place them in the corresponding day on the wall. Ideas were written on transparent tiles with permanent marker.

Photo: Lawrence Sumulong/TED

Dropbox’s activation in 2019 involved a Mad Libs-style wall that invited attendees to complete fill-in the-blank sentences with words tied to main stage sessions. The activation was produced by Fake Love. The responses were translated into an infinity booth through light and sound, which were personalized to each attendee. See more: TED 2019: See 20 Ideas on Engaging Attendees On and Off the Main Stage

Photo: Marla Aufmuth/TED

TED2018

In 2018, stair clings read, "This is going to be amazing," a riff on the conference theme of "The Age of Amazement." See more: TED 2018: How Organizers Put the Spotlight on the Attendee

Photo: Jason Redmond/TED

TED2016

The 2016 event, held in February, had a "Dream" theme and featured a variety of lounges where attendees could watch a simulcast of speakers—including a ball pit filled with beanbag chairs and beach balls.

Photo: Ryan Lash/TED

Also in 2016, sponsor Delta Air Lines created an immersive installation to introduce its new collaborative research center dubbed the Hangar. Inside the space, 6,000 LED lights simulated a star-filled sky. Attendees could climb throughout the dream-like environment and then submit innovative ideas for Delta to explore.

Photo: Ryan Lash/TED

Vancouver architect and past TED speaker Michael Green worked with local design students to create two 16- by 30-foot “warming huts” where attendees could gather outside the convention center. Following the 2016 conference, the huts were permanently installed in one of British Columbia’s outdoor recreation sites so they could be used by climbers, skiers, and outdoor enthusiasts. See more: 11 Engaging Activations From the TED Conference

Photo: Ryan Lash/TED

TED2015

In 2015, messages regarding public health decorated raw wooden furnishings and decor within TED's Social Spaces—areas meant to facilitate interaction and collaboration.

Photo: Ryan Lash/TED

Other out-of-the-ordinary activities and experiences within TED's Social Spaces in 2015 included the Harmonograph Swingset, a modern-day, handcrafted timber swing that played off a 19th-century invention that recorded harmonic frequencies as visual art. See more: TED Conference Photos: 18 Steal-Worthy Ideas to Inspire Attendees

Photo: Ryan Lash/TED

TED2014

For the 2014 event, architect David Rockwell designed the 1,200-seat TED Conference theater from thousands of laser-cut pieces. The theater, which was housed inside the Vancouver Convention Centre, was designed to be dismantled and stored until the next event. See more: Most Innovative Meetings 2014: #6 TED/TEDActive

Photo: Ryan Lash/TED