TEDxSkopje & TEDxSeptemvriskaSesija (Salon)
Overview
SmartUp organized and delivered TEDxSkopje Salon, running more than 20 licensed TEDx events between 2014 and 2017 — one of North Macedonia's longest-running TEDx Salon series. SmartUp curated a recurring programme combining TED Talks, expert guests, and facilitated discussions on global and local challenges, from social innovation and sustainable architecture to economic inequality and technology's societal impact, engaging hundreds of participants from civil society, academia, business, and the creative industries.
SmartUp recruited, trained, and coordinated the volunteer team behind each event — covering logistics, partnerships, communications, and audience engagement — building a lasting local TEDx community that sustained the series across multiple licensing periods. The initiative reflects SmartUp's long-standing role in building North Macedonia's civic and innovation communities beyond its formal education and entrepreneurship programmes.
The challenge
Create meaningful opportunities for public dialogue on complex global and local issues through an accessible and engaging event format.
Build a sustainable community of volunteers, experts, and partner organisations capable of organizing high-quality TEDx events in North Macedonia.
Increase awareness of the TED philosophy and encourage knowledge sharing, interdisciplinary collaboration, and civic engagement among young people and professionals.
Activities and methods
1. Organized 12 licensed TEDxSalon events (TEDxBASSalon and TEDxSeptemvriskaSesijaSalon), attracting more than 700 participants and creating a vibrant local TEDx community.
2. Engaged over 40 partner organisations and 30 expert speakers from academia, business, technology, architecture, psychology, economics, and civil society, creating interdisciplinary discussions around innovation and societal development.
3. Explored topics including social innovation, gaming and education, sustainable cities, happiness and well-being, economic inequality, and the role of technology in solving global challenges.
4. Recruited, trained, and coordinated a volunteer team that successfully managed event organisation, communications, partnerships, logistics, and community engagement.
Increased public awareness of TED ideas through strong media visibility, social media campaigns, and interactive audience participation before, during, and after each event.
5. Developed a practical organisational model and toolkit that laid the foundation for expanding TEDxSalon events to other cities across North Macedonia and inspired future TEDx initiatives.
Impact and learning
TEDxSkopje & TEDxSeptemvriskaSesija created one of the country's first structured platforms for open dialogue around innovation, science, technology, entrepreneurship, urban development, education, and social change. By combining TED Talks with expert panels and audience discussions, the project encouraged participants to critically examine complex societal issues while connecting them with professionals from diverse fields.
The initiative built a strong community of volunteers, speakers, institutions, and partner organisations that continued to support future TEDx activities in North Macedonia. It also strengthened local capacity for organizing internationally recognized knowledge-sharing events, establishing a replicable model that inspired the expansion of TEDx events beyond Skopje.
By introducing global ideas to local audiences and fostering meaningful conversations across disciplines, TEDxSkopje contributed to a more engaged, informed, and collaborative innovation ecosystem while encouraging active citizenship and lifelong learning.
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