SXSW Reflection
by: Bob Travis, Creative Technologist, MRM//McCann Detroit
“Keep it Weird” is the unofficial slogan of Austin, Texas. It is a progressive city that has long been known for its vibrant live music, trend-setting restaurants and energetic bar scene. It is also a city that has become a hotbed for tech companies and innovative startups. This makes Austin the perfect city to host an event like South by Southwest (SXSW).
SXSW is a two-week festival that encompasses Film, Music and Interactive. Every March it transforms Austin through this amazing event that is really hard to describe. The first week of the event focuses on Interactive, or more specifically - art, science and technology. The second week is turned over to the music industry, and film is layered over both weeks.
I first heard about SXSW a few years ago and was intrigued by what it had to offer. So, I was blown away when I received an email from our presidents Michael and Hank, inviting me to represent MRM//McCann as a member of the SouthXMRM ambassador team. It was truly an honor, and I didn’t hesitate to accept the invitation.
Our mission as a team was to attend sessions, and report on our experiences by way of a central blog (southxmrm.tumblr.com). This is where Erin had her work cut out for her because most of us were not active bloggers. Regardless, she was able to keep us focused on our mission - to provide snippets of insight into our SXSW experiences.
During the day we were on our own attending different sessions, but always in contact by way of text messages. Sometimes we would catch up with one another for lunch or a few minutes at the Samsung Blogger Lounge. At the end of each day we would gather for dinner in our purple hoodies. Someone likened our group to the Breakfast Club. Even though we work for the same company, we all started out as strangers with different experiences and backgrounds. Putting us together for six days was a great experience in and of itself, because not only did we learn from each other but we built friendships and connections to our other offices.
If you ever talk to anyone who attended SXSW, they will tell you it is hard to imagine anything like it. I have attended numerous conventions, conferences and trade shows, but never anything like this. The scale of the event is massive. On average there are time slots for four or five sessions a day, and each time slot can have nearly 80 concurrent sessions that are held at the convention center and various hotels around Austin. It can make planning your day a bit of a challenge.
I came to SXSW looking to attend sessions that were outside of my normal work activity. This is the strategy I often use when attending conventions. I firmly believe that if you keep yourself open to new ideas and experiences that fall outside of the norm, it can transform the way you address everyday challenges. This is what keeps me going. I guess you could say I’m a bit like Austin - I “Keep it Weird.”
I have a deep-routed emotional connection to our space program. As a kid growing up in the 60's, I remember how the space program was a big deal for our country, fostering incredible national pride. There was no 24/7 news coverage, but we did have Walter Cronkite on CBS and his colleagues on ABC and NBC who were our lens into the new frontier.
The Mercury and Apollo launches were major television events with all of the networks focusing on the complete coverage, from launch to splash down. As a ten-year-old boy it was riveting, and while the coverage faded it certainly etched a permanent memory in my brain that has yet to fade.
During this session, mission control connected with the space station, and, as expected, the crowd in the room exploded in cheer. You could just feel the electricity permeating the room, as our collective nerves came alive. Following this demonstration, several members of the audience were chosen to ask the Astronauts a question. While I wasn't chosen, many great questions were asked - and I enjoyed the discussions that ensued.
Today, NASA is doing a lot to maintain an interest in space. Gone are the days of major network coverage, and instead - NASA is no stranger to social media. They take great care in making sure they have a prominent presence on Twitter, Instagram, Google+ and Facebook. A new photo is posted on Instagram everyday, and they are using Twitter in unique ways, for example they had a #hashtag for #blackholefriday (black friday) and #supernovasunday (Super Bowl Sunday).
NASA is keeping it fresh, and finding ways to introduce our great space program to the next generation of young impressionable boys/girls, who will hopefully carry the same amount of pride that I've carried with me since my childhood.
I shared a cab with a guy named Brian Duggan, and this chance encounter led to me going to a different session than I originally planned. Brian was presenting later that day on a topic called “Your #Hashtag Is Your Event.” So I went to his session and I got a peek at how event planners utilize social channels and some of their problems.
Here are three take-aways from the session.
1) ibeacon: ibeacon is a Bluetooth light tool that can be used to collect info on users, such as automatic login to an event. I can see this tool being used in the auto industry to track after hours shoppers in order to learn who is interested in certain vehicle types.
2) Users: 40% of Twitter users are readers only, and while they may not engage in conversations they are very engaged in your brand. Because of this it is important to not get discouraged by their lack of response, keep reaching out to this group on a consistent basis because they are listening.
3) Postano: This is a company that developed software to filter twitter feeds. It is useful for any event where a live stream helps connect brand followers.
