TEDX HiltonHead to feature Charlie Clark

October 2023 Issue

By Ellen Linneman
Photos courtesy of Smartmarketing Communications

Hilton Head Island has received spectacular media coverage through the years helping to draw people to its picture-perfect location and earn a spot as a top vacation destination and residential community year after year. The media has been a powerful tool in giving consumers a taste of what makes this area so special, and the woman behind that great media coverage for the past 21 years is Charlie Clark.

No knows the secrets of the media world like Charlie, a Lowcountry public relations executive, writer, and business and community advocate who serves in the high-profile role of Vice President of Communications at Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce and Visitor & Convention Bureau. She has been the one helping to orchestrate much of Hilton Head Island’s positive media coverage, including garnering coverage on the ‘Third Hour’ live broadcast of the TODAY show and securing stories in prestigious outlets like The Wall Street Journal, Travel + Leisure, Food Network. And now, Charlie is about to “pull back the curtain” to provide a unique perspective into the world—and power—of the media through her thought-provoking take on how media shapes us and our society.

Charlie is one of eight dynamic speakers who will be presenting their “Ideas Worth Spreading” at the upcoming TEDxHiltonHead event. This year’s event, themed “The P__wer Of,” will be held on Saturday, November 4, 2023,, at the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina. Her talk will give attendees an insider look at the growing and changing role of media today. She will also provide insight into how to mindfully live in a digital world such that it adds to life without consuming it.

“The media is something we all interact with every day that has a profound influence, both positive and negative, on who we are as individuals, how we interact with one another, and how we view the world,” said Charlie. “Americans now spend an average of seven hours a day in front of a screen consuming some form of media. The number of hours is even more for Gen Z. Billions of dollars are spent to make this happen. Consuming media, whether it’s digital news, social media, or the latest cat video on YouTube, shapes us. It’s up to us to ensure media consumption is a positive versus a negative in our lives.”

Charlie enjoys sharing her passion for the Lowcountry with travelers from around the world. “It’s a privilege to tell the story of this amazing place we call home to national media outlets on a daily basis,” she stated. It’s also given her a unique perspective that she’s eager to share through her TEDx Talk.

“I swim in the media pool for a living, and I’ve seen how it’s changed over the years. Some days I’m talking with media about the beauty of the Island, other days, national media reaches out to ask much tougher questions, or I’m dealing with a social media post that’s gone viral that shapes how people view the Lowcountry,” said Charlie.

“Media is at somewhat of a tipping point in our lives with the constant stream of information we take in daily. I think it’s more important now than ever to be mindful of that. With unbiased journalism the exception rather than the rule these days, and the explosive growth of social media and now AI, I think we’re starting to look at media consumption with a more discerning viewpoint, and we should!”

Charlie is excited to be a speaker at one of Hilton Head Island’s most important local events. “I hope to bring awareness and the knowledge of the “Oz behind the curtain” of media and how to utilize it to enhance our lives,” said Charlie. “No one wakes up in the morning saying, ‘I think I’ll spend seven or eight hours scrolling on my phone today,’ but that’s exactly what’s happening. Media isn’t inherently bad, but like just about anything else, how you consume it is what matters.”

For more information about
TedX Hilton Head
The P_wer Of Event
visit www.tedxhiltonhead.com

Saturday, November 4, 2023
2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Arts Center of Coastal Carolina
14 Shelter Cove Lane, Hilton Head Island

Tickets are available for purchase
at www.artshhi.com.

Log onto www.TedXHiltonHead.com for for a listing and descriptions
of all the TEDxHiltonHead participants.