If you've never heard of TED, it's a small non-profit with the vision of "Ideas Worth Spreading." It includes an educational series that started back in the 80's with the intent to expand discussions within Technology, Entertainment and Design, and has since grown to include other topics. You can see videos of the international discussions here. Over the past year, TED has created TEDx, which is the prefix for community-based conferences.
I had been traveling the week before the first TEDxHouston slated for June 2010, and quite frankly I had forgotten to apply to attend until my PR gal-pal, Aimee Woodall of The Blacksheep Agency, sent me a friendly reminder. She also needed some volunteer "actors" the morning of the event to welcome attendees.
If you didn't get to experience the crazy antics The Black Sheep Agency used to tie into the event, let me try to explain...
Volunteers were asked to act as protestors. Our disdain: G.A.S., or General Apathy Syndrome. The antidote: TEDxHouston. This seemed the perfect intro to the TEDxHouston attendees interested in improving their community, and who were new to the live TED experience. The protesters directed attendees to see the "doctors" 
who could administer the antidote: a sticker indicating the greek delta symbol for change along with educational material about eliminating that pesky G.A.S.
We all noticed that some people tried to avoid us by walking another route to the entrance. No dice, everyone was educated on the implications of G.A.S. The protest was taken literally by some folks until they actually read and listened to the light-hearted yet relevant signs and rants.
This mock "confrontational" approach that welcomed attendees was the perfect tie-in for the topic of the day: Expanding Perceptions. You never know what's in front of you until you stop and observe.
Photos courtesy of Paul Viscontini of The Loop Scoop
