South by Southwest. Its a name you recognize and its in a city you know. The event has been running for 30 years and draws in thousands from around the world. Chances are you’ve seen performances on a live stream, or heard about the massive party that erupts in the city center. But what do you really know about this week long festival? What is the deal with SXSW?
The Conference
You may think of the music festival when you think of SXSW, and we’ll definitely get to that, but SXSW has a massive education component attached to it. The festival kicks off with countless workshops centered around music, film, and interactive (health, social impact, sports, etc.). South by invites speakers and thought leaders in each respective division to share their insights, ideas, and takeaways from the past years and what can be expected in the future. With hot topics such as blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies, leaders such as Brian Behlendorf to take the stage early on. Want to understand the science behind GIF’s? Just make sure to catch one of Alex Chung‘s talks. Even award winning journalist Katie Couric will be in attendance. If you enjoy learning about the future, technology, and rubbing shoulders with some of the biggest influencers in the world, SXSW is where you need to be mid-March.
The Festivals
Thats right, festivals, not just one. SXSW boasts a music, film, comedy and interactive festival over the course of the 10 day event. From a music festival perspective, SXSW reigns as the largest music festival in the world. It draws in over 150,000 attendees and over 2,000 musical acts. The best part? These performances don’t take place on an empty farm or cleared parking lot. This festival takes over the entire city and brings musical acts and attendees to churches, bars, parks, hotels and more. These musical showcases are brought to the festival by the labels, PR teams and more, making it highly interactive and most importantly, intimate.
EXPO & Networking
What else more could you need after extensive workshops and festivals? An exposition and of course! And SXSW creates one for each leg of its event. It allows vendors and businesses to showcase what they can do for a festival, a venue, and beyond. Lastly, to tie it all together, SXSW has created space for its attendees to discuss anything personal or business. The event curates lounges throughout the city to allow for some quiet time and to get to know others in your same field.