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
Wednesday TV Wrap: TV Viewers Show Little Love For The 2020 ARIA Awards
It appears Australians weren’t all that interested in the 2020 ARIA Awards, with just 287,000 metro viewers tuning in to watch the Awards on Channel Nine, according to OzTAM data. Tame Impala took out Album Of The Year with The Slow Rush, while Song of the Year went to 5 Seconds Of Summer’s ‘Teeth’. ABC’s Gruen was […]
Apple Spreads The Christmas Joy In New Ad Starring Rapper Tierra Whack
It’s been a tough year for a lot of us. But rather than reminding everyone of the hardships 2020 has brought, tech giant Apple has decided to spread the joy of Christmas in its latest holiday spot. The ad features an initially gloomy Tierra Whack (American rapper, singer and songwriter) coming home from what appears […]
Frontier Advertising Rebrands, Wins New Clients & Boosts Teams
Frontier Advertising has rebranded to Frontier Media, complete with a fresh new look, and expanded its core team to accomodate some big clients wins. Frontier Media was acquired by Australian-owned, independent agency group VMG (Venetian Media Group) in early 2020. The rebrand is seen as an important step in VMG’s growth strategy and core services […]
How Starlight Children’s Foundation Relies On The Power Of Storytelling And Intelligencebank To Amplify Its Brand
As one of Australia’s best-known charities, the Starlight Children’s Foundation has a reputation for providing much-needed support and happiness. Starlight brings a little more brightness into the lives of seriously ill children and their families, so they can forget about their illness for a while and reconnect with the joy of being a child. Of […]
Peak Season? Let’s Talk Peak Performance
With this year’s Black Friday sales now just days away, Kristen Cornale, Co-founder and Strategic Director at UnDigital, gives her advice on how to get the most from your Black Friday sale. It’s no secret that online shopping has become more and more prominent over the last few years. With the introduction of Click Frenzy […]
Indie Agency Paykel Media Snares Dan Hojnik For Strategy & Planning Role
Independent media agency Paykel Media has announced the appointment of Dan Hojnik to the new role of head of strategy and planning. Hojnik will start at Paykel Media on 4 January. Based in Melbourne, he will report to Sarah Keith, who joined Paykel Media as national managing director in early November, based in Sydney. Hojnikwas […]
GroupM Agencies Dominate Global New Business Media Wins For Q1-Q3
According to the latest global media agency study New Business Barometer for Q1-Q3 2020 published by COMvergence, Wavemaker came out as the top global media agency in new business results with total new business value of $US1.1 billion (including $US370M of retentions) during the first nine months of 2020. This is largely due to strong […]
Six Ways To Supercharge Your Service Standards & Value
Mark Carter (main photo) is an international keynote speaker, trainer and coach. He has over 20 years’ experience as a global learning and development professional and author of the book Add Value. In this guest post, Carter offers easy tips to adding a value proposition to your customer service… Adding value via service is a […]
ACTIV Brand Management Strikes New Partnership With Nine’s The Block
Melbourne-based, boutique activations and brand experience company, ACTIV Brand Management, has secured a new partnership with Nine The Block, which saw them deliver a series of sensory brand experiences to support the show’s sponsorship engagement and virtual events calendar. In response to the changing events landscape, the team at ACTIV recently launched Brand Box, a […]
VERSA Expands Into India
World-leading conversational AI agency VERSA has announced its expansion into India, capitalising on demand for specialised conversational strategy and design in a market with a population of more than 1.3 billion people, and an installed base of nearly a billion mobile phones. VERSA India will be a 50/50 joint venture between VERSA (Headquartered in Melbourne, […]
Alive – Pioneering The Transition From Live Events To Meet The Demand Of Virtual For The Last 10 Years
Alive are celebrating 10 years! Leaders in creative event production, and the launch of ‘Alive TV’ showcases the revolutionary concepts created for clients during this challenging year; such as the most recent virtual success stories with clients such as Luxoticca Brickworks and The International Rose Garden Festival. Alive Events have pioneered the virtual space for […]
Study: 68% Of Aussies Don’t Want Their Health Data Used For Marketing
B&T's editor is happy marketers use his health data and welcomes ads from Anusol, De-Gas and Canestan Anti-Fungal.
Adobe: Gen Z Believes It Is Australia’s Most Creative Generation
Apparently all the technology invented by the Boomers and the Xers have given the Zs delusions of grandeur.
The Ultimate Shoey! Iconic Aussie Brands VB & Volley Partner To Launch Must-Have Shoe Of Summer
The vegan, lactose-free tofu sausage aside, the must-have at any hipster BBQ this summer has to be the VB Volley.
Thinksmart Marketing Executes Campaign From Hot Air Balloon
Integrated B2B marketing agency Thinksmart Marketing (TSM) has managed to execute a campaign from 3,000ft up in a hot air balloon. NICE inContact, approached TSM earlier this year to build preference, drive demand and generate strong leads for the brand across ANZ, with a campaign focusing on showcasing the capabilities and agility of its global-leading […]
Study: 74% Of Aussies Believe Brands Lie In Their Marketing Communications
B&T doesn't tolerate lying in any form except when it comes to our weight, our Tinder profile & our annual tax return.
AppsFlyer Opens Sydney Office Amid Expected Surge In Mobile Marketing Spend
Global attribution and marketing analytics company AppsFlyer has expanded into Australia and New Zealand, with the official opening of its first office in Sydney. It marks the opening of the company’s 19th office worldwide, with AppsFlyer hoping to “support the region’s rapidly growing local app economy”. The company said it plans capitalise on ANZ’s mobile […]
Bushfire Survivors Tell Their Stories In Latest South Australian Country Fire Service Campaign Via Nation
The stories of Black Summer have the power to change the way we all prepare and plan for bushfires.
Carrie & Tommy To Return To Hit Network’s National Drive In 2021
Carrie Bickmore returns to the Hit Network's drive show. Thankful not to have to suffer Waleed for a few hours.
“More ABC Funding Cuts?”: Triple J & Radio National Suffer Horrendous Broadcast Malfunction
triple J listeners subjected to distorted, whiny noise following breakdown. Confused it for Lime Cordiale's new album.
Are We Ready For The Future Customer?
All B&T will say on the "future customer" is we hope they're less "Karen from Bunnings" or Woolies' aisle Fight Club.
Why The Marketing Industry Needs Skills-Based Training
Calls today for better skills-based training for marketers. Although that doesn't include Reiki or cupcake decorating.
Creative Directors Toby Moore And Luke Thompson Join Special Group Australia
It's been a mega week for Special Group - B&T's Agency Of The Year, new appointments & a new seal on the dishwasher.
Global Ad Spends Drop 6.8% in 2020, But Set For A 5.9% Rebound In 2021
After biding our time for two decades, B&T's managed to dust-off our favourite Sydney 2000 trampolining photo for this.
Torrens University Announces Removal Of ATAR Requirement, In Campaign Via VCCP Sydney
In good news for the dim, thick and illiterate, Torrens University announces abolition of the ATAR requirement.
Akcelo Appointed By VentureCrowd For Marketing Transformation Program
Brand experience and innovation company Akcelo has been appointed by equity crowdfunding platform VentureCrowd to lead its marketing transformation plans. Akcelo will drive VentureCrowd’s customer strategy, acquisition and nurturing programs as part of the transformation program, including the Salesforce Marketing Cloud integration to its business ecosystem. VentureCrowd is a digital investment platform which gives investors […]
Earth Funerals Reveals New Brand Identity And Digital Platform Via VMLY&R Melbourne
Admittedly, it's been deathly quiet on the funeral news front of late at B&T, but we've done some digging here.
The PR Hub Announces New Hires & Client Wins
Public Relations agency The PR Hub is expanding its team, announcing the hire of two senior account managers, Olivia Jarman and Trudy Scott. The hires will support growth in the business with the agency experiencing an increase in demand for B2B and B2C communications and personal branding services across a broad range of technology driven […]
Mondelez International Appoints Publicis Groupe & Sorrell’s MediaMonks To Handle Its Global Production Operations
Sir Martin greedily dunking a Mondelez Oero in his Twinings English Breakfast this morning as S4 chalks up another win.
Food Corp Launches Shoppable Media Platform And Autumn/Winter 2021 Trends
It's a Autumn/Winter 2021 food trends report which will make grim reading for lovers of the cheese & pineapple hedgehog.
