TED Global 2014 will be hosted in Rio, Brazil, at US$6,000 per person. This is 4 months of a local mid-level web developer salary before taxes [1]
Locals cannot afford to attend TED. TED is made by the elite, for the elite, with the occasional feel-good-save-the-planet token NGO from Africa.
And so much for their "scientific" approach, given that they hate when a contrarian challenges them. Case in point: Sarah Silverman. [2]
Here is a true grassroots and inclusive event for the developing world: Campus Party [3]
[1] http://www.profissionaisti.com.br/2011/02/qual-o-salario-med...
[2] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ci5p1OdVLAc
[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campus_Party