Well, SXSW is getting closer and closer! It’s barely a week away, and the team members that will be traveling to Austin are in full-out planning mode. Since it’s our first time going, we’re not totally sure what to expect. Since the SXSW are such a social-savvy crowd, we knew that we’d get the answers we needed from social media.
When we asked what to expect, most of the answers were along the lines of “chaos wrapped in awesome.” So from there, we asked how we could best prepare for this awesome chaos we’re going to be in the middle of next week. A lot of the tips were things everyone has been told before: plan ahead, pack for every kind of weather condition, etc.
But some of the other pieces of advice we were given were more unique; things we hadn’t seen in other advice posts we used to help us prepare. In an attempt to not be selfish, we decided to put these tips into a SlideShare presentation to share with other attendees. And this advice isn’t just for people attending SXSW for the first time; there’s always one way or another to make more of your experience. Since most of these tips came from social media, we thought we’d make them as tweetable as possible for you to share these tips with your own followers!
We’ve already explained why companies should go to SXSW. Now we’re helping you make the most of it once you’ve decided to attend. Without further ado, awesome SXSW tips in three…two…one…
Planning
- When you’re headed to SXSW, it’s important to have a strategy that includes room for flexibility. – @JessicaNWarren (Click to tweet this tip)
- RSVP for parties ahead of time: Check Eventbrite, Twitter, Plancast, and Facebook. The lines to get in are long, and you can always decide that day which party you want to go to. But if you are not RSVP’d, you’re likely not getting in at all. – @ChristineHarmel (Click to tweet this tip)
- 40,000 people at SXSW interactive makes it hard to get data to your smartphone sometimes. Have an offline back-up plan. – @Chuparkoff (Click to tweet this tip)
- Plan 20% of your time for the “can’t miss” and “must meet” events, and then allow yourself to get swallowed up by the serendipity and surprise with the other 80%. – @ATX (Click to tweet this tip)
- You’re going to be on-the-go the entire day. Your phone will die. Bring an external battery to make sure that you always have juice for your phone or tablet. – @digishopgirl (Click to tweet this tip)
- It is extremely easy to get overwhelmed when picking out what sessions to attend. My pro tip is to always default to the larger ballrooms when deciding between what sessions to attend that run at the same time. Presenters are placed in the larger ballrooms for a reason. Usually they have a decent following in their niche and are known for providing quality content. – @shawnjones (Click to tweet this tip)
- Pack light because by the time you leave, your suitcase will be overflowing with swag from SXSW and all of the companies handing out free t-shirts, tote bags, and more. – @TaraBerkoski (Click to tweet this tip)
Marketing, PR, and Branding
- If you’re going to be giving out trinkets, make them memorable. The fact is, there are a lot of things being given away at SXSW, so you want to stand out. – @digishopgirl (Click to tweet this tip)
- If you’re going to be representing your company, prepare to go big, be bold, and stand out. SXSW is so crowded with brands that yours can easily get lost among the clutter. – @JessicaNWarren (Click to tweet this tip)
- Get your marketing collateral ready. You will run out of things at SXSW, so plan ahead. Order business cards, order t-shirts, order things you want to give away. Order them ahead of time and ship them to SXSW so they’re waiting for you when you arrive in Austin. – @digishopgirl (Click to tweet this tip)
- Prepare for endless distractions and logistical challenges. Take them all in stride – it’s all part of the experience. – @JessicaNWarren (Click to tweet this tip)
- Grab an extra shirt for the evening. There’s a lot of alcohol at SXSW, especially in the evening. It’s great to wear the branding of your company on a t-shirt or polo during the day, but if you plan on drinking in the evening, you may want to consider changing. The fact is, we’ve all seen those videos or pictures of people doing silly things at a party. So whether you’re a Fortune 500 or a small startup, leave your t-shirt at home if you’re heading out to a bar. – @digishopgirl (Click to tweet this tip)
Networking
- Figure out who you want to meet up with at SXSW before you come, contact them, and set up some meetings and dinners. It’s a great opportunity to meet those people you’ve wanted to meet from around the world. – @ChristineHarmel (Click to tweet this tip)
- Don’t be bashful. People are there to meet, network, and connect. Talk to the person standing next to you at the crosswalk. Don’t hesitate to attend a party by yourself. – @redstamplindsay (Click to tweet this tip)
- Carry a power strip in your backpack. Charge your phone and tablet, plus meet 5 new friends at the same time. – @Chuparkoff (Click to tweet this tip)
Food and Drink
- Look for the punch card tucked in behind your badge. It’s worth free drinks each day in the fenced corral across from ACC. – @Chuparkoff (Click to tweet this tip)
- If you use Twitter on your phone, keep a Twitter search open for “SXSW free.” With this, you’ll always know where the free food, drinks, and events are at (or when they have run out!). – @JessicaNWarren (Click to tweet this tip)
- Find the lounges. There are tons of daytime lounges with drinks, WiFi, snacks, and a place to generally recharge and socialize. – @loricheeknyc (Click to tweet this tip)
- Get a drink at The Driskill Hotel, where President LBJ met his wife. I’m pretty sure he was at SXSW for Interactive, and she for Music. – @Chuparkoff (Click to tweet this tip)
- Follow @SXSWfreedrinks and @SouthByFreeNOMS for all the free food and drink spots. You may even win passes! – @iGiveYouMoore (Click to tweet this tip)
- Some of the best food in Austin will be on the food trucks. Follow them on Twitter to see where they’ll be. – @Chuparkoff (Click to tweet this tip)
Moving Around
- Travel in small groups. Two people is best, and never more than 4. It makes transport and access to clubs very difficult. – @jman (Click to tweet this tip)
- Rent a bike! Especially if you’ll be going to sessions all over. It’s too far to walk and the shuttles last year were overcrowded. – @lovinbrianne (Click to tweet this tip)
- Pay attention to your SXSW shuttle route. Avoid full shuttle drive-bys by boarding closer to the beginning of your route. – @Chuparkoff (Click to tweet this tip)
Miscellaneous Nuggets of Wisdom
- A badge isn’t necessary to take full advantage of the festival. There’s so much going on outside of the actual convention that you can meet everyone in town and the evening’s events make everyone a lot more approachable. – @loricheeknyc (Click to tweet this tip)
- Get your badge as early as possible. The night before is best. Once you land, go straight to the convention center and get your badge. The line only gets longer from there… – @ChristineHarmel (Click to tweet this tip)
- Pace yourself with sessions and pick several for one time slot, in case you can’t get into one. Can’t get into any? Walk around and meet new people! – @ElizabethB (Click to tweet this tip)
- Sleep in, stay out late. The action starts in the afternoon and goes long into the night/morning. – @ChristineHarmel (Click to tweet this tip)
- Most of the SXSW Featured Sessions in Exhibit Hall 5 and Ballroom D are also offered at the Hilton as a video simulcast. – @Chuparkoff (Click to tweet this tip)
Did we miss any important tips? Leave them in the comments below or tweet them using the hashtag #SXSWtips!
More SXSW posts:
By Brittany Berger
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Tags: professional networking, SlideShare, sxsw, Technology, Trade Shows
