Jul 20

July 24 PanelPicker Entry Deadline

Now is the time to finalize your SXSW 2023 speaking proposal — The deadline for entering your ultra-creative speaking proposal for SXSW 2023 is 11:59 pm Pacific Time on Sunday, July 24. All speaking proposals must be submitted via the SXSW PanelPicker interface. The PanelPicker process tends to be very competitive. So you’ll have the best chance for success if you create…

SXSW

1 min read

Jul 6

So Many SXSW Speaker Proposal Fails

Do this if you don’t want to showcase your ideas at SXSW! — While March in Austin is almost always about identifying tomorrow’s biggest brainstorms, trends and innovations, today we’ll look into the rearview mirror and focus on the past. Two of my more popular offerings on Medium focused on the most sure-fire ways to fail for the SXSW PanelPicker process. These posts are still completely applicable and are worthy of a quick re-read.

SXSW

1 min read

Follow these easy-to-understand tips if you don’t want to speak at SXSW 2023

So Many SXSW Speaker Proposal Fails

Do this if you don’t want to showcase your ideas at SXSW!

While March in Austin is almost always about identifying tomorrow’s biggest brainstorms, trends and innovations, today we’ll look into the rearview mirror and focus on the past.

Two of my more popular offerings on Medium focused on the most sure-fire ways to fail for the SXSW PanelPicker process. These posts are still completely applicable and are worthy of a quick re-read.

How to Get Rejected by the SXSW Conference

How to Get Rejected Again by the SXSW Conference

Finally, missing the 11:59 pm Pacific Time entry deadline on Sunday, July 24 always remains the biggest PanelPicker fail. Please set a calendar reminder for yourself to avoid this mishap!

Hugh Forrest serves as Chief Programming Officer at SXSW, the world’s most unique gathering of creative professionals.

Jul 1

New Tracks for SXSW 2023

Conference content is an ever-evolving landscape — When you enter your speaking proposal in the SXSW PanelPicker interface, you will be asked to choose a track in which this idea belongs. For 2023, we have added several new options to this track list. These new track options include: Energy (distribution, equity and alternative sources) Food (what, why and…

Quantum Computing

1 min read

Jun 29

PanelPicker = Community Focus

Such a powerful tool for connecting with our audience! — In my first and second post about the 2023 PanelPicker process, I’ve somehow avoided the most important question of all. Why does SXSW use this interface to pull together so much of its Conference-related content? The answer to this question is simple: Community. The PanelPicker allows us to better understand…

SXSW

1 min read

Jun 29

SXSW PanelPicker is Now Live

Get Your 2023 Speaking Idea Into the Mix Before July 24! — The SXSW PanelPicker speaking proposal process has now opened. Click here to visit this interface and learn more about how you can showcase your voice and your ideas in March 2023 in Austin. Remember that you have a month to enter your speaking proposal — the final submission deadline is…

SXSW

2 min read

Jun 21

PanelPicker Entry: June 28-July 24

The Forrest Four-Cast: June 21, 2022 — The last time that I posted the Forrest Four-Cast to Medium was November 17, 2020. I’ve been silent since then because the daily writing habits I had developed pre-pandemic just couldn’t keep pace with the rate of societal change during COVID. But I’m trying to get back into a regular…

SXSW

2 min read

Nov 17, 2020

Janice Omadeke Shares Her Passion For Mentorship and Diversity Training

The Forrest Files: November 17, 2020 Janice Omadeke is the CEO and Founder of The Mentor Method, an enterprise platform helping companies keep and develop their diverse talent using the proven power of mentorship. Using a double-blind algorithm, The Mentor Method is closing the opportunity equity gap in the workplace. …

Mentorship

6 min read

Oct 29, 2020

Doreen Lorenzo Brings Her Design Expertise to the University of Texas

The Forrest Files: October 29, 2020 — Doreen Lorenzo is a successful leader of global creative firms and has advised Fortune 100 companies on design and innovation issues for decades. …

Austin

6 min read

Doreen Lorenzo Brings Her Design Expertise to the University of Texas

Oct 27, 2020

Jessica Shortall Pushes LGBTQ Equality at Texas Competes

The Forrest Files: October 27, 2020 — Jessica Shortall is an advocate, author, and speaker, focusing on the economic and human case for people being able to bring their whole selves to work and their communities. She runs Texas Competes, a coalition of more than 1,450 Texas employers making the economic case for Texas to be welcoming…

Equality

7 min read

Oct 23, 2020

Austin Design Week’s Danielle Barnes Previews the Upcoming 2020 Event

The Forrest Files: October 23, 2020 — Danielle Barnes is the CEO of Women Talk Design, where she works with hundreds of speakers and event organizers to get a more diverse group of speakers on stage and to inspire more women and nonbinary folks to raise their hands to speak. She also co-founded and co-organizes Austin Design…

Austin

8 min read