Days away, the conference that connects the worldwide community of digital creatives with cutting-edge ideas, emerging interests, and opportunities to network with others who have a similar desire for forward-thinking experiences.
Before we share where and when, let’s orient ourselves as great founders do, and start with why…
Themes to Explore at SXSW
Discovering the Undiscovered
Vaccines are being developed at record speed, transportation innovation is accelerating, universal basic income is being seriously discussed, and the tools and products of unrestrained creativity are reshaping the human experience.
Built for the Future
People born today will be alive in the year 2100, and they will inherit an uninhabitable earth. Constructing a better society is no longer a moral obligation; it is a question of survival, and there is an immense appetite for answers to long-standing challenges.
We’re All Connected
With challenges that transcend national boundaries, global cooperation and a long-term commitment to transparency are critical for achieving lasting change.
Make the Most of SXSW
Use SXSW Social if you’re a badge holder – Hit Connect with Others and grab us and people to meet!
Register with us. Bookmark media.mediatech.ventures on your smartphone and you can message every one of us and more
LOVE social media. SXSW is meet and move. Stay in touch through Twitter or LinkedIn
The Evolving Media Landscape
We have entered an era of synergistic mergers, the promise of a forthcoming metaverse, and the emergence of new platforms that empower digital creatives. More? A world of globally available, unfettered speech means we’re pondering scrutiny and regulation. Welcome to the internet.
The Power of Inclusivity
Utilizing a wide range of viewpoints and experiences, we uncover alternative solutions, help avoid groupthink, and increase the possibility of finding new options. It is vital to harness this force.
Our Focus at SXSW
You may be familiar with our Venture Capital work at conferences, matching Startups with VCs, this year we’re producing Funded House with our great friends at Midwest House. The world is experiencing a great migration of jobs, capital, and people, as we shift from the way things were to the future of innovation, and while Texas has garnered a ton of attention lately, the fact is that in the U.S., the shift is from the coast along the ocean to the central corridor of the country. What better way to explore that that visiting the Midwest while you’re in Austin, TX. Sunday, we’re spending the day there an invite you to join the investors and conversations, but swing by Friday through Tuesday as the Midwest draws our attention to Startups, Smart Cities & Transportation, and the Future of Work.
SUNDAY, MARCH 13
Invest for Good
- 9am – Madcap Coffee
- 10am – 11 – Techstars Midwest Accelerator Leads Presented by ZENDESK
- 11am – 1 – Pride Fund Brunch
- 1pm – 2 – SXSW Panel – Venture of Impact (Loud Capital, Atlas Partners, Backstage Capital) – SXSW Badge Required
- 2:30pm – 3:30 – Lafayette American Period. Campaign
- 4pm – 5 – Funded House Takeover
- 7pm – 10 – Midwest House Music
THROUGHOUT SXSW
“The Evolving Media Landscape” (you know that caught our attention)
Whether XR, immersive, or the metaverse, the future is far more experiential so we’re working with Wisdome LA, behind the convention center near Moonshine, to show you. The best way to connect with us through, is to hop on our community here and let us know you plan to stop by.
Where Else You’ll Find Us at SXSW (click to register at…)
- Dell’s work for Startups is among the most meaningful in entrepreneurship, we’ll frequently be at The EXPERIENCE
- Saturday with the European Union to Invest & Innovate, at EU House
- Québec’s Creative Wonderland at Canada House on Monday
- MassChallenge Social Innovation Challenge on Monday
- Ignite Talks‘ Future of Music talks on Tuesday, March 15th at 11:30 in the convention center (badge holders)
- Digi.City’s innovators, city makers, entrepreneurs & experts at Wax Myrtle’s Club and Midwest House
- Brand Innovators Innovation Series Friday through Tuesday
Where We’ll Be (if you’ll be there)
Not that these are exclusive events, merely that they’re limited in size and space, you have plans to be here, seek us out and say hello.
- As the world arrives in Austin, we’ll keep supporting the work of the world thriving together. Friday morning, the SXSW International Welcome Breakfast.
- Later morning Friday, TrailblazerX @ SXSW 2022, with Advantage Austria and a delegation from the EU
- The Investor Reception, Saturday, with Austin Venture Association
- Project Venkman’s Banksy Gallery and the Future of DAOs
- Austin Accelerator HH presented by DivInc and Techstars, on Monday
- Microsoft for Startups’ Founder’s Hour
- With Enterprise Ireland and at Irish House throughout a series of events
- Supernode Supper Club: Web3 & The Metaverse
Official Panels of Note:
Interested in art at schools and universities? Marco Cappellini, CEO and co-founder at Centrica and ArtCentrica, President and co-founder at ViDiTrust, CEO and co-founder at VirtuItaly, one of the great founders we got to know through our work with Italy and the Italian Trade Agency, is at SXSW EDU, March 8th through March 10th with ArtCentrica at booth 440 (Hall 4).
March 11 | 10:00am – 5:00pm CT in JW Marriott (4th Floor) Dolby.io Platform for Media, Communications & Streaming
Dolby Labs has revolutionized the science of sight and sound through innovative research. Now with Dolby.io, the developer platform for audio, video, and voice APIs, you can experience that same Dolby magic in your app.
March 11 | 11:30am – 12:30pm CT in JW Marriott (Salon 2-4) Why Relatability Matters in Media
We want to explore how diversity contributes to the creation of relevant, engaging content, as well as tips for motivating, generating, and curating relatable material — from assembling a room of creatives to providing context and structure to assist explain your concept.
Speaker/s: Sarah Pappalardo, Meena Harris, Lauren Ashley Smith
March 11 | 2:30pm – 3:30pm CT in Marriott Downtown (Waterloo 3) How Social Media Can Combat Health Disparities
Social media sites like TikTok, Clubhouse, Instagram, and Twitter have developed into critical forums for medical professionals to educate the public about persistent disparities.
Speaker/s: Joel Bervell, Naomi Nkinsi, LaShyra Nolen
March 12 | 10:00am – 11:00am CT in Fairmont (Manchester F) How to Entertain and Retain Gamers in 2022
Gaming brands have to create strong relationships with customers so they become fans for life. Hear Braze + Zynga share strategies & tactics brands can use to leverage retention as a growth strategy.
Speaker/s: Bernard Kim, Shannon Liao, Bill Magnuson, Andrea Cutright
March 12 | 4:00pm – 5:00pm CT in Austin Convention Center (Room 13AB) Decolonizing the Film Industry Pipeline
Today’s inclusion strategies will influence tomorrow’s directors, technicians, and executives, therefore influencing industry-wide standards and practices.
Speaker/s: Miguel Alvarez, Felicia Chavez, Ya’Ke Smith, Vanessa Uhlig
March 13 | 10:00am – 11:00am CT in Austin Marriott Downtown (Room 401) NFT Meet Up
NFTs are the perfect digital tool to disrupt the way we are linked to these stories (owning a digital image, the artist behind an image) but understanding what NFTs are, is still abstract.
Speaker/s: Connie Ansaldi, Adrian Garelik
March 13 | 11:30am – 12:30pm CT in JW Marriott (Salon 2-4) Creator Economy: Is Media Doomed or Democratized?
This talk will examine how the Creator Economy allows for the flourishing of different perspectives while pushing profit to social platforms and challenging traditional media.
Speaker/s: Sarah Jones, Ramin Setoodeh, Samantha Skey, Stefano Volpetti
March 13 | 2:30pm – 3:30pm CT in Hilton Austin Downtown (Salon C) Inventing Humans in the Metaverse
From avatars to virtual beings to volumetric video, how will we populate the forthcoming spatial computing platforms and metaverses with digital representations of people?
Speaker/s: Zachary Drossman, Yasmin Elayat, James Jacobs, Katie Kelly
March 13 | 2:30pm – 3:30pm CT in JW Marriott (Room 201) Why Your Grandma’s Podcast Is Better Than Yours
Your podcast stinks. That’s why over 50% of the podcasts currently on Apple Podcasts have been abandoned after 5 episodes… this workshop explores why
March 13 | 2:30pm – 3:30pm CT in Hilton Austin Downtown (Salon J) Beyond the NFT Hype: Unlocking Token Economies
This session will address how the emergence of tokenization and NFTs has the potential to speed the development of new economies, inspire new business models, and increase participation in the modern financial system in the long run.
Speaker/s: Monica Long, Andy Yang
March 14 | 11:30am – 12:30pm CT in Fairmont (Manchester E) Level Up! Bridging Gameplay and Advertising
This panel will bring together professionals from Twitch, Enthusiast Gaming, and Frameplay to discuss the concept of a gamer in 2021 and the many touchpoints necessary to harness the community’s engagement factor, eventually bridging the gap between virtual and real-world environments.
Speaker/s: Felicia Carmichael, Sarah Iooss, Adrian Montgomery, Cary Tilds
March 14 | 2:30pm – 3:30pm CT in Austin Convention Center (Room 18C) The Future of Workspaces and the Metaverse
Join industry leaders, connected play designers, global innovators, and technology executives for a conversation on how they are planning for the next generation of workers, the growing dynamics of spatial computing, as well as perspectives on collaboration, culture, and the future of work.
Speaker/s: Marco Carvalho, Pedro Chiamulera, Phil Sage, Val Vacante
March 14 | 2:30pm – 3:30pm CT in Courtyard Marriott (Rio Grande) Courageous Creativity in a Digitally Native World
GenZ is the first digitally native generation. Their experience of the world is different than any that has come before them. This has created a need for brands to adapt their marketing strategies to connect authentically with this audience. To connect with this audience, brands need to evolve their marketing to also be creative and courageous
Speaker/s: Maayan Gordon, Maggie Lower
March 14 | 2:30pm – 3:30pm CT in Austin Convention Center (Room 18AB) Next-Gen Entertainment: The Metaverse and Music
Wave and Warner Music Group will explore music in the metaverse, including gaming’s impact on today’s music industry – for both artists and the fans – and the future of virtual entertainment experiences.
Speaker/s: Lucas Shaw, Adam Arrigo, Oana Ruxandra
March 14 | 4:00pm – 5:00pm CT in Fairmont (Manchester F) Fashion’s New Frontier: The Metaverse
The expanding relevance of online identity, new technology such as layered virtual clothing, and the exponential expansion of virtual fashion economies all present an enormous opportunity for businesses and designers to push their creative bounds.
Speaker/s: Alice Delahunt, Cathy Hackl, Robin Hunicke, Christina Wootton
March 14 | 4:00pm – 5:00pm CT in Convention Center (Room 15) From Podcast to Television: Widening the Lens
The panel will consider the opportunities and challenges of moving from podcast to TV. How to widen the lens and reinterpret the story cinematically? How to give voice and dimension to characters both existing and new? And how to protect the story’s integrity?
Speaker/s: Alison Flowers, Christy Gressman, Quan Phung, Shapearl Wells
March 15 | 10:00am – 11:00am CT in /jW Marriott (Salon 2) Refresh the News: Introducing Live Updating to Podcasts
Creators and industry vets from Insider and Spooler will give a live demo of Spooler’s groundbreaking new podcast publishing technology that stitches together digitally produced audio news stories into a seamless podcast.
Speakers/s: Bryan Barletta, Dan Benjamin, Andy Bowers, Rebeca Ibarra
March 15 | 10:00am – 11:00am CT in Marriott Downtown (Waller DEF) Unlocking Inclusive Media with Intersectionality
For years, the media has been rife with socioeconomic, racial/ethnic, and gender inequities. Today’s media and entertainment landscapes are critical in setting the tone for the future of inclusion.
Speaker/s: Ben Abraham, Zahara Hill, Aiden Korotkin, Sav Rodgers
March 15 | 11:00am – 12:00pm CT in Fairmont (Manchester B) The Future of Live Music
Being able to reach new audiences, increase accessibility, connect with fans in new ways, drive additional revenue streams, showcase known and emerging talent, increase sustainability by visiting more places digitally, while reducing carbon footprint with less IRL touring.
Speaker/s: Leila Amirsadeghi, Amy LaMeyer, Aaron Lemke, Jullian Rothman, Marisol Segal
March 15 | 11:30am – 12:30pm CT in JW Marriott (Salon 2) Everything Old is New Again: The Podcast Biz Model
Executives from across the podcast & media ecosystems to talk about the podcast business model and how it has adapted and adopted methods from content industries including TV, Radio, Streaming, and Social.
Speaker/s: Kit Gray, Ilana Susnow, Jenni Skaug, Gary Ousdahl
March 15 | 2:30pm – 3:30pm CT in Convention Center (Room 15) Increase your Film Music budget & Make Reel Change
Straightforward guidance on how to secure additional financing for film scores. They will also discuss their journeys as emerging and established composers, as well as their perspectives on what will improve the quality and success of future cinema soundtracks.
March 16 | 10:00am – 11:00am CT in Convention Center (Room 12AB) Artists Need a Chief Technology Officer
Technology disrupted music distribution (streaming vs. physical media) and now is quickly disrupting and adapting portions of the value chain faster than labels can adapt, and providing scaled opportunities for far more artists. Today, the most valuable thing an Artist needs is a digital CTO (Chief Technical Officer) to guide them through this landscape, make the best technical bets for where each artist is in their lifecycle, manage and maximize the multiple revenue streams now available to them.
Speaker/s: Alicia Fore, Ted Kartzman, Alex Plutzer, Adam Zabarsky
March 16 | 10:00am – 11:00am CT in Convention Center (Room 13AB) NFT 101 for Musicians: More Engagement, More Revenue
The panelists will explain what NFTs are, how they function, and how musicians can best utilize them to accelerate their careers.
Speaker/s: Scott Page, Seth Shapiro, Stephanie Smellie, Elle Ullmann
March 16 | 10:00am – 11:00am CT in Convention Center (Exhibit Hall) The Rise of Niche Music Streaming
The world has seen the rise of music streaming, but do the generalists do justice to the nuances of niche music? Is the target market for these niche genres large enough to justify a separate streaming service?
Speaker/s: Will Page, Faraan Irfan
March 16 | 2:30pm – 3:30pm CT in Convention Center room 12AB 10 Entertainment Industry Trends to Know for 2022
Like everything else, the entertainment industry is experiencing rapid change in a pandemic-era world. Attend this session to learn 10 specific entertainment industry trends that will define 2022 and beyond. From the rise in streaming TV and catalog music vs. new songs to the explosive growth in gaming and esports and how these intersect with emerging technologies like NFTs, Web3, cryptocurrency and more. These trends are culled from thousands of data points collected over the last 18 months, data points that reflect changing consumer tastes and habits.
Speaker: Rob Jonas
No Pass? No Biggie:
March 17-19 | in Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park Samsung + Billboard Present The Stage at SXSW
“Billboard” also announced on March 1 that it is joining forces with Samsung, the festival’s official smartphone and tablet sponsor, to provide a unique mix of programming and creator-focused experiences to Austin, Texas.March 17 – 19 | Free SXSW shows at Auditorium Shores include Golden Dawn Arkestra, Mt. Joy and Sammy Hagar
The show, headlined by art-jazz powerhouse Golden Dawn Arkestra, features a who’s who of our favorite locals. Rockers Heartless Bastards, post hardcore outfit Trail of Dead, explosive psych rockers Kalu and the Electric Joint and classic country crooner Croy and the Boys will all perform.March 18-19 Rolling Stone and Meta: Behind the Creator
The first of three Creator House activations will be host panel discussions and artist showcases highlighting established and emerging talent including Tone Stith and Destiny Rogers.
March 10 – 17 | Grit Daily News House
Award-winning, New York-based news outlet that’s covered 8,000+ startups with its sister publication is BlockTelegraph, the Blockchain industry trade publication supported by Polygon.
March 11 | 10:00am – 5:00pm CT in Christian-Green Gallery “Not Only Will I Stare” curated by Dr. Simone Browne
“Not Only Will I Stare” brings together artists whose work addresses issues of surveillance in Black life, ranging from policing and the carceral state to the FBI and oppressive gazes.
March 11 | 3:00pm – 6:00pm CT in Central Brewery Create Innovative NFTs on STELLAR Using JavaScript
For those who are interested to build NFTs without the complexity and cost then this is the workshop to go to. Here, people will learn to create innovative NFTs on Stellar using JavaScript.
March 12 | 10:00am – 10:00PM CT in Native Bar & Cafe EU@SXSW
“EU@SXSW” gives the viewer a look at the European Union’s culture, innovation, diversity, technology, and trade. The show emphasizes successful European commercial ventures, prominent European performers, and the transatlantic bond between Europe and the United States.
March 12 – March 13 | 11:00am – 5:00PM CT in Palmer Events Center Wellness Expo
The SXSW Wellness Expo is a two-day event that brings together businesses dedicated to healthy living and the wellness sector.
March 12 | 11:30am – 2:00pm CT in Long Center Terrace Disney+ Outdoor Screenings at SXSW: Disney’s Jungle Cruise
This free outdoor showing of Disney’s “Jungle Cruise” follows stars Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt as Frank Wolff and Dr. Lily Houghton as they trek into the Amazon in pursuit of an ancient tree renowned for its healing and medicinal properties.
March 12 | 3:30pm – 2:00pm CT in Long Center Terrace Disney+ Outdoor Screenings at SXSW: Disney’s Cruella
Emma Stone depicts the origins of one of Disney’s most renowned villains, Cruella de Vil, in Disney’s “Cruella.”
March 12 | 7:30pm – 9:45pm CT in Long Center Terrace Disney+ Outdoor Screenings at SXSW: Marvel Studios’ Shang-Chi
Simu Liu appears in Marvel’s “Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings,” which follows Shang-Chi, a San Francisco resident with a strange past and ties to the secretive Ten Rings organization.
March 13 | 11:00am – 12:30pm CT in Container Bar Filmmaker Lunch at Fort Worth House
Telefilm Canada and the Fort Worth Film Commission host a mixer and BBQ lunch among Texas and Canadian filmmakers.
March 13 | 2:00pm – 5:30pm CT in Austin City Limits (live at the Moody Center) eMLS Cup presented by Coca-Cola
Major League Soccer’s FIFA esports league has arrived, and FIFA players will fight for the title of North America’s top FIFA player and earn a portion of a $35,000 prize pool. At the event, attendees may enjoy food and beverages, live music, free merchandise, and FIFA open play.
March 14 | 10:00am – 10:00pm CT in Native Bar & Cafe European Union at SXSW
“EU@SXSW” gives the viewer a look at the European Union’s culture, innovation, diversity, technology, and trade. The show emphasizes successful European commercial ventures, prominent European performers, and the transatlantic bond between Europe and the United States.
March 15 | 5:00pm – 8:00pm CT in dadaLab Innovators Mixer: NFTs and Augmented Reality
For people who are ambitious and curious about NFTs and well, augmented reality, hosted by SpotX Games
March 15 | 12:00pm – 5:00pm CT in Hilton Austin Downtown “CO2 Critical Rising – 800,000 Years” of Data by Beatie Wolfe
An Environmental Protest Piece Created Using 800,000 Years of Earth’s Data. Beatie Wolfe, an artist rebel, crafts a moving environmental art piece exposing humanity’s influence on the world using 800,000 years of NASA data.
March 15 | 2:30pm – 4:30pm CT in Huston-Tillotson University Food Film Watch Party: The Ants & the Grasshopper
“The Ants & the Grasshopper,” a multi-award-winning documentary, demonstrates how the struggle for climate change will also be a fight for food sovereignty, racial justice, and gender equality on a global scale.
March 16 | 6:00pm – 2:00am CT at The Ranch on West 6th Austin On-Chain
ATX DAO Presents Crypto’s main event and our great from DeSo, Tropix, is in town to DJ
March 17 | 11:00am – 6:00pm CT in Austin Convention Center (Exhibit Halls 4 & 5) Flatstock 77
Artwork by some of the world’s most renowned poster artists, encompassing a range of styles, colors, and methods. Posters are available for sale.
March 19 | 11:00am – 1:00pm CT in Austin Java Balanced Breakfast: The Music Industry Meetup
People who are passionate about music and are interested in joining the industry.
There you go! What are your plans for this SXSW? It’s been a while since we’ve been so significantly together so some suggestions to connect as best as possible:
- Use SXSW Social if you’re a badge holder – Hit Connect With Others and grab us and people to meet!
- Register with us. Bookmark media.mediatech.ventures on your smartphone and you can message every one of us and more
- LOVE social media. SXSW is meet and move. Stay in touch through Twitter or LinkedIn
- Lists! If you really need more
Holy crap it’s this coming week… I have lost all sense of time and place. I am in 512 after all!
Thursday, the madness startups Thursday
Well Paul I’m quite sure you’re heavily involved in it, good luck and I’ll see you on the other side hopefully. (Other side of South by Southwest not like the other other side)
Im Djing at ATX DAO party at the Ranch March 16th and at Smilesss Vulcan Gas Comp on 19th!
Will be there form 14-20
Love the list!!!
Very excited to SX with y’all
super helpful, thank you Paul. Excited for my first SXSW!
Welcome! Track me down. If not now, soon after. Would love to share with you a bit of our work with Italy and ITA – Italian Trade Agency ?
Would love to connect while you’re there!
Bear Matthews, you’re on deck with a talk on Tuesday, yes?
Jim Kimo Storke
Jen Heitler
On my way today!!!
Can’t wait!
We are looking forward to seeing you all at this year’s SXSW!
You can find the entire schedule of internationally oriented events here:
http://www.innovationbridge.eu
Thanks for sharing! We always feel like little kids in a candy store at the beginning of SxSW! We want to do and see it all!!!!
Thanks for this – I started formally planning yesterday and there is so much stuff that I’ve already begun to lament what I’ll miss.
Annie Joey Lanier Hardy right? I’ve begun horse trading meeting times, begging forgiveness to make them all work as best zj can ??
Seriously. Often, the least interesting part of SXSW is the sessions.
Annie Joey Lanier Hardy I was on a podcast yesterday that may get produced in time, and was asked how to make the most of SXSW
Don’t go for the panels, at least, not the panels themselves. Go for the people. Pick the People you want to meet, having panels. And then otherwise MOVE. Don’t talk to anyone more than 5 minutes. Don’t stay at any one event in the evening more than 2 hours. Shake as many hands as possible ??
I used to get paid to go to conferences and gather intelligence by befriending random attendees before and after sessions, by the coffee table to sitting at conference meals together or whatever. I’d just chat them up to learn what interested them, how it applied to their business, etc. I didn’t attend a single session, only talked with a ton of people and learned a bunch, immediately sat down and took notes about the conversation, and ultimately delivered the outcome after the event as a qualitative research report designed to inform the client’s strategy. There is *tremendous value* in those interactions if you do it right. I was especially effective when I went at 6 months pregnant because everyone is nice to a pregnant woman and talks to her.