From March 11 – 17 I lived a life in Austin that stretched my limits, brought me much joy, brought me closer to friends and made Monster an integral part of my diet. Here’s what I learned about navigating Austin at my first SXSWi.
- The person next to you at a panel or party may be an app developer or a creative director at a major agency. You can learn something from both so you have to reach out. If you don’t it’s just a missed opportunity.
- The “I” in VIP can stand for important, ingenious or innovative. The latter two mean you weren’t on the list, but you made it inside the party. These situations are much more satisfying than just knowing someone.
- The swagalanche is disgusting. You can do your part by not taking all the shit people are handing out. All the talk at the airport was about how much shit everyone had to recycle and throw out. It’s preposterous for an interactive conference to produce so much garbage.
- Beards
- A good seat at a panel can be harder than getting into a packed party. If there’s something you really want to see it’s worth getting there early.
- If DEVO is having a panel then go. DEVO, The Internet & You might have been the best pane of the entire thing.
- When someone offers to teach you The Hustle, it’s best to oblige. Many thanks to Charlotte from Made By Many.
- Go where the hackers and robots go. They have some exciting shit to show. Check out this video of the people from ArcAttack killing it with their tesla coils at SXSW.
- If you see @jason eating BBQ it’s best to play paparazzi they way @jefferyjake did. Easily one of the funniest run-ins of the week.
- People you spend all of your time with in the real world can be some of the most impressive at sxswi. To see them in the glow of the festival can be illuminating.
I’ll add stuff as it comes to me. Please share what you learned in the comments.