Come to Austin, Texas in the springtime for the South by Southwest Music/Film/Interactive Conference/Festival. Yes, that is a mouthful to say, but it is the most exciting ten days of the year.
- Whether you are a musician, a music lover or in the music business, a Net2.0 person or a gamer, an independent film maven, a seasoned producer or a newbie screenwriter–you must come.
- Spend the days networking, promoting your band, book, game, application or innovation. Learn about social networking, mobi marketing, new apps and platforms. Get discovered, funded, mentored or published. Connect with press, radio, and film industry players.
- At night, grab a music or film schedule and anguish over your choices. Run around downtown Austin, eat and drink too much, have a wonderful time listening to tunes or watching flicks, but remember you should get up the next day to do it all again.
SXSW Music and Media Conference is held March 12-16, 2008. What started at an area hotel with about 30 bands playing in a few clubs around town has expanded to 1500+ musicians performing at 70+ music venues. During the day, thousands of entertainment and media industry professionals fill the Austin Convention Center for panels, presentations, trade show and exhibits. Dolly Parton, R.E.M. and The Black Crowes are already scheduled to perform.
SXSW Interactive Festival (Interactive feed), held March 7-11, 2008, explores the latest in media technologies with panels, presentations, trade show and exhibits. Look for ScreenBurn, gaming-specific programming with an open-platform arcade featuring tournaments and exhibitions. Mark Zuckerberg, from Facebook, is the keynote speaker on Sunday, March 9
SXSW Film Conference and Festival (Film feed), held March 7-15, 2008, covers the art and the business of independent cinematography. Scheduled events include a conversation with Michael Eisner, ex-head of Disney, and Helen Hunt, actress turned director whose new film Then She Found Me, will screen at this year’s SXSW Film Festival.
Register for events by clicking here | Download tools to keep updated here | Keep up with industry news here
If you will be staying in a hotel, reserve NOW. Otherwise, you may be staying in San Marcos or Johnson City and commuting in each day. This is a huge event, even for Texas!
