City to have new intellectual outlet with TEDxWagga Wagga

Adam Bannister will be organising this independent version of the internationally renowned TED events, and he hopes it will bring all of the interesting people and ideas Wagga has to offer to a global audience.

"TEDxWagga Wagga is entirely volunteer run and it's entirely not-for-profit. So it's a real community effort to really give a global stage to really good ideas coming out of the region," he said.

A TEDx event showcases thinkers, raconteurs, artists and performers with the aim to challenge and provoke ideas.

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Which is tailor made for Wagga, Mr Bannister said.

"What's not acknowledged ... is the sheer diversity within Wagga. And I think what's going to surprise people about this event is the fact that it's not all going to be about agriculture. It's not all going to be about country living," he said.

"There's also philosophers and artists and stuff here that are going to come out of the woodwork and are going to really surprise people, which is really what TEDx is about."

There will be eight speakers who will all be Riverina based and the curation of the event will focus on new ideas.

"A good TEDx talk is an idea that challenges an assumption or it is framing an argument in a new way that's not been heard before," he said.

"Part of the process of finding a good speaker isn't to find a good speaker, it's to find a good idea. And then coax a good story out of them."

The timing of the event is ripe for a city that has matured and is ready to compete with cities nationwide.

"It brings recognition that the place is ready to stretch its wings on the global stage," he said.

"And it sings to the maturity of the population, the maturity of the ideas that are here ... if you can sustainably, and at a suitable quality, put on an event like this it just means that you know you're up there competing with everyone else in the world.

"It's going to be a very deep and very meaningful event, because it's going to introduce people to what Wagga is really about, which is a bit more than I think a lot of people see it, especially nationally."

Mr Bannister said applications for speakers will open soon, but his team are on the search for volunteers to help run the event.

The event will be held on November 18, 2023, at the CSU Riverina Playhouse.

For the latest information and to apply to volunteer, head to the TedxWaggaWagga website.

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