Escapades at #SXSW
Life is all about experiences. Everyone’s preferable experiences are different, but if you’re a creative in any sense of the word, there’s one place you need to go. People convene to this location from all walks of life, lighting up its streets with LED’s and high spirits. This is the type of place where you can walk up to a stranger, strike up a conversation about anything in the world, and be met with listening ears and an open mind. This place is SXSW, located in Austin, Texas.
WTF is a SXSW?
SXSW is an event filled with conferences, panel discussions, meet-ups, art exhibitions and networking opportunities- it basically has something for everyone. There is a pooling of knowledge during SXSW that comes from entrepreneurs, writers, directors, recruiters, artists and limit-pushing organizations that encourage progressive and forward-thinking ideas.
Why’d I go?
I was sent to SXSW by my agency, Truly Social Inc. Two of my coworkers held a meet up for the conference and I absorbed as much information as I possibly could for a new project we’re working on. There was never a dull moment during my time there, to say the least.
What did I do?
Aside from free pretzels and coffee every which way, I had the pleasure of attending various panel discussions and talks. I also had the opportunity to visit Rainey St, the most poppin’ area in all of Austin that weekend. There were quite a few discussions I attended. They’re listed below:
- Building a 21st Century Entertainment Brand @ The Pinterest House
- A Conversation with Ernest Cline @ Convention Centre
- Westworld: Establishing a Transmedia Franchise @ Fairmont
- Behind The Scenes with Marvel’s Wolverine Podcast @ Convention Center
- Innovation Fatigue: Tech Content in a Noisy World @ Fairmont
- Mars or Bust: Designing The Future of Humanity @ Convention Center
There were several key takeaways from these talks. You can read my highlights a little later.
Elon Musk Showed Up
As always, SXSW had a few surprises up their sleeve. Elon Musk showed up for a surprise talk, and later held a Q&A the next day to discussion SpaceX and future interstellar travel. No big deal. Other sightings included Olivia Wilde, Melinda Gates, Christiane Amanpour, Dakota Fanning, Emily Blunt + John Krasinksi, Kara Swisher, and Steven Spielberg.
Ernie Cline is a hilarious human…
He’s also a total fanboy of Steven Spielberg. During his conversation at the Austin Convention Centre he frequently mentioned his “incredible” time working with Spielberg, joking “it’s all downhill from here.” He touched on past work and how growing up as the first generation with in-home entertainment consoles transformed his life. He also spoke about his upcoming movie, Ready Player One, and how it’s concept ties into current trends within the entertainment realm.
Did I mention free… everything?
Depending on where and when you were, a free item would magically appear in your hand. These included stickers, buttons, drinks (so many), food ( so much variety) and all the coffee you could imagine. I want to give a special shout out to the Comcast Lounge for fueling me up with some delicious coffee on my last day. They also were serving ice cream at 9 AM, and I want to give major props for that.
Technological advancements EVERYWHERE
I’m being somewhat dramatic, but there WAS really cool gadgets all over SXSW. I went to the BoseAR house the first evening and I experience a BETA version of their latest product. Think Google Glass, but without the visuals. You are able to hear what you’re seeing which I think it’s pretty interesting.
If you’re having some trouble visualizing this, imagine you were to look up at the sky. The glasses are able to detect what you’re looking at and prompts you with a question such as “Do you want to know the forecast for today?” You can either shake your head for yes and no, and depending on your response you will either get the weather forecast or be told to have a great day. BoseAR is currently looking for developers and coders so if you’re interested or know someone who is, give them a shout!
https://twitter.com/Ianbcraft/status/974305562266660864
The Conversations, Tho…
I’m a pretty talkative person, especially when it comes to strangers. SXSW provided ample opportunities to talk to anyone about anything at any time. I stroke up a conversation with someone on my flight headed to Austin that specializes in the latest wide-angle lenses, a real estate agent, a mortician (I know, right??), a backend coder and various other people. Those are the four that strongly stood out because of our discussions. If you’re looking to network, this is the place for you!
The People in GENERAL
There is no one way to describe the people I saw- I had serious envy over their style and enthusiasm for life. Some were incredibly fashion-forward, while others were decked out in their most casual attire completely rockin’ it. The overall vibe was “laid back but always ready for anything” and I must say, I felt right at home.
https://twitter.com/mashvass/status/973317230174720000
Key Takeaways
With events like this, you will always have key takeaways, whether they’re for your work or for yourself.
- There are easter eggs everywhere
By this I mean that everything happens for a reason. There is a string you’re able to trace all the way back to a starting point, and see how it’s impacted a variety of ideas and concepts. Always be on the lookout for them because they will help you understand your audience, and yourself, better.
2. There’s a time and place for creativity
I can not emphasize this enough. Having a cool and quirky idea doesn’t mean that you need to implement it. Think of the best way to be creative- be strategic with it.
3. Think like a spy
How would Black Widow infiltrate an organization? When it comes to building out campaigns or strategies, think like a spy. Instead of asking how to create a single-time campaign that will be watched once by someone, ask yourself how can you infiltrate every daily aspect of someone’s life. What platforms do you use to accomplish this?
4. The limit does not exist.
You need to get creative when it comes to solving a problem. There are no limitations to a project, except the ones you put on yourself. Think out of the box- there is always a way to tackle a “challenge” and turn a limitation into a positive.
5. Be authentic.
People can smell BS from a mile away- know how to make an idea or concept feel genuine and people will gravitate towards it.
Looooong story short…
My time at SXSW was incredible. I met a vast group of people, discovered new advancements being made in the realm of entertainment and media consumption, and had a blast while doing it. I want to thank Tara Hunt @missrogue for sending me on this excursion. It’s one I’ll never forget.
