Seeking to redefine its place in a changing media landscape, TED — the New York-based nonprofit behind the globally recognized TED Talks — is moving its flagship event to San Diego, potentially creating dozens of new jobs.

After a decade in Vancouver, Canada, the five-day speaking series will debut in San Diego in 2027. TED is moving beyond just cities; it’s also considering moving the stage outside the convention center, around San Diego, and maybe even out to sea.

The idea incubator has gathered a global following by giving a platform to leaders in technology, entertainment and design. The world’s most influential innovators are invited to the annual flagship event to share grandiose visions or critiques of the world as it stands.

Last year, Sam Altman, CEO of Open AI — better known as the guy who introduced ChatGPT to the public — was the keynote speaker.

In recent years the high-profile media organization has been operating on the margins. Since 2019, TED’s expenses have outpaced its revenue for four out of the past six years, according to IRS filings. In an effort to refresh the brand, TED is coming to San Diego to grow programing and attendance, according to its executives, who spoke to the U-T earlier this week about the move.

Two years ago, TED started searching for a new venue, said Monique Ruff-Bell, chief program and strategy officer at TED.

About six months into that search, Mark Cafferty, CEO of the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation, remembers learning about an anonymous, but “very prominent organization” looking to put on a new conference in San Diego.

Cafferty met with executives from the San Diego Tourism Authority, San Diego Conference Center Corporation and TED in a suite atop the Manchester Grand Hyatt.

They discussed the history of the city as they sat high above the people and places that built San Diego.

Pointing at the USS Midway below, Cafferty explained how biotech was born from military money. Fishing boats floated by as they chatted about San Diego’s tuna industry. To the north they saw Coronado. To the south, Tijuana.

“They were like ‘Oh my gosh, that’s Mexico right there,’” Cafferty said, recalling the TED team’s surprise when they saw San Diego’s proximity to the border.

And that’s the point.

“San Diego uniquely positioned us to scale our mission. Here’s a city where biotech, media and cross-border innovation are already happening at the highest levels, and we want to be part of that,” said Ruff-Bell.

TED plans to hire locally to create its next chapter. It has more than 200 employees, IRS records show,

The flagship conference will be based in San Diego’s Convention Center for the next 10 years, Cafferty said, but will also include new venues.

Millions of people watch and share TED Talks, but very few actually know where the stage is, Cafferty explained.

TED’s vision isn’t unlike what Austin has done with its South by Southwest conference — they want to make the event “synonymous with the place,” he said.

“We could go out on the USS Midway, which is docked in San Diego, for an event, but we could actually work to go out on a carrier,” Cafferty said. Some of the stages could take place on a Torrey Pines trail. Some speakers could travel to local campuses, such as UC San Diego or San Diego State University. There were conversations about having programs on the border.

People could even do events at The Salk Institute. Cafferty described a scene out of 1950s San Diego when Jonas Salk invented the polio vaccine at the campus built by famed architect Louis Kahn. “Minds of science would come together and hopefully solve the world’s greatest problems,” Cafferty said.

That’s what he wants to do again.

Last year, TED brought in over a thousand guests and 80 speakers to the Vancouver Convention Centre. Tickets started at $12,500 for the five-day series. Donors paid double for tickets that included opportunities to meet the speakers.

But even with big names like Serena Williams, Bill Gates, Gayle King and Elon Musk headlining the annual conferences, TED won’t be the San Diego Convention Center’s biggest client.

TED brought in $16 million in economic impact to Vancouver last year. That’s pocket change compared to San Diego’s largest events at the convention center. Comic-Con alone brought in over $160 million in 2024.

TED also won’t come close to San Diego’s top 10 highest-generating conferences. Biotech events dominate the list for largest economic impact, with $40 million to $60 million per conference, according to the convention center’s annual report.

Last year, the convention center generated $1.5 billion for the city of San Diego, according to a study that measured attendee spending at restaurants, hotels and city amenities.

But TED is worth more than the direct dollar value, said Rip Rippetoe, CEO of the San Diego Convention Center Corporation. “Hosting TED brings global attention and strengthens its connections to San Diego’s innovation economy,” he said.

TED started in California with its first conference in 1984 in Monterey. In 2009, TED moved to Long Beach before landing in Vancouver. Tickets for the 2027 San Diego conference will go on sale after the final Vancouver show on April 13-17.

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