English
** Recently Johnna Slaby shared some photos and impressions from one of the TEDxKyoto volunteer meetings:
Where in the event do you see yourself volunteering? Where do you want to be?
Those were the questions posed and I saw this as the main focus for the people that attended this previous meeting in the city of Kyoto.
Everyone seemed excited and had so many questions about the upcoming event. With all of the creativity in the group and with so many talented people, choosing just one area to volunteer can be hard.
In the beginning, we started with an ice breaker exercise so people could find out about the rest of the people in the group. We wanted those who would be participating with TEDxKyoto for the first time to feel at home. Throughout the meeting everyone was taking notes and exchanging business cards. With the smiles and laughter, it was not hard to tell that everyone was excited about contributing.
The Team Leaders explained and went through last year’s event and the work that went into it. While the many groups seemed different, they all connected together. As with this year, months prior the event, the Communications Team and Curation Team were getting ready for the TEDxKyoto day, doing tasks such as advertising and bio writing for the speakers. The Operations Team and the Show Team work together on that day — balancing both the volunteers and the audience. It’s all different, but is hard for one to co-exist without the other. That is why we are so happy to have had so many participate, in previous years and this year as well.
Toward the end of the meeting, we had volunteers come up and write ideas on the whiteboard about the things that they want to do in the future or words of encouragement to themselves and to the team. It made me think that while we are all preparing for this event and trying to find the places we belong, TEDx also reflects the challenges and questions that are present in our everyday lives. Where should I go? Where can my abilities be used to their fullest? How can I help those around me and myself lead the best and happiest lives? I felt that at the end of the meeting, we were not only finding out more about the event, but also discovering new parts of
ourselves. That is something incredible that we can all take away from this experience.
