For most people excitement is a build up of anticipation and bliss, and on October 26, 2012 I felt a combination of both. The day had arrived, and as I approached the Sony Centre I could tell that I was going to leave the TEDxToronto  conference with insight on a myriad of topics, affirmation on the power of community, and awesome connections with some innovative misfits.

If anything, most people will say that listening to the 17 speakers woven seamlessly into the program was the main purpose of the full day conference, and I would also agree but after my experience, it was much more than that.

How do I know this? Well, as a TEDxToronto volunteer it wasn’t even an hour into being at the event that I met a friend from university who I hadn’t seen in over 10 years. Before I could extend the long time no see hug, another friend came by to say hi. Until then, they didn’t know each other, and it turns out that they both work in similar environments where they have to deal with child and youth issues in some of Toronto’s at-risk neighborhoods. After the formal introductions, I encouraged them to exchange cards because I knew that this connection would continue to cultivate those ‘ideas worth spreading’.

During the event, I also learned that connections could happen randomly and even over an ordinary apple. “This apple is out of this world…well, maybe it just tastes better because I’m at the TEDxToronto conference.” These were the words of an overly excited delegate who just bit into an apple that he got at the conference. Before I could even respond he whipped out a mini-portable lens, snapped it to his iPhone, and took a photo of his apple at the conference. It turns out that one of the other volunteers nearby was a photographer and was also interested in learning about all the cool camera gadgets that can be used with an iPhone. Another connection was made – totally random but the energy in the room played nicely into the theme of the event, Alchemy – a seemingly magical process of taking ordinary, common elements, usually of little value, and combining them to make something extraordinary of great value.

Yes the line-up of speakers were amazing, and I got to learn about new medical apps that help to save lives along with the success of a global campaign that took a stand against the hateful word slut. But the conference offered much more than that; it created an oasis for people to come together to shift ways of thinking, form lasting connections, and at the end of the day taught me how to take a damn good photo with my iPhone.

TED
TED is a nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. It started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from three worlds: Technology, Entertainment, Design. Since then its scope has become ever broader. Along with two annual conferences — the TED Conference in Long Beach and Palm Springs each spring, and the TEDGlobal conference in Edinburgh UK each summer — TED includes the award-winning TEDTalks video site, the Open Translation Project and TED Conversations, the inspiring TED Fellows and TEDx programs, and the annual TED Prize.