For TED2013, we’re going to leverage TED’s expanding footprint to do something special: a worldwide talent search to bring together the most remarkable lineup in TED’s history.

From April – June 2012, we held special TED events in 14 cities on six continents seeking to uncover new talents, voices and ideas the world needs to hear: emerging trailblazers, under-celebrated sages, hidden geniuses.

As with every TED, we will weave together a potent mix of presentations, covering creativity, invention, business, science and the most pressing global issues. But the way we’re doing it represents a leap of ambition, and a commitment to the power of the crowd. We expect that at least 20 speakers in our lineup will come from this global search. And until August 31, 2012 we invite you and others around the world to cast your votes on who gets invited!

We’re betting on this process delivering the most thrilling TED conference in history.

Of course, we will still pull in many well-known speakers the old-fashioned way. And we’ll still use all our curatorial instincts to weave the pieces together effectively. But make no mistake. This TED will be special!