January 17, 2012

TEDxLausanne, an independently organized event licensed by TED and dedicated to “ideas worth spreading”, will take place on 20 January 2012 from 13.30 to 18.30 at IMD business school in Lausanne. The event is centred on the theme “The Future Doesn’t Just Happen.”

TEDxLausanne features 12 selected speakers from science, the arts, journalism, finance and other fields, who will give outstanding 15-minute talks about their projects, experiences and ideas, and how these can help shape a better future for our world. Two music/dance performances are also part of the program, which will be followed by an apéro-buffet to further the exchange of ideas. 350 attendees are expected.

Simon Schneebeli, curator of TEDxLausanne 2012, remarked, “TEDxLausanne is not an ordinary conference. Organised by a small team of volunteers, the primary goal is to inspire the participants and contribute to the spreading of worthwhile ideas that can help improve the future of our planet. We have put together an exciting program of speakers from Switzerland and abroad talking about a diverse range of topics.”

Bruno Giussani, European director of TED and a well-known Swiss author and ideas curator, who counts Lausanne as one of his homes and will attend TEDxLausanne, commented, "I am very pleased that Lausanne, a centre of academic and cultural excellence, now joins the growing list of cities worldwide that are host to a full-scale TEDx event. The TEDx events are all independently organized by brave and imaginative local teams, and I expect a great conference."

IMD is the main partner of TEDxLausanne. Its executive director, Jim Pulcrano, explained, “TED’s mission of discussing, debating and spreading great ideas is a perfect fit for us at IMD, and we’re proud and excited to work with the TEDx Lausanne team.”

TEDxLausanne is also receiving generous sponsorship from Logitech, Vestergaard Frandsen, Youmewine, Mannequin and Nespresso, as well as additional logistical support from the Hotel Institute Montreux and the Ecole de Couture de Lausanne.

Speakers and performers at TEDxLausanne:

Cary Adams, CEO of the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC): “Gearing up in the fight against cancer”

David Veenhuys, Consultant on personal & professional development, author: “What are we really made for?” 

Edward Girardet, Journalist and author: “Independent global reporting: lessons from Afghanistan”

Jamie Catto, Musician, singer, film producer, inspirational force: “Transforming shadows into rocket fuel” + musical performance

Jürgen Schmidhuber, Professor of Artificial Intelligence at the University of Lugano: “When machines overtake man” 

Laurent Keller, Professor of Evolutionary Ecology at the University of Lausanne: “Ant societies and what we can learn from them”

Manon Schick, Director of Amnesty International, Switzerland: “Why should corporations respect human rights?”

Michael Yaziji, Professor of Strategy at IMD: “Rethinking the structure of corporations”

Mikkel Vestergaard Frandsen, CEO of Vestergaard Frandsen: “Saving lives through carbon offsetting”

Octavio de la Roza, Dancer and choreographer: Pas-de-deux dance performance

Salvatore Cantale, Professor of Finance at IMD: “A new approach to finance”

Steve Edge, Designer, branding guru, dyslexic and self-described madman: “What goes around, comes around”

Tove Larsen, Researcher at Eawag (Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology): “The ecological toilet of the future”

More information about TEDxLausanne is at www.tedxlausanne.org.

About TEDx
In the spirit of “ideas worth spreading”, TED created a program called TEDx, consisting of local, independently organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. Live speakers and a few pre-recorded TEDTalk videos are combined to spark deep discussion and connection in a relatively small group. TED provides general guidance for the TEDx program, including rules and regulations that local organizers must follow. Hundreds of TEDx events have already been organized around the world.

About TED
TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to “ideas worth spreading”. Started in 1984 in California as a four-day conference about Technology, Entertainment, Design, TED has broadened its scope and grown to support those world-changing ideas with multiple initiatives. At TED, the world’s leading thinkers and doers are asked to give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes. Talks are then made available for free at www.TED.com. TED speakers have included Bill Gates, Jane Goodall, Elizabeth Gilbert, Sir Richard Branson, Benoit Mandelbrot, Philippe Starck, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Isabel Allende and Gordon Brown. Two major TED events are held each year: The TED Conference takes place every spring in Long Beach, California (along with a parallel conference, TEDActive, in Palm Springs), and TEDGlobal is held each summer in Edinburgh, Scotland. TED’s media initiatives include www.TED.com, where new TEDTalks are posted daily; the new TED Conversations, enabling broad conversations among TED fans; and the Open Translation Project, which provides subtitles and interactive transcripts as well as the ability for any TEDTalk to be translated by volunteers worldwide. TED has established the annual TED Prize, where exceptional individuals with a wish to change the world are given the opportunity to put their wishes into action; TEDx, which offers individuals or groups a way to host local, self-organized events around the world; and the TED Fellows program, helping world-changing innovators from around the globe to become part of the TED community and, with its help, amplify the impact of their remarkable projects and activities. For information about TED’s upcoming conferences, visit http://www.ted.com/pages/registration.

About IMD
IMD is a world pioneer in executive education. More than a business school, we collaborate with individuals, teams and organizations to resolve real business issues, build capabilities and prepare for the future. We do so through a unique Real World, Real Learning approach, which stems from our ongoing partnerships with leading international companies. Delivered from our campus on the shores of Lake Geneva in Switzerland and key locations worldwide, our top-ranking programs and services combine practical experience, thought leadership and a global mindset. Come join our open and inspiring learning environment to challenge your perspectives, expand your horizons – and unlock your full potential. (www.imd.org)