For the second edition of TEDxUtrecht, Dutch Portfolio was Editorial Partner. In this edition of TEDx we were responsible for all the online and offline communication about the event: web, PR, social media and the sponsorship and programme booklets.
About TED
TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) is a non-profit organisation devoted to spreading ideas, usually in the form of short, powerful talks (18 minutes or less). TED began in 1984 in the US as a conference and is now known as the platform for creative and innovative ideas.
In addition to the annual TED conferences, local groups organise other independent events named TEDx. Just like the TEDx in Utrecht.
Late 2012 the first TEDxUtrecht edition with the theme ‘Full Creative Potential’ was organised. At April 17th 2014 the second edition with the theme ‘Behave’ took place.
The project
On behalf of Dutch Portfolio Maria Ignatovich was team captain communications of TEDxUtrecht. It was her job to manage, plan and lead the communication regarding this TEDx event.
For an event that’s attended by 1000 guests it’s important that the communication is structured and clear. The entire marketing and communication team consisted of 10 people. Within the team Maria was supported by her Dutch Portfolio colleague Ellen. She was responsible for the research and maintained the social media.
For the design and development we worked closely with creative partners Dietwee and Rhinofly. There was also a large team of volunteers involved with the organisation of the TEDxUtrecht event.
Managing the external communication was a versatile task in which we could use all our context skills:
— social media management (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest)
— online writing, creation & editing
— mailings
— outdoor advertising
— delivering content for the programme
— PR for the promotion of the event
Almost all communication was in English (US).
Website & social media
While developing the website Dutch Portfolio was the link between the design and development agency. Because the website wasn’t build in a CMS we had to work with weekly briefings. This led to an intensive collaboration between different agencies.
Social media played a significant role in creating a buzz around the event and the registration for the ticket sale. Prior to April 17th the event is frequently promoted on social media. During the event itself there were live reports and #TEDXUtrecht became trending topic on Twitter.
At Facebook the main focus were messages that linked to the theme, extra information about the speakers and the latest information about the event. For the communication at Twitter we focussed on the interaction with guests and speakers. Pinterest was used to support these networks with inspirational quotes, team introductions and behind-the-scene photos.
Programme
One of the larger tasks within the communication was creating the programme. For al the 18 national and international speakers we composed a profile that consisted a biography, photo and links to their social media. And in addition there were editorial pages about the BEHAVE theme. We also edited the content delivered from third parties.
Eventually we determined together with the designers of Dietwee the layout of the programme. We decided to keep the same format and layout as the programme of the first edition and only replace the content. 1000 booklets are distributed during TEDxUtrecht 2014.
The result
The active approach was a great success: 350 new Facebook likes, 300 new followers on Twitter and national trending topic at April 17th. We can look back on a great experience and a successful event.
Want to see more projects? Follow us on Behance and take a look at our website.
