TEDx Laguna Blanca School’s team began producing the event months before it kicked off. For one of the executive producers, senior Finlay Sutherland, the process begins with collaborative group discussions between staff.
“At the beginning of every year, the first thing we do is find the theme,” he said. “We don’t do anything until we find the theme. We start by brainstorming through discussion and debate.”
This year, that process revolved around a simple prefix: re.
The team floated various themed ideas, such as re-imagine or reinvent, before eventually settling on Retrospect.
Although the selection, Finlay explained, was the result of trial and error, he noted that ultimately, from the beginning, the team knew they wanted both speakers and audiences to engage with the past through the event.
This philosophy reflects the nature of an official TEDx event, according to TED, events are meant “to spark conversation, connection and community.”
Finlay entered the semester with a personal goal to take on a larger leadership role after serving as a regular team member the previous year. More than anything, he wanted attendees to leave the event with a changed perspective.
“I wanted people to leave the event questioning their past experiences,” he said.
Finlay and JJ Stone, the event’s executive directors, had a wide range of responsibilities; the rest of the workload is split into five student-led teams: operations, design, business, communications, and curation.
Each group is responsible for a different aspect of the event, from fundraising partnerships to stage layout and digital promotion.
The curation team plays a particularly central role in recruiting speakers.
According to curation team lead senior Lila Foster, the theme of Retrospect played a critical part in guiding the curation process.
“We interviewed potential speakers to see not just whether their stories fit the theme, but also whether they could clearly explain how looking back changed their perspective,” she said.
“I also worked with my team to curate a balanced lineup of voices and disciplines so the theme could be explored through multiple lenses.”
Even with months of careful preparation, not everything went according to plan on the day of the event.
On the morning of the event, Finlay discovered that several printed scripts for both speakers and student participants were missing.
With presentations set to begin in a matter of minutes, he was forced to recreate the scripts up until the last possible moment before students and speakers went onstage.
Despite the setback, the rest of the event ultimately ran smoothly and was successful, something Finlay looks back on with relief.
“You have to look back to move forward,” he said. “I had many responsibilities as a leader, and looking back on that experience, it was very positive and has . I know I will be using those same skills to lead a team in my professional career.”
The official description of the event describes Retrospect as “The paradox of looking back to move forward,” encouraging speakers, guests, and student organizers to reflect on past decisions while considering future possibilities.
Throughout the event, attendees gathered in discussion spaces and interactive booths during breaks to continue conversations sparked by the talks, reflecting on the stories shared and the lessons speakers drew from their own past experiences.