Why Companies Should Use Internal TEDx Conferences to Drive Innovation

Big brands and companies that are constantly in the media and the news or that make an appearance on the Fortune 500 list are inspiring to smaller, younger businesses. Of course, annual revenue, sales, and the number of shareholders all play a role in building a “big brand”; however, there is one small fundamental element that also makes a big impact: and that’s innovation.

Despite popular belief, brands don’t have to be a tech company to be innovative. Here is a comprehensive list of the most innovative companies in the world. Achieving a level of innovation begins at the core of every successful company and brand. In fact, companies that struggle with being innovative not only lose out on building a diverse customer base, they also lose out on future opportunities to do something truly different. As a result, they often lose out to the competition.

How do companies today achieve innovation in their own organizations? One of the most effective and powerful ways to do this is through internal TEDx conferences. A TEDx conference has proven to spark creativity, conversation—two crucial drivers of innovation in any organization, and help companies accelerate growth.

What exactly is a TEDx conference? Read on to learn more about TEDx conferences as well as how you can leverage them in your own organization to help drive inspiration.

What is a TEDx Conference?

The TEDx Program is designed to help organizations of any shape, size or scope and individuals spark meaningful, thought-provoking conversation and form crucial connections with their teams, colleagues, and even within their own communities.

The original TEDx mission was to spark “ideas worth spreading.” TEDx conferences are designed to support organizations and/ or individuals who want to spearhead and host a TED-like event in their own organization or community.

Most TEDx events involve a number of relevant TED Talks videos and also lectures from live presenters. The goal behind TEDx talks and conferences is to light the proverbial fire of passion, creativity, inspiration and innovation to start game-changing conversations and create long-term connections.

Employees can help organize TEDx conferences in their own organizations to help share ideas that relate to the core company mission and values. Organizations can obtain and TEDx Business License in order to share best practices from other TEDx events worldwide, event recordings, and even host their own internal TEDx conferences.

How Can a TEDx Conference Help My Organization?

So, how exactly can a TEDx conference help your own organization? Here are some crucial takeaway elements from common TEDx conferences that can truly make a difference for any business or enterprise:

1. Foresight

In today’s fast-paced, ever-changing digitally dominant business world, it can be easy for employees and businesses to get caught up in “the day to day”. It is easy for employees to surround themselves in the daily projects and tasks, focusing solely on getting them done. As a result, employees that are consumed with never-ending workloads or who are over-tasked often lose sight of the overall value of their projects.

However, a TEDx conference will remind employees and team members of the value behind projects as well as encourage forward-thinking. When employees are reminded of how their projects contribute to the greater good, or make a difference in peoples’ lives, then they will feel more inclined to look at their projects with foresight.

Forward-thinking employees will then feel compelled to tackle projects in a different way, which can accelerate company growth in a particular market sector.

2. Inspiration

Another crucial takeaway from any TEDx conference is inspiration. When employees and team members feel inspired by an encouraging and empowering TEDx conference, they suddenly feel inspired to do good, perform better or to make a positive change. In fact, inspiration is a one of the most important elements to any successful project.

When employees feel inspired, this is when they do their best work. Increased productivity can often spark creativity, both of which can lead to better performance all around.

3. Communication

Communication is one of the fundamental elements of any relationship (both personal and professional). When employees and teams feel inspired, they naturally want to have conversations around a particular concept, idea or process. Employees and teams that practice and display excellent communication—whether internally or externally—immediately opens up many new doors for new opportunities.

TEDx conferences are great conversation starters. They help spark thought leadership and also encourage internal discussions. These open discussions then lead to new ideas.

4. Innovation

As mentioned briefly above, innovation is key to driving a business forward. However, innovation isn’t solely about forming new ideas, new concepts or even new discoveries; it’s also about finding new ways to do things.

The basis of innovation really begins with the power to create or to build something new. TEDx conferences are a great way to do just that. By encouraging thought-provoking conversations, TEDx conferences give businesses and their teams a chance to talk through processes, which can inevitably lead to asking questions like: “Why do we do it this way?” or “Is there a better way?”

These questions, among many others, can lead to a higher level of innovation. All in all, creativity and increased work and productivity results in higher innovation.

Opportunities for Achieving Innovation Await Every Business

In summary, more and more businesses and companies all over the globe are working to achieve innovation to drive their businesses forward. However, innovation isn’t something that you suddenly wake up with one morning, or that you experience by drinking insane amounts of coffee. Rather, innovation is achieved by sparking and encouraging foresight, communication, and inspiration—all of which are essential to driving innovation to do something different and to make a difference.

However, as mentioned above, innovation doesn’t mean your business has to become the next Google or Facebook, nor does it mean going viral via digital media publications and channels. In many cases, it is the small, quiet companies that often achieve the greatest innovation and make the biggest impacts.

TEDx conferences are the best places to start, but they are only a start. After a TEDx conference, the action lies within the organization to learn from it, and make a difference.

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Filiberto Amati worked for 15 years in various international firms (e.g. P&G, Philips, Campari and Auberon Growth Consultants) before founding Amati and Associates an international growth advisory boutique based in Warsaw, Poland. Filiberto assists his clients in challenges related to branding, innovation and international expansion. He tweets from @filibertoamati.