In 2009 my CEO, Lou Schwartz, called me about helping out a friend who was forming a new TEDx event, TEDxPeachtree, in Atlanta, Georgia. He asked if I would donate some time to the event to help them with live streaming, and I happily agreed. I was a big fan of the TED organization, and was excited to be on the front lines of a local event with the same spirit.
The first year was a huge success, with thousands of viewers joining the webcast from dozens of countries around the world. During the event, I would print out viewer and geographic location summaries, which would make its way to the MC of the event. She would welcome viewers from the countries that had joined: “We want to personally welcome France, England and Spain to our broadcast!” The event management team and presenters were excited to see the resulting viewership numbers, which we provided to the larger TED organization post-event.
From 2010 through 2015 I lugged my PC to the events and streamed it live over several platforms, including YouTube and Livestream, at no charge. I reached out to other local TEDx organizations, and ended up providing steaming services to TEDxHuntsville in Alabama. The experience never disappointed; I was able to meet an incredible number of business owners and well-respected business leaders from the community, and absolutely enjoyed each event. I moved away from Atlanta in 2016, and turned over the live streaming services to a great friend who continues to provide his assistance today.
