New TED Live Membership Offers "Virtual Seats" at Both Conferences

NEW YORK, December 14, 2011 -

- 24 TED eBooks & Amazon Kindle Fire Included

Today TED launches TED Live, a year-long membership that offers individuals, schools and small businesses remote access to TED, including “virtual seats” at both the TED and TED Global conferences.

“TEDsters have asked us for a convenient and affordable way to enjoy TED all year long. By watching both conferences at their home, work or office; receiving a TED Book twice a month for a year, delivered automatically to one of this season’s hottest items, the Kindle Fire; and getting private access to the TED Live community, members will enjoy exclusive access to TED all year round,” said Tom Rielly, TED’s community director. “And for some, it makes a pretty great holiday gift.”

The membership is available for individuals and primary/secondary schools at $995 a year, and for colleges, universities and small businesses at $2,500 a year.  Both options include:

1. Live webcast of TED  and TEDGlobal  Conferences
   Virtual seats at TED’s flagship conferences from anywhere in the world. Individual/home members can view the conferences with up to 10 people, and schools and businesses up to 50.
2. Year-Round TED Live Online Community
   Dedicated TED Live chat rooms for TED Live community during each conference; exclusive content, inside access and live reporting from on-site TED Live liaison, bringing TED Live voices into the physical conferences; year-round access to an exclusive Facebook group and TED.com messaging features.
3. Kindle Fire + TED Books Subscription*
   Amazon’s New Kindle Fire 7″ color tablet plus a one-year subscription to TED Books (twice a month or approximately 24 books) - short eBooks by TED speakers and Fellows that elaborate on powerful ideas from their TEDTalks. Authors include Nic Marks, Gever Tulley, Juan Enriquez & Steve Gullans, Cindy Gallop, and Graham Hill. TED Books will be automatically delivered to the member’s Kindle Fire or other Kindle device or software. The Kindle Fire also supports watching TEDTalks, acclaimed videos of the conferences’ amazing luminaries, as well as other books, music, video, apps and web browsing. (1 per membership)

Unlike previous TED virtual memberships available only for one conference, TED Live may be purchased any day of the year, and members will enjoy access to the next TED and TED Global.

*Due to tax regulations, TED is unable to automatically push TED Books to Kindle devices outside the U.S. It will, however, make it easy for members to get them for free. Also, the Kindle Fire may not yet be launched in all countries; if so, TED will substitute another item of equal value.

For details and to become a member, interested individuals and groups may visit: www.TED.com/TEDLive.

About TED

TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. Started as a four-day conference in California 25 years ago, TED has grown to support those world-changing ideas with multiple initiatives. The annual TED Conference invites the world’s leading thinkers and doers to speak for 18 minutes. Their talks are then made available, free, at TED.com. TED speakers have included Bill Gates, Al Gore, Jane Goodall, Elizabeth Gilbert, Sir Richard Branson, Nandan Nilekani, Philippe Starck, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Isabel Allende and former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown. The annual TED Conference takes place each spring in Long Beach, California, along with the TEDActive simulcast in Palm Springs; TEDGlobal is held each summer in Edinburgh, Scotland.

TED’s media initiatives include TED.com, where new TEDTalks are posted daily, and the Open Translation Project, which provides subtitles and interactive transcripts as well as the ability for any TEDTalk to be translated by volunteers worldwide. TED has established the annual TED Prize, where exceptional individuals with a wish to change the world are given the opportunity to put their wishes into action; TEDx, which offers individuals or groups a way to host local, self-organized events around the world; the upcoming TED-Ed initiative; and the TED Fellows program, helping world-changing innovators from around the globe to become part of the TED community and, with its help, amplify the impact of their remarkable projects and activities.

Follow TED on Twitter at twitter.com/TEDTalks, or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TED

Contact: Margaret Sullivan at TED@groupsjr.com, +1-646-833-0205