You are one of two people: either you are somebody that is proud they can use the #SXSW hashtag when tweeting or you are insanely jealous that you are not in Austin and have taken drastic measures to filter it from your Twitter feed.
Last week I was the later but now I am in Austin rounding out the craziest trip I have ever been on. It’s not crazy like where you wake up in a trashed hotel room with a chicken and a tiger. No it hasn’t been like that.
It’s been crazy like thousands of people walking the streets of Austin, crippling traffic where Taxis become valuable commodities, open bar day parties where you can get slizzered before it’s dinner time crazy.
My impromptu business trip to Austin for SXSW has been only a taste of my real SXSW dreams, I arrived on the tail end of Interactive so I missed out on the big #SXSWi parties, panels, and meet-ups I’ve dreamt of hitting up.
Yes I know that last paragraph was a total #humblebrag, there are lots of people that would want to be here for the music portion of the festival. Honestly though I’m not the type that would travel down here for the wide range of obscure/underground/indie music.
I left my fixed geared bike, skinny jeans, and thrift store fashions at home. I was wise enough to bring my chucks and I do have some facial hair on- but I’m shaving tonight.
While I was smart enough to heed some of the advice from from my colleagues, here are some other thoughts, tips, and observations I have from my first ever trip to SXSW:
Plan, Plan, Plan – Then Throw Away The Plan
I am a meticulous planner when I travel for work, and by the time I landed in Austin I had a hour-by-hour game plan of my entire trip here. It was good to have my top choices for panels as well as know when I’d be open for meals with contacts and where my work fit into the day.
At the same time once you have that plan down, you have to be flexible to change things on the fly. Perhaps you get caught in an impromptu meeting or you didn’t realize it takes longer to walk from W 4th St to E 4th St.
Plan ahead so you know what you’d like to do, don’t plan too much for each day, and be ready to go with the flow on the ground.
Be Prepared To Walk Around. A Lot.
I’m lucky I was able to find a hotel not too far to downtown.
By not to far I mean a 20 minute walk.
With the so many people in town, hotel shuttles don’t come around as often as you’d like and Taxis are impossible to get. Luckily once you get downtown the city is very walkable.
Austin > Adams Morgan?
I take a lot of pride in living in a city with a rockin’ nightlife. However seeing all of Austin this week makes me wonder if they could kick DC’s ass in bar per square inch numbers. However oddly enough the crowds of people walking about doesn’t equate indoors. Almost every bar I’ve checked out this week has only been half full.
SXSW Is Hipster Prom
I already hinted at it already but damn, I’ve never seen so many hipsters in my life. If I only knew how to hit on Hipsters.
“I love your Pentax camera!”
“Where did you get that plaid shirt?”
“I think your knowledge of obscure music is hot.”
Get Ready To Mingle With Locals
With every bar in Austin promoting drink specials, music showcases, and free entry it’s not only out of towners that flock to Austin this time of year. Over the past couple of days I’ve met a fair amount of local students and residents that are taking advantage of the raging party scene.
Also be prepared to prove your ID isn’t fake, there’s been lots of enforcement on that front as a result.
Electricity Is The Life Force Of SXSW
I’ve noticed that all my handheld devices have been losing power faster than a Charlie Sheen Meme.
With so many cell phones in a small area I figure my phone is struggling to get a signal. It hasn’t been an uncommon sight in any hotel lobby, ballroom, or bar to see every outlets brimming with a beavy of iPhone chargers.
Stay Connected
You are going to meet-up with a lot of friends and make some new ones at SXSW. I’ve been using group messaging and Foursquare to help keep tabs on everybody I want to hang out with while I’m down here and make plans.
SXSW Is An Absolute Blast
Despite missing the part of SXSW I really wanted to check out, my week down here has been great. I already know that I want to catch the entire thing next year.
Related posts:
Pingback: Pho On The Net: 3-20-11 — Life With Pho
Pingback: Southwest Challengers To DC — Life With Pho