BOULDER - TEDxBoulder - a free-wheeling speaker event - is coming to Boulder on Saturday, Sept. 22. This year's theme is "Edges and Experiences."

Nathan Seidle, chief executive of Boulder-based SparkFun Electronics Inc., will talk about "intellectual property obesity" at the local event, to be held from 5 to 9 p.m. at Macky Auditorium at the University of Colorado-Boulder.

TED, or Technology, Entertainment and Design, is a set of conferences held around the world to disseminate "ideas worth sharing." The concept is owned by the private, nonprofit Sapling Foundation in New York. The "X" in the name refers to independently organized events. which the TED website describes as "designed to give communities, organizations and individuals the opportunity to stimulate dialogue through TED-like experiences at the local level."

"Intellectual property obesity" is the tendency for large technology corporations to focus on protecting patents instead of promoting innovation, according to a press statement about the local event.

More than 2,000 people are expected to attend. The event schedule includes 14 speakers altogether, from musicians to yoga studio owners, writers, climbers and fire-behavior specialists. It's the third year the event has been scheduled in Boulder, said George Morris, an organizer. This year, for the first time, the local group organized four well-attended "pre-events" to generate more interest and community involvement, Morris said.

"There's a lot of momentum," Morris said. "A lot of people in the community say they want to get more involved and engaged."

Tickets for the Saturday event start at $25, and are available at tedxboulder2012.com or at the door if the event does not sell out beforehand.

The TEDx program is now held at more than 3,000 locations around the world. The annual conference began in 1990 in Monterey, California. Speakers have included former President Bill Clinton and former Vice President Al Gore, among others.