Tedx Returns to Ocala!

Mark your calendars for November 5th, at The Ocala Civic Theater, as the TEDx program returns to Ocala for its second year. This year’s theme is “Cultivating Imagination”, and Manal Fakhoury, the head organizer for the Ocala program, expects it to be a wonderful reflection of last year’s program. Fakhoury has 11 speakers coming for the program, which is one more than last year, and ticket quantities have gone up from 100 to 300! This growth resulted from Fakhoury upgrading TEDxOcala‘s license through a training session in Banff, Alberta.

TED is a nonprofit organization that began in 1984, with the motto “Ideas Worth Spreading.” TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, and Design. The added “x” to the back of TED identifies to the licensed events that are organized within local communities. This organization is dedicated to sharing ideas, and through the TEDxOcala program, they plan on doing just that!

After discovering the organization, Fakhoury was determined to bring it to Ocala. “I’m a longtime learner. I believe in personal development. It speaks to my own heart. When I read about what ideas were spreading, I loved that they were open-minded, that they allow you to think differently perhaps,” said Manal Fakhoury.

At the first annual TEDxOcala event, one of the sessions, “The Secret of Becoming Mentally Strong”, was posted on YouTube and it is close to reaching 1 million views! Considering that it was the first year for the event, and how small Ocala is compared to other large cities in Florida, it is great that the TEDxOcala program is gaining a lot of attention. This year, the program is sure to be exciting and draw a large crowd. TEDxOcala will be held at The Ocala Civic Theatre located at 4337 E. Silver Springs Blvd.

To learn more about the event, including a list of speakers, and to purchase tickets visit www.tedxocala.com.