I’m in Austin, Texas for the 2013 South by South West (SXSW) Interactive festival — a new media wonderland that each year, for the last four years, has left me inspired, exhausted, satiated and swimming in a deep pool of new ideas.
Here’s how the organisers describe SXSW, which is expected to attract over 15,000 people over the next five days:
“An incubator of cutting-edge technologies and digital creativity, the event features five days of compelling presentations from the brightest minds in emerging technology… From hands-on training to big-picture analysis of the future, SXSW Interactive has become the place to experience a preview of what is unfolding in the world of technology.” reads their website. Read more here.
Ready, and breathe… At the start of SXSW, I feel the need to take a big breath, the type of breath you might take when about to go on a roller coaster, when you’re excited, but also a little scared. There’s so much to see and do and experience… In the last few years, I’ve been thrilled to meet great business authors at SXSW Interactive (Guy Kawasaki, Brian Solis, Amber Naslund, David Meerman Scott, Aliza Sherman, Erika Napoletano, Chris Brogan, Erik Qualman – to name a few). The conference keynotes are often innovative tech business leaders. The founders of Twitter, Pinterest, foursquare and many other tools that we know and use in business come to mind immediately. This year I’m looking forward to hearing the founder of Whole Foods, an inspiring retail chain of natural foods supermarkets (and the co-author of new book, Conscious Capitalism). There’s also the celebrity factor, with former vice presidents, actors, musicians and loads of TV personalities making an appearance. This year, Al Gore is making a repeat appearance. Here’s the schedule for SXSW Interactive.
Come on the (curated) SXSW ride
I’ll be tweeting from some of the sessions at @suzidafnis. Follow along for a tiny insight into some of the panels I’ll be attending. And, if you want to, dare to, follow the sxsw (or sxswi) hashtag, you’ll be inundated with tweets. (Twitter was launched at SXSW a few years back and people here tweet, a lot.) I’m ‘going in’. See you on the other side. I don’t know what I’ll find, but I’ll report back. Here we go…
