You know you’re at South by Southwest when…

Mar
29
Submitted by: Kristin Webb

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You’re among 30,000 other attendees, you hear live music sounding from every direction and you smell the aroma of food trucks on every street corner. During SXSW, Austin, TX, is a city like no other. SXSW is a two week-long event in March for creative talents from across the world to come together to share ideas and develop their careers. I was able to experience the sights and sounds of SXSW with an Austin friend but my next step is to attend the interactive conference portion. 

In addition to the music portion of SXSW, film and interactive segments were added in 1994 when these industries started growing. SXSW Interactive explores new media technology and creative solutions to enhance the work for agencies and the clients they serve. SXSW Interactive also is the perfect place for startups, entrepreneurs and investors to come together and share best practices and learn new ones.

Omaha’s own Silicon Prairie News team and several clients attended this event and also sat on several panels. The panel topics consisted of founding startups on the Silicon Prairie, the importance of regional tech blogs, how to build successful startup communities and comparing the Dot-com bubble now to the 90s. They even hosted the Silicon Prairie Cereal Bar, sponsored by the Greater Omaha Chamber, which brought in more than 600 SXSW attendees.

“SXSW is an awesome event and we find huge value in it for the connections we make,” said Danny Schreiber, Managing Editor at Silicon Prairie News.

Way to represent Omaha down south! Check out their photos and coverage here. 

Highlights & Trends of SXSW 2012:
·         Rock-n-Roll legend Bruce Springsteen was the festival’s keynote speaker reminiscing on his musical influences and sharing tips for aspiring musicians today. Over 3,000 listeners tuned in for this special event. NPR sponsored the live stream via NPR Music. Read the full article from USA Today here.
·         Rap sensation and entrepreneur Jay Z hit the stage with an unforgettable performance at ACL Live. This was also the launch site of American Express’s new Twitter Sync program. Amex users are now able to link their credit cards with Twitter and receive deals directly to their card without printing coupons. Read more and view photos here.
·         U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) has taken note of the trend of successful entrepreneurs. He presented on the topic of empowering startup founders through a bill he co-authored with Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), The Startup Act. This act calls to “jumpstart the economy through the creation and growth of new businesses.” His goal of reaching out at SXSW was to urge the tech community to spread the word on social media networks.  Read more from Silicon Prairie’s article here.
SXSW is the ultimate experience. Whether you are affiliated with music, film or interactive you will find memorable experiences and valuable connections.
What creative influence would you want to hear speak on a trending topic?  

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