In attempting to bring together my thoughts on being a part of the committee for TEDxOntarioEd, I kept coming back to something that Graham Whisen said at the afterparty - that, for him, TEDxOntarioEd was all about connecting with people. I couldn't agree more.

(photo by aforgrave)

My entrance into this story is thanks to Ben Hazzard, who sent me a brief email last fall asking if I could do the set design for TEDxOntarioEd. I jumped at the opportunity, and came out of our first planning meeting a little nervous and a lot excited about the undertaking. Over the next several months, the team connected for formal meetings through Skype and informally through Twitter. A face to face meeting in January allowed me to finally meet Rodd Lucier, but uncooperative weather meant that our team was still scattered around the province. So last Thursday, only 24 hours before the actual event, I met Jamie Weir and Kim McGill in person for the first time. And even though he was integral to the success of the event, I have yet to meet Colin Jagoe in person. Despite the geographical hurdles, the team pulled together and spent many hours planning, trouble-shooting, and laughing together. I've been a long time believer in the power of relationships forged online, and the TEDxOntarioEd committee was no exception. The connections we made were key in making the event a success. I look forward to another opportunity to work with this amazing team.

In the hectic lead up to the event, I didn't stop to consider the fact that the connections of the team would be only a small part of the story. As I photographed the speakers from atop a table at the back of the room, I was amazed at the number of audience members who were bringing those who couldn't attend the event in person into the room. Over 800 people from around the world watched at least part of the event on Livestream, and many of those were talking about the ideas via Twitter. The feed that ran on-screen during the break was evidence of the connection between those attending in person and those attending online. Many introductions at the break started with, "I know you!" as people recognized each other from their Twitter photos. At the afterparty, I had the pleasure of connecting with Graham, Kelly Power, Matt Walkinshaw, Kathy Hibbert and many others. Sharing our thoughts about the event and getting to know the people behind those Twitter photos was as valuable as the event itself.

But the most powerful connection of the evening happened because of Tim, the student who was asked to close out the evening. On his second slide, Tim froze. As he stood on stage trying to regain his train of thought, his connection with the room was palpable. Everyone in attendance was with him in that moment, silently cheering for him, willing him to go on. And he did, magnificently. While all of the speakers were powerful and engaging, Tim created a connection with the audience that couldn't be duplicated. Everyone there wanted him to succeed, and the connection that was made in that brief time made his message sink in even more deeply than it would have otherwise. That connection, living that nervous moment with him, made us all want to do the right thing for him and for all the students he spoke for.

TEDxOntarioEd was a fantastic chance to bring a group of like-minded educators together to hear big ideas from fantastic speakers. But, for me and for many others, it was the chance to make these connections that made TEDxOntarioEd a rewarding event.