SXSW PanelPicker Tips #13: Ode to Code
The Forrest Four-Cast: July 8, 2018
The SXSW PanelPicker interface empowers anyone with an internet connection to enter a speaking proposal for March Magic in Austin.
While the process for entering a proposal is relatively simple, the competition for speaking slots is incredibly intense. How intense, you ask? SXSW will receive about 5000 total entries and only about 1000 of these entries will make it to the event. Between now and the July 20 entry deadline, this space offers daily tips on how your idea can be amongst the 20% of the speaking proposals that are showcased at the event.
Today’s tip is to consider entering a proposal in “Coding & Development,” where the number of ideas submitted is often less than other tracks. But if go this route, know that we are mainly looking for workshop-length speaking proposals in this track. Workshops are longer, more hands-on and more in-depth sessions, thereby giving registrants more time to master the technical content that is being focused on.
Read a running list of all 25 PanelPicker tips (and get a preview of what is to come) by visiting this post. 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, preview everything that you will need for your PanelPicker entry by clicking here to download PDFs of the application form. If your expertise is another area that isn’t “Coding & Development,” find more info on the other 24 tracks at SXSW 2019 via this post.
After the Friday, July 20 PanelPicker entry deadline, the next big SXSW-related date to mark on your calendar is Wednesday, August 1 when registration sales begin. Be sure to buy your badge early to ensure the lowest rates on the 2019 event and to take advantage of 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.
