SXSW is one of the worlds largest festivals hosting events, panels, and more from industry leaders around the world. Given the sheer amount of content options and the amount of people who flood into Austin every March, it can easily become overwhelming trying to navigate the schedule and find the best ways to network and take steps to advance both yourself and your business.
Here, you’ll find a guide that will take you through SXSW and all it has to offer giving you a step-by-step process to make sure you get the most out of your SXSW experience.
Make Goals
Just taking one look at the schedule for SXSW, you’ll realize that there is unfathomable amount of content to sift through for each day of the week-long festival. This means that attendees of the festival will be constantly on the move. Before you make your way to Austin, it’s important that you set goals for what you want to achieve from your week. If you’re an agent looking to sign new artists, take a look at the showcases that are happening and plan accordingly. If you’re looking to network, take a look at the different panels and conferences. Make a plan for what you want to see and who you want to meet. Determining what your goals are and what resources and contacts you’ll need to achieve them is the first step in ensuring your success at SXSW
Research Contacts and Potential Clients
In addition to creating a plan of action, you’ll need to create a list of contacts that will help you reach your goals at the festival. Think of contacts you already have but don’t forget to think of new contacts as well. SXSW spans multiple industries and fields meaning there will be a wide assortment of people in attendance. Think outside of the box when considering what kind of connections you can take away from the festival. Furthermore, it’s important to remember that SXSW is about partnership and collaboration; be mindful of ways in which you can offer assistance to contacts as well.
Make Contact Before the Festival
It’s no secret that once you’re at SXSW, the week will go by in a complete blur. With so much going on and so many people looking to achieve as much as possible in 10 short days, it can be easy to get lost in the mix. Reach out to contacts before the festival starts either by email or phone and make a plan before you get to Austin. Getting to the festival with pre-arranged meetings and contacts will put you at ease in this overwhelming environment as you can be assured that you aren’t going into the week completely blind. However, be mindful not to overbook your calendar. Part of the success at SXSW occurs in spontaneous moments in places you wouldn’t always expect. If you’re rushing from lunch meetings to panels, you might overlook the potential of a quick chat in the hotel lobby. Be prepared but allow room for the unexpected.
Stay Focussed and Make Yourself Available
As mentioned earlier, once you’re on the ground in Austin it will be easy to become overwhelmed with the chaotic nature of SXSW. That’s why it’s important to stay focused. Sure, there will be a plethora of parties happening and exciting things around every corner. Be mindful of what you want to leave Austin with. Would you rather leave with a hangover or a handful of new contacts and opportunities? Stay focused on your goals, whatever those may be and make time available to attend relevant showcases and panels. Also, don’t forget about networking opportunities that often go unnoticed. In recent years, SXSW has put a greater focus on networking and provides events throughout the week to aid you in meeting new people. Take some time to explore the various meetups and leave room in your schedule for unexpected events and opportunities.
Maintain Contact Once the Festival Ends
Given the size of SXSW, it’s safe to say that no matter how many business cards you hand out very few will be remembered. With so many people in attendance and an overwhelming number of events throughout the week part of your success at SXSW will be dependent on what you do once the festival wraps up and you head home from Austin. Send an email or a note to the contacts you met thanking them for their time and any opportunities they may have presented you with. Remind them of your work and include your contact details for future reference. If you want to make a memorable impression at an event like this, meeting in person is only the first step. Reaching out afterwards and keeping that contact engaged is the other half of the equation.
Networking is often looked at as a difficult part of the process in any profession or scenario. It can be especially difficult at an event like SXSW given its size and the amount of people attending spanning so many different industries. In order to be successful and leave Austin with a new set of contacts and opportunities it’s essential that you plan ahead, make contact, stay focused and follow-up with any potential opportunities once you leave the festival. If you follow these steps you can be guaranteed to find success at SXSW, whatever that success may look like to you and your business.