With the date officially set for October 18, TEDxPennQuarter 2011 planning is in full swing! This year’s event will remain in the Penn Quarter neighborhood of Washington, DC, however we have moved it just up the street to the Woolly Mammoth Theater Company. This contemporary and eclectic venue provides the perfect backdrop to a day-long TEDx event. We will occupy the theater space for our exciting TEDxTalks and utilize their classroom spaces to house our signature Innovation Lounge. Breakfast and lunch will be provided and tables will be setup throughout the common areas for meals, session breaks, and networking opportunities.

After the overwhelming success of last year’s event and the incredible content that was developed, we decided to keep the theme: REINVENTINGx. Our goal in hosting TEDxPennQuarter is to cultivate innovation. As one of our favorite authors and TEDster, Malcom Gladwell pointed out during a recent interview on NPR; we often think of innovators as people with new ideas but more often, innovation comes from a new take on an old idea.

We couldn’t agree more. Also, a broad theme such as reinvention gives us the ability to host an array of diverse speakers and allows them to dig deep into their various topics. Our hope is to continue to build on this theme in every subject imaginable and create an archive of visionary inspiration on our website. We are currently accepting applications for 2011 speakers and encourage anyone with fascinating stories or ideas on this theme to apply.

We are also looking for additional sponsorships, as well as accepting applications to demo in the Innovation Lounge. If you have creative product or service you would like to showcase, please contact us.

Stay tuned to learn more about the event as it develops. We will begin posting information about our speakers, presentations, sponsors, and Innovation Lounge as it becomes available here, as well as Facebook and Twitter. Registration will open in the coming weeks. Discounts for 2010 attendees and Early Bird rates will be available. We are looking forward to another incredible event this year and hope you will come be a part of it!