First-Ever TED Talk Auditions Announced

Year after year, luminaries from the art world, tech industry, sciences, and beyond, including the likes of Bill Gates, Roger Ebert, and Al Gore , have graced the stage at the high-profile Technology Entertainment Design (TED) conference, held annually in Long Beach, California.

You could be next.

For the first time ever, TED is inviting people to audition for a spot as one of the speakers at its California TED conference.

"We're holding this audition to give a chance to the undiscovered talent we know is out there--and especially talent that can help us continue to reinvent the ancient art of the spoken word," TED explained on its website. "At TED2012, our whole theme will be devoted to this. We're calling it 'Full Spectrum'--the rich use of technologies, formats and styles to make an impact on an audience. And that's what we'll be looking for in this audition."

Check out TED's blog post for the full details on how to apply to be a TED speaker and have your talk posted to the TED website or to score an invitation to present at TED2012. Looking for inspiration? Check out these 15 unmissable tech talks from TED.