The uncertainties and risks of a potential community spread of COVID-19 in Wellington are stimulating unique challenges for TEDxPipitea 2021, and we are up to it.

TEDxPipitea 2021 was designed to withstand the rigours of a COVID-19 environment. The ongoing developments are encouraging us to put on our number 8 wire attitude and display some creative leadership on how we can continue to offer a world-class TEDx experience amidst the uncertainties.

With the government's strategy pivoting from elimination to suppression, it's now probable that the COVID-19 Delta variant may travel South of the Auckland border. As the health and the safety of our speakers, guests, and the public is our utmost priority, we take this seriously and have decided to proceed with caution.

On that basis, we’re making a pivot of our own, and have decided to host TEDxPipitea 2021 as a free to all, livestreamed event. This means that on the 14th of November, our TEDx talks will be broadcasted across all the major platforms to a virtual audience, hosted live by our excellent MC (and past TEDxWellington speaker) Jase Te Patu. All existing ticketholders will receive a full refund of the ticket price, with the added bonus of now being able to access our world class content for free! We’re here to spread ideas, not viruses.

While postponement was an option for us (and is part of our L3 + L4 COVID-19 contingency plan), our incredible speakers have already had to endure one event cancellation and we simply don’t want to put them through this again. As much as we’d like to, we simply can not predict the future, and therefore have no certainty of exactly when an in-person event might again be practical. A live streamed event ensures we deliver on our commitment to our speakers / performers, and guarantees their ideas worth spreading are shared with the public.

Hosting a Live speaker event and Watch Party with a public audience was our dream scenario. Like so many other local event organisers, we’re gutted that an in-person public event is no longer viable, and we empathise with our supporters and ticket holders. We are extremely grateful for the love and support we’ve received from our speakers, delegates, sponsors, partners, volunteers, and all those who are involved in some shape or form, in making this crucial decision - all were consulted prior to determining our approach, as part of a collective decision making process with our community’s best interests in mind.

So TEDxPipitea 2021 forges ahead, albeit with a slightly different offer! It’s been an amazing experience organising an event within this climate, and we are determined to see it through to show that it can be done.

“Since the beginning of embarking on this experience, we’ve had resilience, perseverance, and creativity central to our kaupapa. We always knew that we might need to adapt our event format at the last minute, and are now confidently moving forwards with our ‘Delta pivot’ strategy. The show must go on, and we are thrilled to be sharing these amazing TEDx speakers and performers with the public”, comments our TEDxPipitea Licensee, Alex Matthews.

As we will refund all our ticket holders and forgo our ticketing revenue, we are grateful for the support and empowerment imparted by our sponsors to make the new reality of TEDxPipitea 2021 happen. Our special thanks go out to our venue partners, Greater Wellington Regional Council and two/fiftyseven, our Principal sponsor, Dinosaur Polo Club and our National sponsor, Tourism New Zealand. These partnerships exemplify the collaborative capital TEDxPipitea creates within the region and beyond.

A warm appreciation is also extended to Jumpshift, Cognoscente Wine Workshop, Invisible Wine Agency, Dragonfly Data Science, Xequals Code & Creative, Obvious Marketing & Brand Partners, The Lab, Six Barrel Soda, Almighty Juices, Streamliner, PwC, and Shout Media. The ongoing support and energy devoted by these partners are immense.

Hope is the act of defiance in the face of adversity. These challenging times inspire us to be more creative, confident and come together as a community for the betterment of all. We hope, from the bottom of our hearts, that you will continue to be part of our TEDxPipitea journey.

For more information on the whole TEDxPipitea 2021 experience, please visit our website and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

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