SXSW: Conference or Festival?
Posted: Tue May 27, 2025 7:08 am
Today, South by Southwest (SXSW) kicks off in Austin, Texas . This festival is called the incubator for cutting edge technologies and digital creativity and is a household name in the digital world. This year, SXSW is being organized for the twentieth time from March 8 to 17. It consists of 3 parts: interactive, music and film. Since 2011, SXSW education precedes Interactive, which lasts until the 12th and then music takes over until the end. Film runs throughout the festival.
Keynotes, panels, parties and BBQs
The program consists of thousands of sessions. From keynotes to panel discussions and from workshops to list to data mentoring sessions at various locations in the city, mainly the convention center and large hotels. There are a crazy amount of drinks and parties, for which you can RSVP in advance, but that does not guarantee entry, because there are literally lines everywhere in the evening. You will find the coolest startups, CEOs of all the important digital companies and sites, gurus, journalists, writers, online marketers and techies. Anyone who does not come back from Texas with a head full of new information ideas has not been paying attention or has partied too much.
A conference sounds more professional, but as soon as the music people mingle with the interactives it really feels like a festival. The streets are filled with nerds and musicians, there is a band playing on every corner and you almost feel like you are at Lowlands. Also thanks to the hippie feeling that Austin gives you, because the slogan is not for nothing 'Keep Austin weird'.
SXSW 2013Last year, in response to SXSW, I wrote the article ' 5 trends from the states ', which highlights the trends and technologies that were hot in 2012. What the 2013 edition will bring us in any case: the next step in social and self-publishing, monitoring and analysis of (big) data & platform-independent apps and sites using html5.
Keynotes, panels, parties and BBQs
The program consists of thousands of sessions. From keynotes to panel discussions and from workshops to list to data mentoring sessions at various locations in the city, mainly the convention center and large hotels. There are a crazy amount of drinks and parties, for which you can RSVP in advance, but that does not guarantee entry, because there are literally lines everywhere in the evening. You will find the coolest startups, CEOs of all the important digital companies and sites, gurus, journalists, writers, online marketers and techies. Anyone who does not come back from Texas with a head full of new information ideas has not been paying attention or has partied too much.
A conference sounds more professional, but as soon as the music people mingle with the interactives it really feels like a festival. The streets are filled with nerds and musicians, there is a band playing on every corner and you almost feel like you are at Lowlands. Also thanks to the hippie feeling that Austin gives you, because the slogan is not for nothing 'Keep Austin weird'.
SXSW 2013Last year, in response to SXSW, I wrote the article ' 5 trends from the states ', which highlights the trends and technologies that were hot in 2012. What the 2013 edition will bring us in any case: the next step in social and self-publishing, monitoring and analysis of (big) data & platform-independent apps and sites using html5.