Fantastic Adds to the 2018 SXSW Schedule

The Forrest Four-Cast: February 26, 2018

Last week, more than a dozen additions to the Keynote and Featured Speaker lineup for SXSW 2018 were announced, including VR pioneer Nonny de la Peña, Senator Bernie Sanders, former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, CBS This Morning co-host Gayle King, New York Times foreign correspondent Rukmini Callimachi and Ready Player One author Ernest Cline. Click here to read the full announcement.

Ten other standout additions to the 2018 SXSW lineup include:

1. Bullish on Dragons: My 25 Years of Investing in China. A household name in Chinese investing talks about her three decades in the markets and why she thinks the next five years will be the best ever for the PRC. From her roots as a first-generation fund manager, embarking on her career as the Shanghai Exchange and China opened, to her views on the nation’s ambitious One Belt One Road initiative and what the future may hold, Yang Liu of Atlantis Investment Management shares her reflections on her journey as a woman who has been there and done that when it comes to investing in China. Scheduled Wednesday, March 14.
2. The Case for Audacious Leadering. Rather than predictably replicating the success of the past, today’s leaders must now embrace and confidently navigate new opportunities and the need for constant innovation. Being open to radical new solutions requires radically new ways of thinking, “leadering,” and being. It’s what the future needs and expects of each of us. Scheduled Sunday, March 11.
3. Conversation with Leo Varadakar, T.D. Prime Minister of Ireland. In conversation with Evan Smith of the Texas Tribune, the Taoiseach (pictured above) will discuss how tech has made Ireland to become one of the most open and globalised economies in the world. Varadkar will also discuss Irish innovation at this year’s SXSW and how the Irish tech sector is increasingly impacting on the US economy. Leo Varadkar was elected in June 2017 as Ireland’s youngest ever Prime Minister of Ireland. The son of an Indian father and Irish mother, Varadkar personifies the dynamic, youthful and diverse Ireland of today. He is one of the few LGBT Heads of Government in the world. Having studied medicine at Trinity College Dublin, Varadkar qualified as a medical doctor but soon ventured into the world of politics, in which he has risen rapidly to the leadership position he holds today. Scheduled Sunday, March 11.
4. Design Your Dream Job. Led by Spencer Ingram, this session is the real-world tested, practical and actionable guide on how to deal with career uncertainty, build confidence, and stand out in a noisy world. You do not need a SXSW badge to attend the “Design Your Dream Job” presentation. Instead, download a free SXSW Guest Pass for entry. Scheduled Saturday, March 10 at the Palmer Events Center.
5. Future of Autonomous Flying Car is Coming. In 1962, an American animated sitcom told us a story about a futuristic family, The Jetsons, living in a world high above the ground, travelling by whimsical flying inventions. Ii is the mission of arts is to make us dream, while technology is to realize them. Today, 56 years later, a Chinese tech startup EHang truly take passengers into the sky with auto pilot. Derrick Xiong, EHang Cofounder and Chief Marketing Officer, will disclose the most cutting-edge technology and exciting reality of the world’s first Autonomous Aerial Vehicle “EHang184.” Scheduled Friday, March 9.
6. God View is My Copilot in Self-Driving Cars. Automakers, their suppliers and tech giants like Google and Uber are working on ways to remotely control autonomous cars for everything from monitoring a future filled with robo-taxis and shuttling them to where they’re needed most to preventing accidents and even foiling terrorist attacks that involve vehicles. How will autonomous cars be controlled and by whom? And does this mean we’ll have Big Brother watching where we go and when? Scheduled Friday, March 9.
7. How I Survived My Social Enterprise Pivot. What do you do when your first business model doesn’t work? How do you hold on to social impact when you’re not making money? Can you totally reinvent your business mid-flight? In this session 2014 Ernst & Young Social Entrepreneur of the Year Suzi Sosa will share the story of how her company, Verb, transformed from a services model to a SaaS technology platform. Scheduled Sunday, March 11.
8. The Machines Are Coming. And That’s a Good Thing. There’s been a lot of buzz lately around machine learning, headlines reading “Robots are Coming for Your Job,”One area where automated help is crucial is cybersecurity. The best way for security teams to get ahead of threats is to allocate time for people to use their intelligence and creativity to enhance security by leveraging efficiencies gained from machine-learning technology to free that time. So, look at that “robot” as performing the routine stuff — and allowing the human to soar. Scheduled Wednesday, March 14 at part of the two-day Security Series of Sessions.
9. Social Airbag. Social networks were under fire in 2017 following foreign interference of the 2016 US election. While the networks worked to build platforms to connect the world, they missed how bad actors could exploit them. Markets with innovation hit drawbacks. The car revolutionized transportation in the 20th century but lacked safety. Seatbelts and airbags allowed the car to continue innovating while remaining safe for the rider. Spredfast CEO Rod Favaron will discuss how the networks are creating the social media airbag. Scheduled Sunday, March 11.
10. VR Game Developers Meet Up. Attend this virtual reality game development Meet Up to connect with other game developers working in the VR space to discuss everything from exciting new startups, to indie game titles, and enterprise solutions that are pushing the envelope at the forefront of Immersive Tech. Scheduled Thursday, March 15.

Browse the full schedule for SXSW 2018 by visiting this link. Use the search bar at the top right corner to find the content that most appeals to your interests. Badges (as well as convenient lodging) are still available for March Magic in Austin.

Hugh Forrest serves as Chief Programming Officer at SXSW, the world’s most unique gathering of creative professionals. He also tries to write at least four paragraphs per day on Medium. These posts often cover tech-related trends; other times they focus on books, pop culture, sports and other current events.