Vancouver Get Inspired Talks is a TEDx-style event featuring inspirational speakers. In November there is a Rotary Get Inspired Talks event on Granville Island.
GET INSPIRED TALKS & COVID-19
The first ever Rotary Get Inspired Talks event was going to take place in Vancouver on the Granville Island Stage Theatre on Saturday, November 7th. Because of the coronavirus, however, the event was cancelled.
It is unlikely Get Inspired Talks will be doing any live events for the next little while. For the immediate future, the organization is focusing on presenting its speakers virtually via its YouTube channel. The organization is also offering online courses for people wanting to perfect their storytelling, presentation and signature talk public speaking abilities.
For the most up-to-date information about the organization and its status, see the Get Inspired Talks website.
What are Get Inspired Talks?
Get Inspired Talks is a series of events that presents a selection of thought-provoking speakers to a live audience. Its theme is “Inspiring Brave Actions,” and that’s what it does – it presents powerful and inspirational talks designed to make people think, share ideas, take action and make a difference in the world.
The Get Inspired Talks program is not affiliated with TED Talks, TEDx or the TED organization or conference in any way. If you enjoy TEDx events or watching TED Talks videos, however, you’ll like Get Inspired Talks and see the similarities (probably because the people behind it are the same folk that used to be behind Vancouver’s TEDxStanleyPark event as explained further below).
Get Inspired Talks Video
To give you an idea of what to expect, below is a video showcasing attendees’ comments about their experiences at a past Get Inspired Talks event.
Vancouver Get Inspired Talks in the Past
The first ever Get Inspired Talks was the Vancouver Get Inspired Talks event which took place on Saturday, October 20th, 2018, at the Vancouver Convention Centre.
The inaugural event ran from 1:30 until 6:30 pm in the West Ballroom A and it featured ten speakers.
In 2019 the second Vancouver Get Inspired Talks event took place on Saturday, October 19th, at Vancouver’s Playhouse Theatre which is located at 600 Hamilton Street. Instead of just a single all-day event, the conference that year offered an afternoon session and a separate evening session. Attendees could choose to attend either one, or both.
2019 Conference Details
The theme in 2019 was “Inspiring Brave Relationships” and the speakers’ topics reflected that.
The afternoon session last year ran from 2:00 until 5:00 pm and the evening session went from 7:00 until 10:00 pm. They cost $47 each and both featured six different speakers. For $94 attendees could enjoy both sessions plus receive a complimentary dinner. With all tickets, GST taxes were extra.
Individual tickets were general admission, which meant seating was first-come, first-served. In other words, seating was not assigned. Group purchases (of 8 or more tickets), however, could be reserved.
For comparison, admission to Vancouver Get Inspired Talks in 2018 cost $77 (plus GST). For that price you got non-assigned seating to an exceptional afternoon of inspirational and thought-provoking speakers
2019 Get Inspired Speakers
Presenters at the second annual Vancouver Get Inspired Talks included the following 12 speakers:
Afternoon Speakers in 2019
- Francesca Anastasi – a life traveller, victim of abuse, entrepreneur and present-day philanthropist whose talk is about domestic abuse, its signs and the importance of preventing it.
- Lee-Ann Frances Bates – an expert on intimacy, loneliness and their connectedness.
- Lucy Guo – a social media expert who learned how to overcome her feelings of distance from people and society and to reconnect.
- Shaun Frankson – a former speaker at TEDxStanleyPark a few years ago, this presenter is the co-founder of Plastic Bank which is an organization that combats both global poverty and ocean pollution by monetizing plastic garbage. (Note: Shaun was originally scheduled to speak in the evening but has since switched to the afternoon).
- Rnold Smith – an expert on change and people’s resistance to it. In his talk Rnold will describe his F.U.N. Model of change and how it can help.
- Rumana Monzur – a victim of a brutal assault that left her blind, today Rumana guides people to believe in themselves and the power of possibilities.
Evening Speakers in 2019
The following speakers made their presentations between 7:00 and 10:00 pm.
- Adrian Starks – a man who has learned that change comes from growth and that growth comes from change. His talk is about embracing change and how to do that.
- Briana Chen – a 13-year-old girl who has already experienced several losses in her life. She’ll be talking about her life, a special friendship and how to overcome adversity and reconnect.
- Chloë Angus – a fashion designer who specializes in wearable exoskeleton robotic suits. Her dream is that clothing like this will one day help people in wheelchairs walk again.
- Marcus Anthony Ray – a former male stripper in his youth, Marcus discusses how acceptance of one’s past can help lead to an abundant future.
- Keith Tong – a best-selling author, holistic healthcare clinician and expert on health.
- Maureen McGrath – a former speaker at TEDxStanleyPark from a few years ago, Maureen is a sexual health expert who specializes in sexless marriages and low sexual desire. (Note: Maureen was originally scheduled to speak in the afternoon but has since switched to the evening).
To learn more, and to see short video clips from each of the presenters, click Get Inspired Talks 2019 Speakers.
2018 Speakers
Presenters at the first ever Vancouver Get Inspired Talks included the following 10 local speakers:
- Peter Ladner – a former City of Vancouver municipal politician, author, university instructor, entrepreneur and columnist with Business in Vancouver, Peter is the current-day Chairman of the Board of both the David Suzuki Foundation and Better Transit and Transportation Coalition. In his talk, Peter discussed how Vancouverites can move around the city easier, healthier, cheaper and more conveniently than we presently do and the title of his presentation was “The Urban Mobility Revolution.”
- Joe Roberts – known as the “Skid Row CEO”, Joe is a former homeless Vancouver addict who today is a successful entrepreneur, philanthropist and motivational speaker. The title of his presentation on September 20th was “Get Inspired and Make a Promise.”
- Cal Misener – a best-selling author and speaker who helps people align their passions with their careers and professional work. Cal’s speech title was “Love Your Work, Love Your Life.”
- Candace Plattor – a former opioid addict and present-day addictions therapist, this speaker teaches her clients about the importance of self-respect, self-care and self-responsibility and shared her message and learnings with her Vancouver Get Inspired Talks’ audience. The title of Candace’s talk was “Choose Not to Use.”
- Mark Fenster – a composer, musician, meditation leader and choir teacher with the Vancouver School Board. The title of Mark’s talk was “The Other Side of Hatred.”
- Sarah Gerrie – a 10-year-old speaker who uses her award-winning communication abilities to teach leadership and public speaking skills to other elementary school-aged children. The title of Sarah’s talk was “Stinkin’ Thinkin’.”
- Tracey Purvis – a psychiatric nurse, wife and mother who, after surviving multiple brain surgeries, knows how to appreciate life and live with both gratitude and optimism. Tracey’s talk was about positive thinking and “The Optimists Club.”
- Sabrina Smai – this speaker is a serial hackathon competitor (which means she attends events and competes with other software developers and IT professionals to solve complex technology-related problems). Sabrina attributes her many victories to a problem-solving approach whose power you too can harness when making both personal and professional decisions. “Make Problem Solving Your Superpower” was the title and subject of Sabrina’s talk.
- Aaron D’Souza – arguably one of this year’s most unconventional speakers (and likely to provoke all kinds of discussion), Aaron discussed the advantages of making sexual non-monogamy a mainstream relationship model for society. Aaron’s speech title was “One Sex Partner for Life – Really!?”
- Jacqueline Way – the founder of 356give (a charity that changes the world one give, one day at a time) and a speaker who people that attended TEDxStanleyPark in 2017 will likely remember. The title of Jacqueline’s presentation was “On-Stage Interview.”
For more information about Vancouver Get Inspired Talks’ presenters in 2018, click GI Talks Speaker Videos.
What to Expect
At the Vancouver Get Inspired Talks you can expect to hear a dozen or so inspiring presentations that address various challenges facing humanity. There is also a couple of energizer sessions which are short interactive performances designed to reinvigorate and re-set attendees’ mindsets.
If you’ve ever attended a TEDx conference, especially TEDxStanleyPark, you’ll find Vancouver Get Inspired Talks to be very similar (but perhaps with an extra bit of artistic license).
Attendees of the event are treated to a series of inspirational talks and stimulating conversations. They are inspired, motivated and challenged to both think and take action.
About Get Inspired Talks
Get Inspired Talks is not affiliated with TED Talks, TEDx or the international TED Conference that takes place in Vancouver each spring in any way. That being said, it is, however, clearly inspired by the TED program and its structure and purpose.
The person behind Get Inspired Talks, Roger Killen, is the same man behind TEDxStanleyPark which, up until its final year in 2018, was one of the largest, most successful and most professionally-run TEDx events in the world.
The mission and purpose of Get Inspired Talks is “to supply humanity with a stream of high-impact short talks that inform, entertain and inspire audiences to think differently and act bravely in ways that positively impact lives and communities.”
The organization achieves this goal by producing events where local experts deliver inspiring and motivational talks which are not only watched live but also live-streamed and formatted into videos, podcasts and e-books to reach wider audiences.
Vancouver’s Best Places was a media sponsor of TEDxStanleyPark for the last three years of its existence. Vancouver’s Best Places is proud now to also be a media sponsor and supporter of Vancouver Get Inspired Talks.
Other Information
For further details about the event, or to purchase tickets, check out the Vancouver Get Inspired Talks website.
For more information about the events that inspired the creation of Get Inspired Talks, check out TEDxStanleyPark or the Vancouver TED Conference.
For a list of other things to do in the Lower Mainland, check out any of the following:
- Vancouver’s October Calendar
- Vancouver Festivals & Events
- Vancouver Oktoberfest Events
- Vancouver Shows & Entertainment Calendar
