TED Global Becomes Tourist Hotspot in Copacabana

10/09/2014 - 08h42

Copacabana is used to receiving masses of foreign tourists that get mixed in with the locals of all social classes, but this week it has transformed into the headquarters of a kind of international members' club for lectures, TED Global.

The conference, which has become extremely popular in the digital age with its format of short lectures (18 minutes long) featuring popular themes, activist or artistic, illustrated with videos, photos and infographics, is taking place for the first time in Brazil.

If it weren't for the sea view and the native Portuguese staff working at the event (waiters, security guards, etc) it would be difficult to notice the event was in fact taking place in Brazil.

The event's official language both during the talks and in noticeboards is English and the vast majority of the one thousand participants are from overseas.

"It might be due to ticket prices. Prices are too high for our standards", Brazilian actress Maitê Proença has said.

She paid the full US$6,000, which includes a free pass to every daily talk as well as lunch and snacks - not to mention a goodie bag filled with products by sponsors, which on its own helps understand the spirit of those who attend the event: a picnic blanket, flip flops, Brazilian made vegetable-based soaps and moisturizers, an adaptor plug, and so on.

Inside the megatent - whose external walls are decorated with over 1,500 red and white umbrellas - there is a large air conditioned room with sofas, armchairs and eating areas. Industrialized snacks include granola bars, açaí berry and cereal bars.

The soundtrack encompasses songs by Brazilian singers Moreno Veloso and Seu Jorge (in his David Bowie rendition) as well as Mexican band Café Tacuba.

There is even a lounge area on the beach where events from yoga classes in the mornings to lunches and after-lecture parties take place.

TED Global has set out to be more than a circuit of lectures. Its organizers want to promote the exchange of knowledge between participants.

On Tuesday, October 7th, for example, there was a sequence of three-minute talks between participants who were willing to interact with strangers. The format is similar to that of smaller events hosted by specialized agencies, but this time, it was a corporate version.

Even an app was developed to make communication easier between people attending lectures at Copacabana.

After one inserts their TED Global password, the user gains access to a list of names and photos of 1,048 registered people, amongst who are lecturers and organizers.

From there on, in order to start a conversation similarly to Whatsapp, one must add a participant and wait for approval.

"In addition to inspiring stories, I met people here who are searching for new ideas. I think this is what everybody here has in common", Cindy Chen, an American participant from San Francisco, California, said.

"I work at Skoll Foundation, which is one of TED's sponsors and, due to this sponsorship, I was given a ticket to be here", Cindy said.

The organization of TED Global in Rio did not release the exact number of participants who purchased tickets.

Translated by CRISTIANE COSTA LIMA

Read the article in the original language

	Ryan Lash/TED
	TED Global has become extremely popular in the digital age with its format of short lectures featuring popular themes