Start Working Now to Win SXSW 2017

The Forrest Four-Cast: December 3, 2016

March Magic in Austin still stands more than three months away. Scheduled March 10–19, the event brings together aspiring and established creatives from across the US and around the world for unparalleled learning, discovering and networking. Watch the 2017 sizzle reel to learn more.

Make the most of your experience by studying the SXSW online schedule. With more than 1500 listings (and counting!), this interface deserves many hours of attention — hence the need to start now. Find the topics that interest you most by using the “search” function at the top right portion of the page. Then click the star next to the listings that you like most to save them for future reference. Also, remember that with 24 different tracks, SXSW includes sessions on many subjects that you already know about — and many that you don’t. Many registrants find they get the most value out of the event by exploring new topics that they know nothing about. So don’t be afraid to break down those bubbles!

After you register for SXSW (save $200 if you buy your badge before prices increase on Friday, January 13), then set up your SXSW Social account. This interface lets you connect with other attendees before the event begins. In other words, use SXSW Social to locate the kind of people who you want to connect with in Austin in March — and to start setting up meetings with these people.

Lastly, view this two-minute video to learn how we have dramatically improved badge functionality for Spring 2017 in Austin. This improved functionality means that attendees will have a lot more options to attend a lot more content and a lot more networking events.

Hugh Forrest tries to write four paragraphs per day on Medium. These posts generally cover technology-related trends. When not attempting to wordsmith, he serves as Chief Programming Officer at SXSW in Austin.