Whitefish TEDx explores 'Last Best Place'

It’s touted as a “meeting of the minds” — an event that will spark thoughtful dialogue to benefit the community.

Whitefish will play host Jan. 16 to a highly anticipated TEDx event at the Performing Arts Center. Expect inspiring presentations and vibrant conversation, says TEDx Whitefish executive director Dan Vogel.

The nonprofit TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, and Design, and is devoted sharing ideas on everything from business and science to entertainment and technology.

The first TED conference was held in 1984 in Monterey, Calif., and has since blossomed into an online database of 18-minute presentations aimed at changing “attitudes, lives and ultimately, the world.” Their tagline is “riveting talks by remarkable people.”

TEDx events were created to bring the conversation to the local level.

The 14 speakers invited to TEDx Whitefish will focus on the topic “Defining the Last Best Place.”

“In Whitefish, the spirit of the new frontier is alive and well,” said TEDx Whitefish founder Cassandra Sunell. “It’s up to us to use the community lens of technology, entertainment and design to define the Last Best Place — to create a sustainable community while being able to enjoy our great passion for the outdoors.”

Vogel says the TEDx presentations will inspire the audience to speak up and ultimately take action.

“We want dialogue,” he said. “We want an audience we can’t control.”

“When you leave the event we want everyone to talk about what they’ve seen. We are creating a discussion point in Whitefish.”

The idea to bring TEDx to Whitefish began over late-night conversations at the Stillwater Fish House, a restaurant Vogel helped launch and where Sunell is a server.

“We have a tight crew there,” Vogel said. “At the end of the evening we’d have these deep conversations.”

Occasionally they’d gather around and watch a TED talk online.

“We talked about responsibility and how we are going to create the community we love today for our kids.”

Sunell was inspired to bring TEDx to Whitefish after attending a similar event in Bozeman.

A team of nine young entrepreneurs is organizing the Whitefish event from an office below the Quickees restaurant.

Vogel says he’s the “old man” of the group by a long shot.

“It’s inspiring to work with this group of young people,” he said. “These 20- and 30-somethings are out there impacting the world they are going to live in.”

Vogel says TEDx is “progressive, not liberal or conservative.”

“We’re going to stimulate and foster a conversation without the baggage of politics.”

Only 100 coveted seats were made available for the live show, with tickets selling out less than a week after going on sale. Nearly 40 percent of tickets were sold within the first three hours.

While seating at the live show is limited, TEDx Whitefish will be made available for free with a live webcast online.

The list of speakers is currently being finalized. Those already scheduled include writers for TheMinimalists.com, Red Ants Pants founder Sarah Calhoun, Rabbi Allen Secher, and artist Lexi Sundell.

To learn more visit online at www.tedxwhitefish.com.