Ryan Lash/TED
TED 2019 speaker Brittany Packnett.
- The annual TED conference lasts for five days in Vancouver, Canada.
- The event features a veritable who's-who of celebrities, tech moguls, and executives looking for a front-row seat to the next big idea.
- I attended this year and got an inside look at the conference's debut technologies, luxury swag, and decadent meals.
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Over the past 35 years, the TED conference has evolved from an idea-making machine to a global platform for the world's most sought-after speakers.
Recent alumni include SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, CBS News co-anchor Gayle King, tennis pro Serena Williams, former vice president Al Gore, singer John Legend, and many more.
This year's lineup is no exception, with Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and comedian Hannah Gadsby making an appearance.
As the conference has grown, so too has the grandeur of the event itself. A standard ticket costs $10,000 and grants people access to indulgent meals, workshops, free gift bags, and first-time technological experiences that haven't been released to the public.
I was fortunate enough this year to attend for all five days in April. From the moment I stepped foot in the conference center in Vancouver, Canada, I was transfixed by the opulence of the venue - which has been no match for the bold ideas that the conference is bringing to life. Here's what it's like inside TED 2019.