The ACT government have promised to release zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045. Now that we’ve made this promise, how will we take control of climate change?
Antonio Mozqueira believes each of us can be a hero. As individuals, we can each make a difference.
Antonio will be sharing his ideas with you at our flagship event in September.
Australians current life expectancy is 82.5, that’s 10 years longer than in the 1970s. We’re all living longer, but do we really understand what that’s going to mean for us?
Do our traditional views of ageing stack up, or are we limiting ourselves based on an outdated understanding of what it means to get older?
Dr Catherine Rickwood will be speaking at our flagship event about how we can challenge our assumptions about ageing, and living a good life as we get older.
You’ve heard of the Embassy of the USA, of Finland, of Cambodia… but have you heard of the Embassy of Kindness?
Kanesan Nathan believes in defining the world by kindness. The transformative driving force of kindness. Which is why he’s half of the driving force behind Embassy of Kindness. An Embassy which has a lot to teach us about how kindness could start a revolution.
Have you ever picked up after your dog, put the poo in the bin and thought – hang on, there’s got to be a better way than to send this to landfill?
Gemma Thomson has. Not only has she thought it, she’s come up with an idea to fix it.
Gemma will be sharing her idea with you at our flagship event in September.
Before age 24, Paul Buckley didn’t think he’d ever be in jail. But that’s exactly where he ended up.
Hear his unique story, and divergent ideas, about how Australian lives would change with a prison system that actually worked.
Paul is the first of our speakers at TEDxCanberra 2018. Stay tuned over the next few weeks as we release our full line up.
Seventeen speakers and three performers. It’s a lot to squeeze into one day. A lot to take in, in one day. You want to remember the best bits but it’s not like you have someone taking notes and sketching the talks live, as they happen, is it?
You may not have been taking notes (yes really some people do!) and that’s totally OK. We hope you were relaxing and taking it all in, ready to reopen those ideas and conversations sometime in the future.
We, on the other hand, were taking notes. Of sorts. We had the wonderful creative genius that is Gavin Blake, taking his version of notes. Gavin scribed every single talk. That’s a lot of ideas and a lot of drawing.
So, now you can relive our TEDxCanberra2017 talks with this fresh recap. In pictures. Enjoy:)
TEDConnect is a FREE app, available on iOS and Android that helps you keep in touch with other conference guests, keep track of the program, meet new friends, and learn about your favourite speakers. (OK that blurb was for attendees)
TEDxCanberra is in for a delicious treat at this year’s flagship event Momentum. Serving up crowd pleasers like tasty Thai Beef and scrumptious home made Anzac biscuits, Swirl Catering has planned a special menu that is sure to keep the momentum going and feed our hungry attendees.
We caught up with Swirl Catering’s charming 24-year-old Director Lachlan Exton to find out more about his work and the delicious food the company is serving Canberra’s top businesses.
How long has Swirl Catering been in business?
Swirl Catering has been around for 7 years now and I transitioned into the family business straight from school.
What is Swirl Catering’s Philosophy?
We want to make our customers feel comfortable, welcomed and that they are our number one priority. We pride ourselves in serving our customers freshly prepared food with professional and personal service.
How have you kept the momentum going in your business?
In regards to the team, we keep busy in order to grow and keep the momentum going. If its not providing high quality service and food, we find other things to do whether that’s checking our equipment, stock, maintenance or reaching out to our customers.
Swirl Catering uses momentum to grow our business. I try to keep momentum going when we are quiet to prepare ourselves for when the clients come to us. We stay up to date with hospitality trends to streamline production and make the business more efficient. We’ve also recently updated our equipment and have a state of the art food and beverage management system that takes control of our food costs and supply increases. If we invest money in equipment that gives us more time to spend with our customers, then we’re doing better.
What are some of the food menus on offer?
We have a range of packages available for our customers and we can also create tailored menus to suit different needs. The ACT Government has recently implemented a new healthy eating initiative where catering companies have to align with the green light system so we’ve developed specific menus that have been approved by Nutrition Australia. ACT Government agencies can only order from these approved menus. We’ve also implemented a food safety program to minimize any risk to our customers.
Type of events catered for?
We cater for every kind of event from corporate, government, social to private events including celebrations.
How about businesses that Swirl Catering has worked with?
We’ve worked with hundreds of private and corporate sector organisations including locals, educational institutions and property groups.
We don’t want to be seen just as a catering company, we want to grow to be Canberra’s offsite food, beverage and events service. We have big things planned going forward and want to shake up the industry so watch this space.
TEDxCanberra Momentum is on this Saturday, 16th September at the Canberra Theatre. We can’t wait to see you there!
Written by: Sallie Rodriguez
Left to right Cristina from TEDxVitoriaGasteiz in Spain, Ingrid Tomanovits from TEDxCanberra, Gemma from TEDxVancouver; Yusuke from TEDxTokyo and Kristin Boag from TEDxCanberra.
Organising a TEDx event isn’t easy. Sometimes it’s hard to not focus on the minutiae and the detail and forget what we’re really doing here.
We’re a grassroots, locally organised event that spreads inspiring and innovative ideas through our community, and that’s enough for us. It’s a big deal. Yet, at the same time, we’re part of something so much bigger – a media empire creating space for meaningful dialogue for more than 30 years.
This week, two of our team Ingrid Tomanovits & Kristen Boag have been at TEDGlobal in Arusha, Tanzania. Not only did they hear four days of the best in international TED talks – they also got to attend the global TEDxOrganiser workshop. With 150 organisers across 60 countries, this full day event was a masterclass in bring the best of TED home.
Here are our favourite insights we’re packing in our suitcases, and bring back to Canberra:
Building an event is an achievement in itself
A few years ago, this event was just a dream. Now we’re in the biggest room at the Canberra Theatre, with more than 25 volunteers and 17 speakers we are SO excited about. Sometimes we need to give ourselves a pat on the back (or a pinch!)– and look at how far we’ve come.
Don’t focus on catering instead of curation
We spend a lot (and I mean A LOT) of time coming up with ways to make the complete end to end experience just right. It’s not simply about to securing the presenters, patting ourselves on the back and showing up in a cool tshirt on the day – we spend a lot of brainpower on the entertainment, the break outs, the goodies, the food, and the surprises! We also spend time finding and working with our amazing Partners who make this all possible.
So the reminder that the catering isn’t as important as the curation is always an important reminder for us. Focus on the core excellence of finding that idea that is truly worth spreading. Of course, we know hearing all those talks and using all that brain power makes our audience hungry, and we know we need to provide a well designed, tasty and nutritious menu to give you brain food (tick, tick and tick this year – more on that another time). But the core of our events will always be ideas.
Embrace the FOMO (fear of missing out)
There’s going to be people who didn’t buy their tickets on time, people who made excuses and left it too late.
And it’s completely their fault.
Show them what they’re missing out on. Capture the moments and show the experience of what we were all part of – show them the builders, truth tellers and catalysts. Make sure they don’t make this mistake again.
There’s still time if you’ve got FOMO – we’ve saved you a seat at TEDxCanberra. Tickets are still available for Saturday September 17.
Blog by Rebecca Warton, TEDxCanberra comms team.
P.S you may not be aware – but we have a TEDGlobal level facilitator in our midst! Ingrid facilitated the two breakout sessions at the TEDx workshop about partnerships. 
TedxCanberra Momemtum will be a day filled with talks from incredible, inspiring people where you will meet new friends, learn about new technologies and initiatives, and so much more…. If you want to keep the ‘momentum’ going, check out our recommendations in New Acton, the CBD and Braddon about where to go for a drink or a bite to eat after the event.
Parlour Wine Room has been an institution in Canberra for many years. Based in New Acton, they have become a staple cocktail location for locals and interstate travellers alike. The vibe is sophisticated and elegant – large plush armchairs tucked into corners with paintings; service staff offering classic cocktails with a twist matched with an extensive bar and dining menu. My recommendation is the Emma Stone, a refreshing cocktail with sweet ginger, strawberries and lemon served with a dry Australian prosecco.
This gorgeous wine and cocktail bar is hidden away in the iconic Melbourne Building. It can get pretty noisy later in the night so I would recommend going there early and select a few good eats and drinks from their menu. Their menu features a selection of dishes including Red Snapper with Black Eyed Peas, Chorizo Oil, Coriander Yoghurt, fresh oysters and a range of cheeses. Gourmet Traveller has also nominated them for Bar of the Year in Australia!
Situated on Lonsdale St in Braddon, you’ll find a range of tasty Korean/Japanese/American fusions eats at Lazy Su. Think wagyu cheesesteak spring rolls, ramen, bao-gers and Korean fried buffalo wings. They also have lots of Japanese drinks on the menu and the interior is like nothing I’ve seen in Canberra (make sure you go to the toilet)!
This funky little Beijing tapas bar in Braddon offers a selection of drinks including unique cocktails at a great price. Grab a drink and choose from a selection of their Beijing-inspired tapas – the banana chicken wings are a ‘must try’.
Akiba is one of our favourite spots in Canberra to grab a drink and a bite to eat. They really tick all the boxes for us in terms of food, atmosphere, drinks and service. They offer a good Asian fusion menu with eats like baos, dumplings, sashimi and more. If you’re feeling really hungry you can go with the ‘Just feed me’ option. For $49 you get 8 of their favourite dishes.
There are so many options on the menu at Capitol Bar and Grill, you will be spoilt for choice. They were recently awarded the best steak in Canberra and their range of sides are incredible – do yourself a favour and try the Paris Mash Potatoes and the Truffle Mac ‘n’ Cheese (if it’s still one the menu)! The bar and dining space is really quirky, they have a fireplace near the bar and it has a great atmosphere.
Kokomo’s is a new bar in Canberra, only opening in June 2017. The theme is tropical and casual – with fresh, light cocktails served in the downstairs bar, or in the upstairs dining booths. We went on a Sunday evening, and the vibe was really cool – music pumping while groups and couples enjoyed cocktails and light snacks. It may be the new kid on the block, but Kokomo’s is certainly making waves in Canberra city.
By Eat Canberra
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