South by Southwest (SXSW) Music + Film Interactive

http://sxsw.com/music/trade_show


From labels and distributors to social media solutions and software/hardware manufacturers, the SXSW® Trade Show has it all. Digital creatives rejoice. Your show is here.


South by Southwest (SXSW) Music + Film Interactive is a privately owned company located in Austin, Texas.  SXSW’s main purpose is to provide conference and festival events to professionals of the entertainment and media (related) industries. One of their major conferences is the annual SXSW Music and Media Conference.  As of 2011, this conference is in its 25^th year.  Within the conference, there are various panel discussions, keynote speakers from the industry, a trade show, and numerous networking opportunities for industry professionals.  SXSW prides themselves on providing as much information as possible within the entertainment industry to professionals that may benefit from it.

I believe this has a positive effect on the entertainment industry.  In order to be successful in this business initially, it is about networking and whom you know to “get that break.”  The conference last a week with the trade show occupying three-four days of the event.  During the day, there are hundreds of entertainment and media companies with booths set-up.  Booths range from Spin Magazine and T-Mobile to Full Sail University and the Fulbright Program.

Outside of the trade show are four other aspects held during the same time frame: Happy Hour, Block Party, SXSW Hiring Hub Powered by Monster.com, and SXsaloon. The Hiring Hub is used for participants to be exposed to different opportunities for employment within the industry.  Participants have the opportunity to browse through jobs onsite or a special online portal via SXSW.com. Happy Hour, Block Party and the SXsaloon are other networking opportunities while participants relax from the day’s activities.

Being a musician myself, I think that I may be somewhat on tunnel vision when it comes to entertainment.  Majority of the time, I am thinking from a music perspective.  I do not think this is a bad thing, but it may be stunting my creative process when it comes to my career path.  With a conference such as this, I think it forces, entertainment professionals to think “outside the box.”  I can’t imagine what a company like T-Mobile would gain from being at Entertainment conference; however, there could be lucrative collaboration in place just waiting to happen.

This annual music and media conference was held March 9^th-17^th, 2011 and the next SXSWeek will be March 9^th-18^th, 2012.