Learning From The Best: The SXSW Playbook
In this guest post, GPJ Australia’s Felippe Diaz (pictured below) recaps one of the standout sessions from the Meetings & Event Association’s recent conference in Adelaide.
Last month, I was lucky enough to be invited to speak at the annual Meetings & Event Association’s (MEA) Conference in Adelaide. As great as it was to be able to share my experiences with a room full of my peers, the real win for me was being able to spend a couple of days hearing from some of the brightest and best in our industry.
For anyone working in the experiential space, South by Southwest (SXSW) is the benchmark by which all other events are measured. It is essentially Christmas for those involved in music, film and technology. Over a 30-year history, SXSW has developed a cult following, and despite the amount of change the world has seen in this time, it has managed to stay relevant and true to its purpose and audience, with the event taking over the city of Austin Texas for a week, as 80,000 creative folk descend on the city hungry to learn about the direction their industries are heading.
MEA conference attendees were treated to hearing from SXSW’s chief programming officer, Hugh Forrest. He’s been there since the very first SXSW in 1987 and shared his insight around the challenges he faced in growing the SXSW brand over the last 30 years, and how he and his team have managed to keep the event at the forefront of today’s culture.
Here are Hugh’s top seven tips for keeping your event relevant:
- Focus on the future – try to predict what your audience will be interested in hearing about in two to three years’ time. You won’t always get it right, but when you do, the audience sits up and takes notice. The focus for SXSW right now is wearables and the Internet of Things – it is betting that this technology will hit mainstream in the next 18 to 24 months, and wants to be the forum where people hear about it first.
- Mix younger and older speakers – it’s hard to market an event as the place where you can come to listen to presenters who will be famous in the next five years, so this needs to be balanced with well-established speakers who act as a drawcard.
- Energy trumps expertise – no matter how much of a subject matter expert someone might be, a boring presenting style means a boring presentation. Someone not as polished or well-known, but with charisma and energy, will always get a great response from the audience, with Hugh singling out Gary Vaynerchuk as a great example of someone who can have the audience in the palm of his hand just due to his enthusiasm and presence on stage.
- Sell your stories – make sure you promote all the great things that have happened at past events. This will continue to build a groundswell of anticipation (i.e. Twitter launching at SXSW in 2007 – although 11 years ago, is still one of the most talked about pieces of content for SXSW).
- Listen, listen, listen – make sure you have a robust method of being able to collect delegate feedback and act on it. Nine full months before their next event, SXSW launches its ‘Panel Picker’ platform that gives the public the opportunity to provide ideas for future content.
- Build new platforms – ensure you are pushing the envelope with regards to emerging technologies. Exploring the use of apps, VR, AR, AI, and other similar technologies ensures that SXSW is seen as a supporter and advocate of future progress.
- Creativity is king – don’t be afraid to take creative risks. Even if an idea is only 80 per cent baked, being first is far more important than being perfect.
Hugh was the first to admit that he didn’t have all the answers and that SXSW doesn’t always get it right. However, in terms of an event that has grown to transcend business, culture and technology, it remains at the top of the pack – something which we can all learn from and shoot towards.
Please login with linkedin to comment
Felippe Diaz gpj GPJ Australia Hugh Forrest South by Southwest SXSWLatest News
Sydney Comedy Festival: Taking The City & Social Media By Storm
Sydney Comedy Festival 2024 is live and ready to rumble, showing the best of international and homegrown talent at a host of venues around town. As usual, it’s hot on the heels of its big sister, the giant that is the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, picking up some acts as they continue on their own […]
Global Marketers Descend For AANA’s RESET For Growth
The Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA) has announced the final epic lineup of local and global marketing powerhouses for RESET for Growth 2024. Lead image: Josh Faulks, chief executive officer, AANA Back in 2000, a woman with no business experience opened her first juice bar in Adelaide. The idea was brilliantly simple: make healthy […]
Is Meta’s New AI Chatbot Too Left-Wing?
Meta's chatbot accused of being left-wing after being caught wearing a Che Guevara T-shirt & listening to Billy Bragg.
TV Ratings (23/04/2024): Why Did No One Tell Angela That Farmer Wants A Wife Is Set On A Farm?
As wonderful as this headline is, let's face it, we all know an 'Angela', don't we?
PubMatic Unveils New AI Partnership To Turn Social Posts Into Ads For Any Digital Channel
Here's some nifty tech for turning social posts into ads. Assuming said posts aren't one-star character assassinations.
Intuit Mailchimp Makes A Splash With Its First Australian Brand Campaign
Ever laugh along at a gag you didn't get so as not to appear dumb? Get ready for more feigning with this new work.
GumGum’s Rob Hall: Advertisers Can No Longer “Rely On Binary Descriptions” Of Consumers
If anyone's got their finger on adtech's pulse, it's Rob Hall. He also avoids using the good paper in the office printer
Mastercard Nabs Florencia Aimo From Marriott International
Marriott International's Florencia Aimo jumps from the hotel business to the exploitative credit card one.
Bastion Agency Appoints Cheuk Chiang As New ANZ CEO
Cheuk Chiang takes the reins over at Bastion Agency. But not the rains down in Africa.
Spotlight On Sponsors: Major Sponsorship Wins After A Disappointing Week In Sport
B&T continuing our deep dive into local sport sponsorships & that's despite not a single offer of a free ticket as yet.
Macca’s Marketing Director, Samantha McLeod On Big Mac Chant: “What Was Once Old Is Now Cool Again”
Macca's using the power of nostalgia in latest Big Mac campaign. Well, only for those who've ever eaten one sober.
World Premiere Of Midnight Oil: The Hardest Line To Open Sydney Film Festival 2024
Oil's biopic to open Sydney Film Festival. Here's hoping Molly Meldrum will take his pants down at the premiere.
Entries Are Now Open For The 2024 Brandies, IntelligenceBank’s Annual Brand Marketing Awards
The Brandies are, of course, a prestigious marketing gong and not the mystery tipple favoured by nannas everywhere.
The Fred Hollows Foundation Appoints Ardent For PR
Yes, we all like to have a joke at PR's expense. But sometimes it does important work, like this.
AI, eCommerce & Marketing Specialists Are In Increased Demand By Businesses, New Data From Fiverr Shows
Has your philosophy & anthropology degree left you with nothing but a huge HECS debt? Here's what you should've studied.
Perth’s First 3D Anamorphic Billboard Arrives Courtesy Of oOh!media
Do you love a buzzword? Now you can add anamorphic to the list as it relates to billboards, not a colleague's ears.
MasterChef Australia & Crown Resorts Launch Unique Dining Experience With ALUMNI
A pop-up restaurant staffed by MasterChef contestants! That's fine dining prices for first-year apprentice chef cuisine!
Amanda Laing Announces Resignation From Foxtel Group
Foxtel's chief commercial & content officer heads for the exits. Read nice things the bosses said about her right here.
The Lost Letters From Our Diggers: News Corp Unveils ANZAC Day Special
It's nice when brands respectfully acknowledge ANZAC Day.
Howatson+Company Acquires Akkomplice
Large indie acquires a slightly smaller indie. Much like a shark eating a tuna, just with less thrashing and blood.
Google Delays Third-Party Cookie Deprecation Again
In good news for the sale of picture library biscuit photos, Google continues to tease over the end of cookies.
Education A Low Priority For Aussies More Concerned With Cost Of Living Forethought Study Reveals
Study finds Aussies cutting back on education due to cost of living. Booze & Uber Eats sales remain largely unaffected.
“I’m Still The Same Person That I Was”: Rikki Stern Says “Fucc It” To Cancer Stereotypes
B&T always happy to promote the anti-cancer cause. Even brands that massively overdo it with the hot pink.
The Unapproved Climate Certification Allegedly Causing Mass Greenwashing
Are you left flummoxed in the canned tuna & free range eggs aisle? Just wait till this green certification gets up.
TV Ratings (22/04/2024): Fans Mock “Over The Top” Reaction To New MasterChef Judges
MasterChef returns for its 2024 season. B&T stands by putting peppercorns in Gravox & no one will be any the wiser.
Dentsu Restructure: Muddle, Harvey & Johnston Take Leadership Baton As Bass & Yurisich Exit
A large broom has swept through Dentsu's local ops this morning, taking with it some big names & the air con's cobwebs.
Industry Shares Trends Shaping The Industry This International Creators Day
B&T's asking adland creators to reveal their top trends. And it's not good news for your Jenny Kee cardigan collection.
Mable Extends HOYTS Sensory Screenings Partnership
Mable has extended its HOYTS sensory screening partnership. Vigorously defends its two-star Oppenheimer review.
Orphan Launches ‘They Need Our Help. We Need Yours’ For Children’s Cancer Institute
Anything to do with childhood cancers has B&T's 110% support. That said, we do ignore the red meat & alcohol warnings.
Smile Team Orthodontics & Keep Left Collaborate On Smile-Inducing Campaign
As parents would attest, given the cost of orthodontics you'd expect this campaign to be a lavish production indeed.
Opinion: How Video Calls Neglect Learning Diversity
Need an excuse to duck out of a video call this arvo? Show this to your boss.
DoubleVerify Achieves First-Of-Its-Kind Responsible AI Certification From TrustArc
DoubleVerify receives responsible AI certification. However, not its robotic vacuum that's been seen menacing the cat.
Smile For A Good Cause: The Social Media Campaign Giving Back To The Community
Are you known as the office Austin Powers? More for you teeth than shagability? Get snappy new fangs with this news.
Elon Musk Mocks Albo After ESafety Wins Court Injunction Against X
Albo's 2024 from hell continues - Rabbitohs in crisis, down in the polls and now feuding with world's richest man.
Real Estate Developer In Hot Water Over “Sexually Exploitative” OOH Campaign
Real estate agents again tops in the 'least trusted profession' polls, nudging used car salesmen & ad creatives.
Epsilon’s Shane Hanby: Post-Cookie Era Relies On “Teamwork” Between Brands, Marketers & Tech
This pro predicts more "teamwork" in a post-cookie era. Which spells bad news for the uncooperative or plain stubborn.