Sunday 17 / November / 2024
Muscat: The independently organised TEDx event happening in Muscat on November 11 at the National Museum has seen over 200 people apply for the limited 100 seats granted via the TEDxQurum license.
On September 15, 2017, TEDxQurum launched its online audience application portal. Since the online launch, TEDxQurum has been inundated with applications. Audience members are chosen through an anonymous system that allowed the committee to choose based solely on prospective audience answers to the questionnaire.
“Everyone knows everyone in Muscat, so it was essential to screen the applications without knowing who they belong to. We want the process to be as fair and unbiased as possible,” stated Amr Salah, Audience Management team lead.
The application was deemed by many following the TEDxQurum social media accounts to be the most interesting questionnaire they had filled out. Open-ended questions ranging from, ‘What wakes you up in the morning?’ to ‘Inspire Innovation = ’, are just a sampling of the engagement the team sought with prospective audience members.
“While perusing a few of the applications, I was amazed by the answers. This questionnaire is the beginning of our immersion process: sharing of ideas by applicants and the infusion of imagination, hopefully leading to ripples of innovation after the event. Our aim is to excite the audience through the entire process: pre-event, during the event, and post-event,” added Nasreen Khalid, Lead Curator of TEDxQurum.
In addition to the numerous audience applications, TEDxQurum has been fortunate to have 25 companies and educational institutions sign on to be Partners. Al Sahwa School, The Sultan’s School and Our Planet International School are all educational partners. Students from these schools, as well as ABA, have donated Omani infused artwork that will be displayed at the National Museum. Other students have been chosen to participate as volunteers on event day.
Partners have become an integral part of the success of TEDxQurum. Companies such as Siemens, the leading innovation and technology company, Trifoil/Tafani, Ireland House, ASM Technologies, Eshraqa, Nine68, Kaiser Design, Modern Technology Explorer, Muscat University and Shuram Tourism, have all becomes Partners-in-Kind, giving the TEDxQurum team access to technology, supplies, consulting, human resources and unlimited support.
“Building on our decades of presence in the region, we have specifically focused on developing the talents pipeline,” said Markus Strohmeier, CEO of Siemens in Oman. “We believe that TEDxQurum is an opportunity to inspire the next generation of Omani youth by discussing the topics that are critical to the Sultanate’s future such as, disruptive technologies; digital solutions and entrepreneurship among other topics. As a leading technology and innovation company, we will continue to support similar programmes, aimed at creating thriving innovation ecosystems and promote local capacity building.”
Bank Muscat and Siemens are the exclusive Titanium partners, while Shaleem Petroleum, Renaissance Services, Local Line, Omantel and Newrest Wacasco have come on board as Platinum partners.
“Our partners solidify the TEDxQurum efforts to infuse imagination and inspire innovation. Without them there would be no ripple effect,” stated Lama Samman, co-lead organiser.
