As many of you already know, Artmatcher has been accepted into the South by Southwest (SXSW) Pitch Competition. While we provided an overview of the pitch competition in a previous post, we didn’t discuss SXSW more broadly. So in this article, we are going to cover the highlights of the entire SXSW festival.
What is SXSW?
SXSW, also known as South by Southwest, is a major festival held in Austin, Texas each year. SXSW is a convergence of film, interactive media, and music industries that takes over the city for 10 days each year. SXSW features screenings, panels, lectures, and workshops from industry leaders across all three industries.
The event is held in March, and this year’s SXSW will be from March 11-20.
How did SXSW start?
SXSW started in 1987 as a music festival with 700 attendees. The event has since grown exponentially, and last year’s SXSW had over 72,000 attendees. While the music festival is still the centerpiece of SXSW, it has grown to include film and interactive media.
What are some of the highlights of SXSW?
There are far too many highlights at SXSW to list them all, but here are a few:
- Keynotes from industry leaders across film, interactive media, and music
- Film screenings
- Business Pitch Competition
- SXSW Interactive Innovation Awards
- SXSW Film Festival Awards
- SXSW Music Festival
- Do you have any tips for attending SXSW?
Tips for Visiting SXSW
If you’re planning on attending SXSW, here are a few tips:
- Plan your days in advance and make sure to see the events that are most relevant to your industry.
- Network, network, network! SXSW is a great place to meet people in your industry.
- Be prepared for long days and late nights. SXSW is a lot of fun, but it can be exhausting.
- Take advantage of the free food and drinks. There are always plenty of free snacks and drinks at SXSW.
SXSW is always a great time, and we can’t wait to see what this year has in store. Stay tuned for more updates on our SXSW journey!