SXSW PanelPicker Tip #12: Be Creative!
The Forrest Four-Cast: July 7, 2018
The SXSW PanelPicker interface is now accepting speaking proposals for March Magic 2019. As we approach the July 20 entry deadline, this space offers 25 handy tips on how you can have the most success if you are proposing an idea for next year’s event.
As you are completing your PanelPicker entry, remember that creativity is the rocket fuel that powers SXSW. So, in addition to depth and specificity, put together a proposal that addresses the topic at hand in as creative a fashion as possible. For instance, can you establish an unlikely juxtaposition that will help people understand the subject matter in a completely different way? Likewise, does your proposal explore the intricacies of the given topic in a manner that hasn’t been done before? By contrast, if your PanelPicker entry takes a fairly straightforward approach, it is less likely to gain traction with voters, with the Advisory Board and with SXSW staff in the very competitive judging process.
Click here to read a running list of all 25 PanelPicker tips. For info on what NOT to do when entering a speaking proposal in this interface, read this post from 2015 as well as this post from 2016.
Also remember that SXSW 2019 registration sales commence on Wednesday, August 1. Buy your badge early to ensure the lowest rates and to have the most options on convenient downtown lodging.
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.
