I decided to attend the SXSW Interactive trade show this year. I used to attend the music portion back in my music biz heyday, but it has been over eight years since I checked this show out.
Not to be confused with the film or music portion of the event, SXSW Interactive connects fresh startups offering what is new and what is next to geek consumers hungry for the next big interactive thing. Taking place in Austin, Texas, SXSW Interactive combines track sessions, startup showcases for investors and evening parties with contests for consumers.
The melding of businesses and consumers in a veritable playground of an environment allows businesses to truly see their products in action. The show is very spread out, from the parties to the track sessions. I relied heavily on following people and SXSW trending topics through Twitter. Other than running into colleagues, I found communication beyond my social media tools hard to come by. I even resurrected my Foursquare account! It is no surprise then that the geo-location apps/startups were the highlight of the show. Some you may not know about:
- SCVNGER: a location-based mobile game
- Tweetsii: allows you to connect with nearby tweeters and check in/check out of places
- Localmind: lets users ask questions to people who are checked in nearby
Group services also showcased well at SXSW. Cool apps such as…
- Beluga: a group messaging app that allows you to plan, share photos, update and check in/out with friends. Beluga announced on March 1st that it was acquired by Facebook.
- Groupme: group texting with ease.
With so much emphasis on social media , I found my best conversations were one-on-one with conference goers who happened to sit by me when I was charging my phone.
The interesting part of the show for me was the Bizspark/Microsoft Accelerator Showcase where VC’s sat in a Gong Show-like “speed dating”-mode looking for the next big thing. Hipmunk was a standout — this app allows users to choose flights according to their travel pain threshold. I also liked PopVox, which meshes real-time legislative data with users’ personal stories and sentiment. I found a really useful web app in NeighborGoods, a place designed for friends and neighbors to easily borrow or share items with each other.
The show was definitely high energy, all walks of life about, with bands playing at most of the interactive events. A personal highlight: we were fortunate to have the Foo Fighters crash our closing party.
All in all, SXSW is filled with buzz and activity, but it’s almost too noisy to focus and somewhat difficult to navigate. Great for consumers, a requirement for startups making a name and looking for investors. It’s pretty much an option for everyone else.
South By 2012? Maybe..
-Kia