By Allison Watkinson
TLL Reporter
The TED non-profit organization has signed a licensing partnership with Academic Travel Abroad for an educational travel initiative.
Set to launch in 2026, the TED Travel program will offer a curated portfolio of annual trips that provide access to academic experts, exclusive discussions and cultural experiences.
The program will leverage the non-profit’s global network of thought leaders, expert speakers and communities to make each trip an exploration of ideas across real-world settings.
The experiential partnership was created as part of the non-profit organization’s overarching initiative for 2025 titled, Where Curiosity Meets Community.
“It is such an honor to collaborate with TED, an organization that has revolutionized how we share ideas, learn and connect across cultures,” said Academic Travel Abroad president, Kate Simpson. “The TED Travel offering will reflect this ethos in a compelling way by pairing expert TED speakers with themed trips and engaging with TED communities around the globe.”
Academic Travel Abroad (ATA) is a company that specializes in creating educational travel experiences in partnership with universities, cultural institutions and more.
First founded in 1950, the ATA currently works with a network of prestigious partners such as the Smithsonian Institution, the American Institute of Architects, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and The New York Times.
“TED spreads ideas that spark curiosity, learning and conversations,” said TED senior sales director, Joey Katona. “By partnering with Academic Travel Abroad, we look forward to bringing the desire for meaningful exploration and connection to the world of travel with unique destinations, themes, and hosts. TED Travel provides an opportunity outside of conferences and TED’s traditional platforms for TEDsters to experience deeply engaged exploration of community, culture, and ideas.”
The licensed trip packages will be available for booking through TED’s official travel website, with pricing based on specifics at the time of launch.
The partnership with the ATA was brokered by the Beanstalk agency as TED’s exclusive global licensing representative.
TED is a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization that is dedicated to learning, debating and spreading ideas that spark conversation, deepen understanding and drive meaningful change.
First launched in 1984 as a conference that combined technology, entertainment and design, TED has rapidly expanded to represent numerous communities and initiatives that explore topics across science, business, education, art, design, climate change and more.
The organization operates and produces a wide range of events and programs that span annual conferences, published works, original podcasts, short video series, animated lessons, TV series and philanthropic initiatives.
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