TEDxMacatawa returns with ‘local voices sharing ideas that matter’

For Vince Boileau, organizing TEDxMacatawa is a passion project that fuels his love for new ideas and community connection. As the event’s license holder, Boileau is the driving force behind the 2024 half-day conference, set to take place on Oct. 8 at Hope College’s Jack Miller Auditorium. 

This year’s event promises a diverse lineup of 13 speakers, covering topics ranging from artificial intelligence to refugee resettlement. 

“I'm just an incredibly curious person, and I love hearing new ideas,” says Boileau, managing partner at Boileau & Co. “ I love being challenged and getting new ways of looking at problems, and I've always loved the TED format.”

Registration at tedxmacatawa.org closes Oct. 2. Tickets cost $35.

Courtesy TEDxMacatawa Michigan-IO at TEDxMacatawa 2023.

The conference, running from 1 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., will be followed by an afterglow party at the Haworth Hotel, where attendees can connect with the speakers. 
This is the first time Boileau and his team have organized TEDxMacatawa within a 12-month window. Typically, the event is held every 18 months, but last year’s conference, the first since the pandemic, encouraged the team to return sooner.

"After last year’s event, we felt this surge of energy," Boileau explains. "Our team was motivated to bring TEDx back sooner, and with all the new ideas bubbling up in our community, it just made sense to do another event within a year."

Courtesy TEDxMacatawaAttendees gather at TEDxMacatawa 2023.

TedxMacatawa 2024 Speakers and Topics:

• Robyn Schopp – Emcee
• Andy Bass – “When AI Dreams, Who's Responsible for the Nightmares?”
• Harle Battjes – “Seeing Potential: Trailer Trash Upcycled”
• Dr. Kurt Lindberg – “You Get What You Pay For: Transforming the U.S. Healthcare System”
• Leah Cooper – “A Community-based Approach to Refugee Resettlement”
• Josh Wymore – “The Hidden Power of Humbler Leadership”
• Lindsay MacMillan – “The Unifying Power of Fiction”
• Chris Knobloch – “The Power of Puppetry”
• Laurie Ayers – “Getting Old Isn't Funny, But We Are”
• Cort Corwin – “Solutions Won't Solve our Creativity Crisis — Problems Will”
• Lauren Andersh – “Designing Our Future Without Forgetting Our Past”
• Mason Viilo – “The Evolution of Instruments Through Technology, and Its Effect on Western Music”
• Alexis Rosado – “The Power of Media”
• Charlie Duistermars – “Mac and Cheese, and Jesus Please”

The speakers were selected from 90 applications.

"Narrowing it down was tough, but we’re excited about the final 13 speakers. We really want to represent the best of what Holland and Zeeland have to offer,” says Boileau.

Courtesy TEDxMacatawaCharles Elwood at TEDxMacatawa 2023.

The conference has a mix of serious and lighter, more entertaining speeches. The lineup includes a comedian, a multi-instrument musician and a puppeteer.

"This event is really all about our community," he says. "Our speakers, our volunteers, and our sponsors all come from the Holland-Zeeland area, and it’s their passion and commitment that make TEDxMacatawa special."

Keeping it short, engaging 

TEDxMacatawa has evolved since its inception. What was once a full-day event has been pared down to a half-day format to make it more accessible and engaging.
"With a half-day format, we can deliver the same level of insight and inspiration without requiring such a big time commitment,” Boileau says. “It also makes it easier for our volunteers, who work incredibly hard to make this event happen."

Each presentation is limited to 18 minutes or less, in keeping with TED’s global guidelines. 

"Some of the best TED Talks are only five minutes long," Boileau notes. "We encourage our speakers to take whatever time they need to tell their story, but keeping it short ensures the talks stay dynamic and engaging."

One of the legacies of TEDxMacatawa is the collection of talks that live on well after the conference ends. Each presentation is recorded and uploaded to YouTube.

“The beauty of TEDx is that these talks don’t just happen in a vacuum," Boileau says. "They live on, and if there’s a truly great idea that resonates, it has the potential to reach far beyond Holland."