TEDx chapters attract growing followings in Hong Kong

TEDxKowloon, the first TEDx event on this year's calendar, is in its third iteration. And as Eve Chan Wai-yu, a founding curator, can testify, staging such confabs requires hard work with little financial gain.

But Chan and her co-organisers are gratified to have seen attendance at the only TEDx salon to be conducted in Cantonese swell from an initial 200 in 2012, to 780 last year. They are working towards another gathering in April.

"I see what is happening in society; Hong Kong is losing things we used to have, like freedom and space, and I feel like I have to do something," says Chan, a former marketing director for news site, The House News.

"Organising events for TEDxKowloon is what gives me strength. Volunteers come and go, but I believe it's important to do this to bring about change," Chan says.

This city does not lack forums for clever people to share their insights. Organisations like the Asia Society, universities, and professional groups regularly host talks featuring visiting experts and knowledgeable residents. But it's still hard to beat the reach of the TEDx series, especially among young people.

Independently organised spin-offs from the successful TED ideas conferences in the US, TEDx talks have caught on here in a big way. The city has hosted more than 20 events since the first TEDxHong Kong was held in 2010.

Fired up by the intellectual smorgasbord of the TED presentations on YouTube, fans soon organised their own, mostly using English.