Last week, BoomTown traveled to Long Beach, Calif., to attend the TED conference, a longtime gathering of digerati and others who have come to love its eclectic and outward-looking program.

TED–which stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design–on its 25th anniversary moved here from Monterey this year for the first time, in order to accommodate its growing audience.

First held in 1984, Chris Anderson’s Sapling Foundation bought TED in 2001 from its founder, Richard Saul Wurman. TED has since grown to include an international conference, TEDGlobal; media initiatives, including TED Talks and TED.com; and the TED Prize.

The four-day TED2009, titled “The Great Unveiling,” included Microsoft (MSFT) co-founder Bill Gates unleashing a small swarm of mosquitoes in the hall, a long list of varied speakers and a whole lot of schmoozing.

Here is my belated video of the event. It features my All Things Digital partner Walt Mossberg, scenes from inside and outside the event (including “Eat, Pray, Love” author Elizabeth Gilbert onstage talking about genius), interviews with TED organizers Tom Rielly and Anderson, as well as my kids trying to steal entrepreneur Bill Gross’s futuristic car.

Here’s the video:

And here is another video, where some TED attendees tell me what presentation blew their heads off with knowledge.

The well-known Technology, Entertainment, Design conference–better known to its techie fans as TED–will make its move from Monterey to Long Beach, in California, starting tomorrow night.

It’s a big change for the longtime gathering of digerati and others who have come to love its eclectic and outward-looking program, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary.

First held in 1984, Chris Anderson’s Sapling Foundation bought TED in 2001 from its founder, Richard Saul Wurman. TED has since grown to include an international conference, TEDGlobal; media initiatives, including TED Talks and TED.com; and the TED Prize.

TED2009 is titled “The Great Unveiling.” And BoomTown is glad to be attending after several years away, especially since I always learn something new at TED (and I have a lot to learn).

It certainly has a varied lineup of speakers again this year, such as Microsoft (MSFT) Co-Founder Bill Gates, neurological anthropologist Oliver Sacks, writer Elizabeth Gilbert, tree researcher Nalini Nadkarni, Web political phenom Nate Silver and many others.

But I am perhaps even more intrigued by the introduction this year of the TED Fellows program, initially 50 individuals picked because of the “world-changing potential of their work.”

They will be invited to participate in the TED community each year, and some of the fellows will come for longer stints to future conferences.

The fellows program is supported by the Bezos family, the Harnisch Foundation, private donors and Nokia (NOK), with additional in-kind support from Kodak (EK), Lightscribe and One.org.

According to the press release, the fellows program was inspired by TED’s Africa program in 2007:

“The TED Fellows program will focus on attracting applicants living or working in five parts of the globe: the Asia/Pacific region, Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America and the Middle East, with consideration given to applicants from the rest of the world….The program focuses on innovators in technology, entertainment, design, science, film, art, music, entrepreneurship and the NGO community, among other pursuits.”

Said Tom Rielly, TED Community Director, who is responsible for the program: “TED will help them communicate their ‘ideas worth spreading’ to a much larger audience.”

Given the troubles all over the world these days, we could all use a much broader perspective.

You can read the longer list of fellows, who seem to deliver just that here, but some of the first participants include:

• Erik Hersman and Juliana Rotich, co-founders of Ushahidi.com, a Web site for citizen journalism, covering crises such as the Kenyan post-election violence

• Faisal Chohan, CEO of Cogilent Solutions and founder of BrightSpyre.com, the leading job portal in Pakistan

• Juliana Machado Ferreira, Brazilian CSI: Wildlife biologist who uses genetic markers to track, interdict and convict illegal songbird traffickers

• Gerry Douglas, founder of Malawi’s Baobab Health Partnership, which builds touchscreen terminals that allow non-doctors to diagnose, treat and correctly prescribe drugs for people with HIV

Originally created by legendary conference impresario Richard Saul Wurman (who named our D conference, in fact), the first EG took place two years ago nearby. And for the second one last week, Wurman handed the baton over to MIT professor Michael Hawley, who offered up about 50 unusual presenters.

To give you an idea of the eclecticism, here’s a video of the lovely Getty; the brass band that opened the conference; shell art; a speech by Wurman; some piano playing by Hawley; former Microsoftie Nathan Myhrvold making VP Dick Cheney “cute” (no easy task!); Royal Calligrapher to Queen Elizabeth II Donald Jackson teaching the audience some moves; some amazing pictures of real snowflakes; “Heroes” creator Tim Kring talking about the intersection of television and the Internet; and a bracing violin piece.

Like I said, very interesting:

With the continued convergence of media and tech, I would be remiss if I did not mention the return of the very fine EG (The Entertainment Gathering) conference Dec. 2-4 at the Getty Center in Los Angeles.

Launched two years ago by impresario Richard Saul Wurman (who, by the way, named our own D conference), it is now being directed my MIT’s Michael Hawley (pictured below). The event will have more than 50 presenters and 500 attendees, with an unusual mix of folks.

The presenters include: Actor Robert Downey Jr.; Ian Dunbar, canine expert and dog trainer; former Disney CEO Michael Eisner; Donald Jackson, royal calligrapher to Queen Elizabeth II; and “Heroes” creator Tim Kring.

Hawley answered our questions via email:

BoomTown: Essentially you are taking over from Richard’s first one?

Hawley: Essentially, yes. We’re partners, actually, but I’ve got infinite rope. Richard is being more genuinely supportive, more enthusiastic and more hands-off than most people could possibly imagine.

BoomTown: What are your aims for it?

Hawley: To be honest, I’m a bit weary of high-end packaged conferences. But I’m never tired of spending great time with incredible people. I’m designing EG to be the kind of conference I would beg to attend.

“Frankly, I decided to run it for a very personal reason. Last year, the schedule slipped off the tracks because of all things, Bill Nye and Blair Tindall had an impromptu wedding in the middle of the conference. Instead of giving my presentation, I wound up playing the Chopin sonata for piano and cello, an absolutely gorgeous piece I’ve wanted to play all my adult life.

“But I’ve never had a cellist who knew it and loved it. Thank God Yo-Yo Ma was there. We had a terrific time playing. I think it was a magic moment for many people, not just me, and that sort of thing tends not to happen at most conferences.

“It’s more the norm for EG–by design. Anyway, I told myself that I ought to keep EG going until Yo-Yo comes back, so we can play the other two movements. (He’s got a big gig with the BSO [Boston Symphony Orchestra] that conflicts this year, unfortunately. But we have Leon Fleisher, the great American pianist.)

“So, what I’m aiming for is an event that will be a breeder reactor for magical, wonderfully unexpected connections like these. Richard’s conferences have changed my life, and have profoundly affected thousands of people.

“I am keeping EG intimate (no overflow room); it isn’t an orgy. The Getty has been absolutely wonderful to work with and is an ideal site in many ways.

“On the face of it, EG celebrates the entertainment industry, which is kind of like a supercharger for the engine of L.A., and L.A. is perhaps the most dynamic and creative pocket in the world. At some level, the entertainment world inspires and affects most facets of modern life.

“The instinct to create a brilliant, eclectic event and plunk it down like a great big cherry on top of the sundae of L.A. was Richard’s.

“I do want EG to reflect the wildly diverse creative genius of L.A., and it does. But the choices also say a lot about me and my tastes. Marvin Minsky was my adviser and “father” at MIT and I’m really pleased that he contacted me to speak here.

“Nicholas Negroponte is a dear friend and colleague, and in some ways my closest mentor. He’s so busy with “One Laptop Per Child” that I didn’t want to bug him to present. But he got in touch and asked to come, in part because he has ardently participated in every one of Wurman’s events and cherishes the uniqueness of them.

“Amy Tan and I became odd friends on a trip to Bhutan, and have shared some really special, wonderful memories together. I’m working hard to make EG the kind of event she’d really enjoy.

“Some of the people presenting really are living national treasures. Some are young rising stars. Some offer the wisdom of a lifetime of accomplishments.

“I agonized over every invitation, and not just for the presenters, but for all attendees (I’m trying to be personally in touch with every one). For EG, my goal is to bring out the best of the best, and not get in the way too much.”

Sign us up, especially for the sundae with a big cherry on top part.