Coming to Austin, Texas this March: The 22nd annual South by South West (SXSW) Festivals!
South by South West (SXSW) is a set of music, interactive, and film festivals that occur every March in Austin, Texas. The festival was created to serve as a hub for artists, creators, and their audiences to develop and further their careers and expand upon each other’s creative ideas. It’s lively and artsy home of Austin attracts audiences from all over the globe and offers an ideal setting for people to meander from venue to venue, exploring live performances, sitting in on informational panels, and networking with others in their industry of choice.
Music: March 17-22
The first SXSW festival was the 1987 South by Southwest Music Conference in Austin, Texas. Since then, the festival has grown to become the largest of its kind in the world, with more than 2,000 artists performing at over 100 venues, and almost 28,000 conference participants.
Every year, the festival serves as a promotional platform for members of the music and media industries, including artists, panelists, businesses, and audiences. The music festival is unique in that incorporates thousands of live musical performances with panels, presentations, and other special events that are located at various venues throughout the area. About six events take place at each venue every night, meaning there are over 100 bands playing at any given moment. With a conference badge, you can start venue hopping at 8pm and attend as many events as you can make it to before the last show ends at the stroke of 2am. Strategy and efficiency is key!
Interactive: March 13-17
In 1994, SXSW added the Interactive Conference to accommodate the growing technology and digital industries. This branch of the festival features panels and presentations by some of the tech-world’s industry leaders along with special events that showcase the newest websites, video games, and startup ideas as a preview for the nearing future of technology.
This year’s Interactive Conference will include sessions such as the 18th annual SXSW Interactive Awards and the SXSW Trade Show, as well as the SXSW Gaming Expo – an open platform of game tournaments and game testing for consumers, developers, and game masters.
Film: March 13-21
Also added in 1994, the SXSW Film Conference and Festival gathers filmmakers and film lovers from around the world to preview the latest and most innovative film ideas. Over 150 film sessions occur throughout the week each year, which inspire discussion and networking among film industry members such as directors, actors, producers, and fans among many others.
The festival breathes creativity and collaboration, and is an opportune setting for making connections with some of the best in the biz.
