SXSW Logistics for N00bs

This was my first time at SXSW, and I had a wonderful time. I had heard SXSW was An Experience, and so I read a few “what to expect” blog posts to prepare. And now that I have one South By under my belt, here is my contribution. In no particular order:

1. Register as soon as possible. Tickets went on sale last fall, and prices rose incrementally every month or so.

2. There are many, many hotels in the area, and even more father away that can be reached by shuttle buses. However, since I had to foot my own bill this year, I rented an apartment with three other people for the grand total of $156.25 for six days. I did stay at a hotel the last night, though. The apartment was a mile south of the convention center, so I enjoyed a lovely walk over the bridge to and from every day (except for the last morning when it rained and I was drenched). Ours was the model apartment for a complex, which felt very Arrested Development-esque, but some Austinites sublet out their homes during SXSW. Check Craigslist.

3. If you are a techie, do not expect this to be a techie conference. I got the most out of the presentations that were far outside the scope of my regular job. For example, I went to talks on how to manage interns, the logistics of starting your own business, and how to get more women involved in IT. I found that the people who were disappointed in the talks were technical people who went to technical talks in their area. To me, the talks were a great way to get a sampling of new ideas, rather than learning a lot about a specific technology.

4. I’ve heard people say that they didn’t like the internet celebrity focus of SXSW. Although there were people there for that purpose, there were also plenty of people who were there to connect with their peers. I met people from startups and large corporations, as well as education and nonprofits.

5. Related, I’ve also heard people say they didn’t like the pressure to attend the after-hours parties. While I did go to the parties, and they were a lot of fun, I also enjoyed dinners with small groups and had great conversations with people at lunch or between talks. I feel like the parties were over-hyped, and people’s attendance at the parties was over-hyped. It’s perfectly okay to go back to your hotel room after the sessions to call your family, watch TV, decompress, whatever.

6. I was very impressed with the infrastructure and the efficiency with which people were accommodated and shuffled around. I think I read that 15,000 people attended the Interactive portion this year, so that was no small feat. I picked up my badge the first morning of panel presentations and only had to wait in line for about 15 minutes. My friends who picked up their badges the night before got theirs quickly as well. There was also only one talk I didn’t make it into due to crowds; I was able to find a seat in every other one. The wireless network held up surprisingly well; there were some hiccups on the first day, but things were ironed out after that.

7. There are taxis and pedicabs everywhere. Getting places was easy even if you don’t want to walk. That said, I really enjoyed the amount of walking I did. Austin is a beautiful city.

8. Speaking of walking, everything I read said, “Wear comfortable shoes.” And so I did. And I was glad I did (see: mile walk each way). But if you are staying at a hotel close to the convention center or taking the shuttle bus, there isn’t much need. The panel events are all in the convention center and the hotels one block away. Next time if I stay closer to the convention center, I might wear slightly less sensible shoes, and go for cute instead.

9. Speaking of shoes, people wear some pretty zany outfits at SXSW. I’ve got to step it up next time.

10. The coffee line on the first floor of the convention center is the longest, on the third floor is the shortest, and the fourth floor is the mediumest. But the lines at nearby hotel coffee shops are even shorter.

11. SXSW is 5 full days of presentations from 9:30am – 6:00pm, plus parties and events afterwards. Pace yourself; you are not expected to attend everything. I went to 4-5 talks per day (out of a possible total of 6), and that was plenty. In fact, I get the impression I attended more talks than most people.

12. Lunch isn’t built into the schedule. Many people grab lunch during the 12:30 time slot so that they can make the keynote. I, however, found too many interesting 12:30 talks I wanted to attend and opted to eat lunch during they keynote talks instead. The keynotes were heavily tweeted and blogged, so I really didn’t feel like I missed much. And the restaurants were nearly empty at that time.

And that’s it! In conclusion, I had a wonderful time at SXSW this year, and my experience definitely lived up to the hype. I usually go to conferences focused on technology in higher education, so this was a welcome broadening of the horizons. I’m definitely planning to return in the future.