Here's to the Crazy ones.

This article was in line to get published by one of the main UAE papers, but then it was put on hold, then ready to  print, then on hold again. As a true new media guys I love the fact that when it comes to on line, to publish your thoughts all you need to do is press a button. ( and you can also embed links !)

So, here we go :

Here’s to the crazy ones

"Here’s to the crazy ones." This is the opening line from Apple’s Think Different marketing campaign back in 1997. For the last five years, this line has been on a poster in my Dubai office. It constantly reminds me that dreaming big is possible - and that you should never give up when you believe you are doing the right thing. This is why I believed in and conceived TEDx Dubai. with fellow James Piecowye.

TED – Technology, Entertainment and Design – is a non-profit conference that assembles three times a year, gathering world class speakers and forward thinkers who believe that positive change is possible. It's all about innovative ideas worth sharing; a simple concept underscored with profound meaning. Al Gore’s Global Warming campaign started out as a TED Talk which then launched his documentary; Bill Gates unleashed a swarm of mosquitoes into the crowd at TED this year promoting his anti malaria campaign, whilst Karen Armstrong featured the Charter of Compassion which inspires people to think differently about religion and is one of the most viewed TED Talks. This Charter is now a collaborative global project endorsed by authorities from all over the world. As part of TED's concept of exchanging information freely, all conference speeches (TED Talks) are made available for free on its website and then downloaded - over 15 million worldwide have watched them to date.

TEDx Dubai is a one-day, independently organized event with the mission of bringing people together to share experiences locally. I am a big fan of TED.com and have taken a life-long interest in the latest creative content production technologies – an area I work in today. It’s easy to appreciate why TEDx, the independent licensed version of TED.com, struck me immediately as the definitive natural synergy for Dubai.  I approached my fellow organizer, James Piecowye, to help make the dream into a reality and he rose to the challenge immediately. From its conception we held to a few clear maxims: firstly to give the stage to a selection of amazing people living and working in Dubai and MENA Region. We also intended to produce a conference where attendees are selected on what they do and aspire to rather than who they are. Furthermore, we wanted TEDx Dubai to be free of charge and by invitation only (we could only accommodate up to 1,000 delegates as per TEDx Policy).

Yet if you attempt to organize a conference in 70 days in Dubai (with Ramadan and Eid featuring prominently in the middle) solely through barter deals, the least you can expect are incredulous reactions and disbelief with people literally asking us if we were insane.  The fact that TEDx Dubai took place with world-class as well as locally-based speakers and eight high-definition cameras recording it, is firm proof that we've succeeded.
TEDx Dubai worked out not because James or I are particularly adept at event management. TEDx Dubai became a reality because of the support of many Dubai residents who are also TED fans. They believed in the project and were immediately ready to help out in every way they  could.
This introduces an original concept in Dubai’s world of all-day conferences: free. Countless people ‘advised’ us to charge an entry fee and to accept only cash from sponsors. They also insisted that it was unheard of not to consider a Return on Investment.  
What many old school Dubai resident advisors refused to accept was that the value of being associated with an event like TEDx Dubai goes beyond mere money – it’s bigger than all of its constituent components combined. Is it possible to quantify the Return on Investment of a movement that seeks to make the word a better place?
At the TED level, Michelle Obama, Bill Gates, Stephen Hawking, Bono, Isabelle Allende, Bill Clinton and many more endorse the power of innovative thinking. The concept goes far beyond money. In Dubai, we were very lucky to encounter companies that immediately understood the value of being part of TEDx Dubai. All lead and main sponsors immediately bought into the idea offering more than their products and services to advance the project. Without their full support, TEDx Dubai would not have happened.

We did lift many an eyebrow when we announced that there were no tickets on sale and that the only way to get in the conference was to fill out an online form and explain to us why you should attend. This is fairly innovative in a context where you can pretty much buy anything needed or obtain it through people you know. TEDx Dubai is a different ball game because one attends for inspiration – not to be seen by others.

On the day of the event it was unclear to most how it would pan out. Many thought that if the event was on a Saturday starting fairly early at 9.30am, few would attend. This proved unfounded. The 1000 delegates and all volunteers were on time if not early. The electricity in the air was palpable, speakers were super excited and all present had a clear feeling that we were stepping into the light of something memorable.

All speakers delivered with amazing passion. The crowd reacted with incredible excitement and returned home inspired and ready to change the world in their own way. Backstage the international speakers told us that ‘it feels like TED, the real one’. Bruno Giussani, TED Director Europe joined us as a speaker and congratulated us repeatedly - ’you are all crazy; you created perhaps the best TEDx event so far’ (of the 120 globally to date).

The post event reactions have been really overwhelming. A simple search for TEDx Dubai through Twitter, Google or  Technorati ( the search engine for Blogs ) will give you a taste of the comments; we were not alone and a vast number of UAE residents shared our exact dreams and expectations.
Global tech wizard Leo Laporte will report about Dubai in his broadcasts. He was truly amazed by the creative energy and humanity of the local and expat communities – for him his perception of the Middle East and Arab culture has been completely revolutionized.

The caliber of our locally based speakers will be even more evident to the outer world the moment we start publishing the recordings of the speeches on the  official TEDx Dubai YouTube Channel.

If you could not attend the conference in person you will be able to see in action Paul Bennett from IDEO next to the 13 years old Emirati girl called Dubai, Leo Laporte next to Mohammed Saeed Harib from the Freej, Joichi Ito CEO of Creative Commons next to Khulood Al Atiyat from the Sheikh Mohammed Center for Cultural Understanding. It was a true celebration of ideas, exchange and inspiration.

Yet TEDx Dubai does not stop here. We hope it can ignite a spark that initiates something bigger, something we have been waiting for a long time. On my own part and that of my co-organizers we are planning other TEDx Dubai meet ups to continue the conversations begun at the Palladium.
As a resident of the UAE, I truly believe we are now experiencing a big shift in our society; the unity of our complexity once focused exclusively on how to achieve the maximum in the minimum amount of time. Now, it is becoming a distinctive advantage over other communities which don't sport such a variety of thinkers from all over the globe.

I really see Dubai as an icon for innovation. We’ve associated it with metropolitan infrastructures and the impossible becoming possible. Now is the time to exploit the amazing combination of the talents, cultures and dreams here. The theme of this year's opening TEDx Dubai is: Dream Do Be. It’s a gathering of people pursuing dreams, doers in the process of achieving their visions and those already living their own who can meet, discuss and listen to remarkable speakers and exchange their ideas worth spreading.

Here’s to the crazy ones..

Giorgio Ungania co-curator of TEDxDubai and Head of Commercial Services for SAE International