Just returned from SxSW (a big social media, film and music conference / event in Austin) and I’m seriously tired, all that walking around and socializing is really exhausting 🙂
This was my first SxSW experience and I’m still processing everything, but I can say that it was quite different than I expected. I’ve attended other conferences (BlogWorld and BlogHer) and I can tell you SxSW did not meet my expectations in terms of the actual conference.
The Negatives:
- Too crowded. Rumor was that last year there were 4,500 registrants for the interactive portion of SxSW and that this year the number jumped to somewhere between 11,000 – 14,000+ attendees.
- Too spread out (location). Of course, when the additional bodies, additional space was required to host the conference. It was often difficult to coordinate getting from one place to another in time for the next session, let alone finding a seat.
- Too tightly scheduled (time-wise). I encountered several times when I was at either the Hyatt or at the AT&T Center and wanted to attend the next session, but was unable to make it in enough time.
- At first glance, the sessions appeared to be ranked according to some level of difficulty or level. In my experience, they actually were more basic than I expected. I can’t say I came away with a great take-away from many of the sessions I attended.
- The exhibit didn’t start until Monday, while meanwhile, the conference started on Friday. That seems really short-sighted to me as many people left on Monday (including me – but I left in the afternoon so I was still able to drop into the exhibit hall/trade show). Many other people missed it altogether. Not to mention that I didn’t see some of the businesses there I had expected to see.
- Video/taping. As far as I understand, not all sessions were taped. I believe that all sessions with the Olgivy logo on the schedule were, but it was unclear which other were and how we will find out about it. If I had known which sessions were going to be taped in advanced, I might have modified where I went.
- Inconsistent level of preparation on the part of panelists and presenters. While one session might have a nicely prepared and focused presentation another may have been completely “off the cuff” with little to no focus.
- I overheard volunteers complaining about their experience enough to give me a bad taste about about how well-organized it was.
The Positives:
I’m not trying to be Miss Negativity, as there were several great things that came out of my experience, including:
- My roommate (the entire stay with @windycitysocial and one night when @sarahkayhoffman joined us) was terrific. @windycitysocial and I are good roomies together and I couldn’t have asked for a better partner in crime throughout the weekend. Thanks @kellyolexa for connecting us at #blogworld10.
- Meeting several of the #usguys friends I’ve made online – IRL (in real life) was a wonderful experience. While Skype does help, it’s no replacement for IRL face-to-face communication. @9INCHmarketing @josef @littlewys @missdestructo @carybranscum @keithtweets @jackinessity @manywebdesign @nickkellet @qstreet @aldsauer @solete @amoyal – I’m sorry if I forgot anyone!
- I reconnected with a few people I met in the past and made some wonderful new friends and connections as well.
- When you go to these conferences, you go looking for what’s new, bringing yourself up-to-date and learning more. I can safely say that I felt mostly up-to-date and probably the biggest take-away for me was a feeling of “damn girl, you know your stuff!” – which always makes you feel good.
- It’s worth noting that the reinforcement of important information learned in sessions is really motivating. It caused me to feel invigorated when I returned and take a second look at a few personal projects that I’ve put aside.
- Location baby! We stayed at the Hampton Inn and it was incredibly convenient, clean and I loved the 2nd floor balcony. The free breakfast was a bonus too, as it made it easier to quickly grab something before heading out for sessions.
- My new SxSW t-shirt collection is amazing! Check back on Friday for a virtual tour of my stellar grabs.
- Loved the Klout Krib
- Getting away to warm weather was uplifting and much needed.
- Sitting with @jasonfalls and @windyciysocial on the flight home was an added bonus.
- Austin is a terrific city!
In the end, the jury is still out on whether or not I would go next year. Some people I spoke with said they would prefer to return without buying a pass for the panels, as for me, I’m not sure. At this point, overall I’m glad I attended and I’m likely to return next year if I hear that they make some changes that will have a positive impact on the negatives I mentioned above.
