Led brand and communications strategy for Asia’s largest TEDx event, bringing structure, clarity, and momentum to a two-day experience for 2,000+ attendees.
Introduction
Running the words and the work behind the TEDx stage.
TEDxShanghai is the largest TEDx event in Asia, with over 2,000 attendees across two days of talks, performances, and workshops. In 2016, I was invited by the founder to join the core team and lead communications, content, and creative production around that year’s global theme: ‘Balance’.
TEDx is run by the community, for the community. That spirit shaped everything we built.
We hosted the event to mark the opening of the Shanghai Tower, the second-tallest building in the world, with a diverse lineup of speakers—from a National Geographic photographer to a yarn bomber to the stylist behind Sex and the City. The event launched with a full day of talks, followed by performances, workshops, and discussion across the city. The challenge wasn’t finding great ideas. It was making sure the experience felt connected from one speaker to the next.
I helped shape the event narrative, align messaging, and plan the audience journey from the first announcement to the final talk. I worked across creative, production, and volunteer teams to keep momentum, manage complexity, and bring everything into focus.
This was a high-visibility, fast-moving event with a lot of moving parts. My role was to hold it all together so the ideas on stage could land clearly and leave room for the conversations that followed.
Highlights
Planning Mastermind
Over four months, I worked closely with the founder and a team of creative minds to plan the TEDxShanghai 2016. From early brainstorming through to delivery, I helped shape the narrative arc—something that could guide decisions, shape content, and create a sense of cohesion across speakers, formats, and moments. My focus was on aligning messaging and bringing structure to how the experience unfolded—so each idea could land, and the community we brought together could follow the journey we’d designed.
Community Attendance
2,400
Global Livestream Viewers
10,000
Speakers
24
Brand Experience
I led brand and communications strategy across all touchpoints, from digital and print to on-site and on-stage. Working closely with the creative team, I helped unify the experience across everything from signage and programs to collateral, uniforms, the website, and app. The goal was to make the event feel as thoughtful as the ideas it hosted—cohesive, intentional, and built with care. Every detail supported the TEDx spirit: community-led, idea-driven, and beautifully put together.
Testimonials
“100% of the feedback we have received for TEDxShanghai has been 300% positive. It was a joy working with Shermaine, who managed to facilitate the process without making us feel pressured, despite the tight deadlines provided to them. One cannot ask for anything more—great work, mindful caring, and a most pleasant experience.”
Richard Hsu, Founder
TEDxShanghai