SXSW PanelPicker Trends: Data Data Data
The Forrest Four-Cast: August 22, 2018
Time is running out to vote and comment on your favorite of the 5000+ speaking proposals in the 2019 SXSW PanelPicker. Log in to your account before the end of day August 30 deadline to register your opinion on all these outstanding ideas. If you don’t have an account, setting one up only takes a few minutes (and is completely free) via this link.
Time is also running out to cover some of the most interesting themes and trends in this year’s interface. This trend-spotting is accomplished by comparing the total number of speaking proposals on a given topic in the 2019 PanelPicker to the total number of speaking proposals on this topic from last year’s edition of the same.
One of the keywords that hasn’t changed much in popularity over the last 12 months is data. For the 2019 PanelPicker, this work shows up in an impressive 629 speaking proposals. In 2018, this number of data-related speaking proposals was almost identical: 621. The concept of “big data” is (likewise) relatively stable over the last 12 months — 51 total speaking proposals in 2019 versus 56 total speaking proposals in 2018.
Find other topics of interest in the PanelPicker by entering your favorite keyword or phrase in the “Search” bar on the left sidebar of the interface. Or, better yet, keep track of the running list of ideas that are getting the most traction in this year’s interface by simply bookmarking this post from Medium.
About 500–600 of the 5000+ speaking proposals in the 2019 PanelPicker will be accepted as sessions for March Magic in Austin. These accepted sessions will be announced via the SXSW website in mid-October. Learn more about how the voting / judging / acceptance process works for PanelPicker proposals via this page.
And if you want to take part in all the discovery, brainstorming, creativity, deal-making, and cross-industry networking that is SXSW, register before the early-bird deadline of Thursday, September 13 to get the season’s lowest badge rates. After you buy your badge, book your downtown Austin lodging for the event via SXSW Housing and Travel.
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.
