Where the World Comes to Austin: SXSW

South by Southwest (SXSW) arrives in Austin again in a matter of days, founded in 1987, it has since grown into an event more than a conference, festival, or trade show but rather the only experience in the world that so substantially celebrates the intersection of technology, music, film, education, and culture.

At its core, SXSW is a platform that helps creative people achieve their goals by providing them with a space to share their work, network, and learn from others. The event features a wide range of programming, including keynote speakers, panels, workshops, and performances, all of which are designed to inspire and educate attendees.

The conference and festival are divided into three main components: SXSW Interactive, SXSW Film, and SXSW Music. SXSW Interactive focuses on emerging technology and digital creativity, while SXSW Film showcases independent films from around the world. SXSW Music, on the other hand, is a showcase for up-and-coming and established musicians.

In addition to these core components, the 2 weeks of experiences features a number of other events and exhibitions, including a formal trade show, art exhibits, and seemingly countless networking events. Their goal is to provide a platform for creative people to come together, share their work, and collaborate with others in order to achieve their goals.

In the past, MediaTech Ventures has shared lists of speakers, opportunities in MusicTech, and where founders should go. This time, fascinated with how substantially the Austin ecosystem has drawn attention from the coasts of the United States, the world is bringing their investors, founders, and cities to Texas, so we wanted to capture when and where you can be in Austin to meet the world.

Country Experiences throughout SXSW

• • German Haus – Details
    • When – March 10-14, 2023
    • Where – PARKSIDE, 301 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78701
  • German Pavilion
• French Tech Austin Meetup invites startups and investors from France who want to invest in the American market. If you’re an investor, incubator, job seeker, or service provider – you are welcome!
  • French Tech – Details
    • When – March 12, 2023 | 4:00pm to 5:00pm CT
    • Where – Hilton Austin Downtown / Room 408
  • At the French pavilion, a delegation of select companies across diverse industries will be featured. 50 startups and tech companies, all of whom are developing innovative solutions in various sectors, have been gathered together.
    • When – March 10-14, 2023
    • Where – Exhibit Hall, Booth 1311
• Canada House, presented by CIMA, is returning and during their event, attendees can enjoy two days of impressive showcases featuring talented Canadian acts from all over the country at Swan Dive. The artists selected for the event will be chosen from SXSW’s official selections and will be contacted before the end of the year.
  • Canada House – Details
    • If you’re interested in registering, please contact jenia@cimamusic.ca to submit your name for one of these spots.
    • When – March 18, 2023 | 10.30am to 12.30pm 
• Indonesia‘s Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy (MoTCE) enables local artists and entrepreneurs to excel in their respective industries, fostering the top Indonesian startups and showcasing them on the global stage.
  • Indonesia – Details
    • Where – Creative Industries Expo
• The UK Government is excited about their fourteenth year hosting the British Music Embassy (BME) and showcasing the UK House as the hub for insightful panel discussions, demos, and other engaging activities that highlight the UK’s position as a global leader in the creative industries.
  • UK House – Details
    • Where – Old Admiralty Building 
• Two showcases will be presented at the festival by Music from Ireland, which is funded by Culture Ireland‘s Irish Music Export Office. The official night-time showcase will be held at the Velveeta Room on Thursday, March 16th. The Full Irish Breakfast, which will make a much-anticipated return, will be held the following day at 601 Congress Avenue and will be hosted in collaboration with TDR. In total, 11 Irish acts will be showcased across the festival.
  • Music From Ireland – Details
    • When – March 13 to 19 
    • Where – Full Irish Breakfast at 601 Congress Avenue
  • Enterprise Ireland alongside a number of Irish Startups in town for SXSW will be kicking off SXSW at The Pub on March 11th – Details
• With its multicultural background, versatility, and diversity, Brazil boasts one of the world’s most innovative creative economies. The country’s creative ecosystem is shaped and inspired by these unique traits. Meet Brazil’s communication professionals, audio-visual producers, designers, publishers, brands, and startups, and engage in a dynamic exchange of ideas, business models, and collaborative opportunities.
  • Brazil – Details
    • When – March 13, 2023
    • Where – JW Marriott, Brazos Room
• Tohji from Tokyo, Japan has garnered fervent support from his contemporaries with a bold musical style that blends both edginess and smoothness. As an emblematic figure of his generation, he’s drawing global recognition, crossing borders and genres, as evidenced by his coverage in international music publication The FADER and fashion magazine 032c.
  • Tohji – Details
    • When – March 16, 2023 | 12:00am to 12:40am
    • Where – Tohji at Cheer up Charlie’s Outdoor
• Danish businesses are set to participate in SXSW, the foremost annual gathering of creative professionals worldwide. This year, SXSW 2023 is delighted to partner with Roskilde Festival, Danish Design Center, and Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies to amplify our presence in Austin throughout the event.
  • Danish – Details
    • When – March 10 to 15, 2023
• A multinational female group from South Korea will make a comeback this March 2023 at SXSW 2023. They are representing 4th generation of K-POP, consisting of 5 Korean members and 2 Japanese members, including HARAM, HARUNA, MOON SUA, SIYOON, SHEON, SUHYEON, and TSUKI.
  • Korea – Details
    • When – March 14, 2023 | 12:00am to 12:45am CT
    • Where – Elysium
• If you’re interested in the African startup ecosystem, you can come and meet the most promising startups and founders from Kenya, South Africa, Egypt, and Nigeria. This event brings together founders, NGOs, and investors, along with other stakeholders in the ecosystem.
  • African ecosystem – Details
• SXSW will be in Sydney, Australia on October 15-22, 2023. It’s going to be a week-long event where the tech and innovation, games, music, and screen industries converge with culture for unexpected discoveries.
  • Details
• The German Haus and Pavilion will provide a platform for artists and companies from Germany to showcase their work and connect with others at SXSW: A hub and gathering place for attendees from Germany and beyond, featuring various activities such as talks, presentations, music showcases, networking opportunities, and ample space for interactions.
  • German Haus – Details
    • When – March 10-14, 2023
    • Where – PARKSIDE, 301 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78701
  • German Pavilion
    • When – March 12-15, 2023
    • Where – SXSW Creative Industries Expo, Austin Convention Center Hall 3, Entrance Trinity Street

With our New Market Entry programming, developing startups so they’re prepared to enter the U.S. market, we have a host of programming of our own with friends from throughout the world.

Alberta Innovates and Montenegro’s Digital Den, join us with innovationbridge.eu, New Dutch Wave, Advantage Austria, and German.innovation throughout our 5 days of Funded House programming. Everyone, even more supported by Deloitte, SelectFew, and Knobbe Martens. In great part, we should all be spending time the innovationbridge.eu consortium of leaders from Austria, Canada, Germany, UK, Scandinavia, The Netherlands and USA who, in innovative, tech, creative, music and film industries, have taken on the challenge of making our global economy a little better!

To get involved in Funded House

• Startups and Founders, register here
• Investors and VCs, register here

I hope to be booking my 2 weeks solid with meetings from everyone throughout the world so let us know that you’re coming, what you’re doing, and where you’ll be. If you work in economic development, trade, with the government, or are yourself and investor, company, or founder, connect with me, comment below, and let’s touch base.

If you’re a service provider, company, or involved with another country, we’re still programming and would love to host an event in need of space. Learn more about sponsorship and contact us here.

Beyond Austin and SXSW, we’re here for your interests in the U.S. and would love to help develop your city, your country, and your startups to take on the American market. Details can be found here.