SXSW PanelPicker Success: Go Deep!

The Forrest Four-Cast: June 15, 2017

UPDATE: Learn more on the 2018 PanelPicker process via this short video. Also, be sure to read these other PanelPicker tips.

Thanks to all of our friends who attended the first SXSW Community Meet Up of the 2018 season on Wednesday evening, June 14 at the beautiful TechSpace facility in downtown Austin.

If you missed this event, then you missed our presentation about the PanelPicker process. One of the tips that we talked about last night was the importance of depth over width in crafting a successful speaking proposal. Why? Because the best sessions at events like SXSW cover one small topic in incredible detail. Or, said another way, if you have ever heard the expression “a mile wide and an inch deep,” that’s definitely NOT what we want in PanelPicker proposals (or at the event itself).

Depth and detail are also why we prefer proposals for solo presentations (as opposed to panels). Yes, there will continue to be panels at SXSW in the future — but, single-person talks are definitely the preferred format for creatives who gather in Austin each March.

The entry process for SXSW 2018 speaking proposals begins on Monday, June 26. Learn more at upcoming Meet Ups in Los Angeles (June 19), San Francisco (June 22) and Brooklyn (June 26).

Hugh Forrest tries to write at least four paragraphs per day on Medium. These posts often (but not always) cover technology-related trends. When not attempting to wordsmith or meditating, he serves as Chief Programming Officer at SXSW in Austin.