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November 03, 2021

TEDxLancaster 2021

This post is going to be about the most recent TEDxLancaster event which I helped organize for October 25th, 2021. It was a huge success of which I am excited to share with you! As an event planner, this is the feather in my cap so to speak. TEDxLancaster 2021 was an event that saw excellent speakers with profoundly important topics. It could be said that this event was indeed creme de la creme!

Fulton Opera House

The seats in the theater were beautiful and luxurious. With this theater being over 100 years old, it was made in the days when grand architecture left nothing to spare. From the crown moldings to the elaborate stage, it was breathtaking! I would have enjoyed sitting in that theater even if it were in silence without all of the chatter, laughter, and exhilaration that was present on this all exciting night.

The Event

As the organizer of this event, I began the night collecting tickets at the front door along with three of my volunteers. We scanned the attendees in with our iPhones. After I got the ball rolling with that, then I was needed backstage to get the speakers prepped. As I walked from the front door, through the theater, to the backstage, I paused and turned around to take in the moment. After treating myself to that special ephemeral time I quickly got back to work because, as we say in show business, the show must go on!

Once backstage, I gave a brief pep talk, much like a football coach would do before the big game! I told the speakers that I was proud of them and that all of their hard work and preperations have paid off. This event would be the culmination of all of their planning, practice, as well as their blood sweat and tears that occured prior to this event.

I reminded the speakers that this was their moment to shine and to take a deep breath before entering the red circle and spotlight. This is because they should always remember their special moment and not rush through it. Being able to stand on the front stage of the Fulton Opera House is an incredible experience that is unmatched in its grandeur and energy. 

I had a tech team put the mics on the speakers before they went up to speak. I controlled the PowerPoint using the Fulton Theater's Asus Zen Book Pro Duo i9 which contained three monitors and the computing capacity to run the entire theater like clockwork in the skilled hands of a computer science professional such as myself :)

Go Time! 🚗💨
Taking hold of that laptop was akin to a NASCAR driver slipping into the slick leather seats of a Bugatti sports car and clicking on the seat belt. The adrenaline rush is unsurpassed with all of that power awaiting at my nimble fingertips.

The event started with the theater lights fading to dark while the spotlight clicked on the red circle. Standing on the stage was a speaker who I had prepped, prepared, and readied for this moment. For this event, I had personally invited my friend Dr. Alexia McKnight to join as a speaker. She is the owner of McKnight Insight which is a well-renowned equestrian MRI facility in Pennslyvania. I can unequivocally state that she enlightened the community with her tech-savvy tips for improving holistic health.

Electricity in the air! ✨
The 10 speakers were incredibly amazing as well as highly skilled. The very talented Matthew Woodson received a standing ovation for his musical performance. Having such accolades in the Fulton Opera House is something that is spectacular beyond words. 

The energy in the theater was contagious! The speakers mesmerized the audience with words of wisdom and enlightenment.

How We Got Here

I had arranged to have this event at the Fulton Theater because our previous venue, Millersville University Ware Center, was unavailable. It was very difficult for me to book such an incredible venue during COVID, but my negotiation skills and charm were fruitful! The event moved forward in the grand Fulton Opera House. 

Curtain Call 😊
The director of TEDxLancaster, Mr. Bob Vasile, gave a beautiful speech at the end of the event whereby he thanked me for my work and dedication to TEDxLancaster with securing the venue and helping the speakers on their all-important day. This is part of the story of my journey over the last year. Please enjoy the photos! :)

Play me a song

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Hi, I'm Madison!

I am a 20 year old second year graduate student currently working towards achieving my Master of Science degree in Data Science. I have a passion for software engineering as well as website/applications development. It is my ability to "think outstide of the box" that enables me to come up with innovative solutions to complex problems! This is an Instagram worthy blog/journal… or something of the sort - you’ll see! 😋

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