With less than a week to go until SXSW Interactive, it’s time to starting planning your schedule. There are literally hundreds of sessions and networking events planned for the week, spanning over several big themes, including branding, SEO, VR, design, digital storytelling and more.
We put together a digital marketer’s guide to help you navigate the jam-packed schedule.
Must-Attend Sessions
>Design at the Speed of Thought
In this sessions, Talin Wadsworth, the lead product designer for Adobe Experience, talks about the importance of speed when it comes to design. He’ll walk through some of the core design principles of Adobe XD and how an obsession with speed led to the development of a better tool.
When: Friday, March 10 | 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Where: Courtyard Marriott Rio Grande Ballroom
>Toward a More Personalized Web
Internet users today crave closer, more personalized web experiences. WP Engine CEO Heather Brunner talks about the website of the future, which will be a world where websites will thrive by getting personal.
When: Friday, March 10 | 3:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Where: Hilton Austin Downtown Chamber of Commerce
>20 Years of Data: The Heartbeat of the Internet
Data is gold for brands. It allows them to understand their customers on a deeper level than ever before and predict future trends. Dr. Jon Roberts, SVP Data Science and Audience Development at About.com talks about the legacy brand’s 20 years of search data.
When: Saturday, March 11 | 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Where: Hyatt Regency Zilker Ballroom 1
>Is VR/AR the new Storytelling… Or the Old 3D?
VR and AR have opened up new lines of communications with customers. They facilitate total immersion into the brands story. But should it really be part of your marketing strategy? This panel will answer these questions head on.
When: Saturday, March 11 | 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Where: Sheraton Austin Capitol Ballroom
>Conversational Chatbots: Your Brand’s Duty!
Chatbots are one of the biggest digital trends in 2017 and are slated to change the way brands engage with their customers. This panel brings together different perspectives to discuss the success of the “Call of Duty” experience and talk about how they expect chatbots to evolve.
When: Saturday, March 11 | 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Where: Hyatt Regency Zilker Ballroom 1
>You’re On: Marketing Into the Live Video Stream
In the age of digital, brands across all industries are taking a multi-channel marketing approach, pushing out content through various different social channels. With the emergence of Live Video Streams, brands are left scrambling to incorporate it into their strategy. This panel will break it down through some key examples of brands who have done it well and highlight what we can learn from them.
When: Saturday, March 11 |3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Where: Sheraton Austin Capitol Ballroom
>Seconds Matter: Capturing Attention in Mobile Feed
We live in a mobile world. In fact, in 2017 mobile is slated to account for 75 percent of global traffic. Ann Mack, head of content and activation at Facebook IQ discusses how to transform your advertising strategy to maximize engagements and drive meaningful metrics.
When: Monday, March 13 | 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Where: Hyatt Regency Zilker Ballroom 1
>Beyond Scale: Smarter Ways to Think About Growth
In the digital age, everyone is trying to scale. We’re trying to grow and engage our audiences in a meaningful way. This panel discusses exactly how we should define audience engagement, and walk through some ways to measure that engagement and grow our practices.
When: Monday, March 13 | 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Where: Hyatt Regency Zilker Ballroom 2
>Letting go and the New Way to Tell Visual Stories
Brands today are leveraging the power of influencer marketing within their social and content strategies. National Geographic handed over their Instagram account to some of the best photographers in the world and became the most followed brand on Instagram. This panel deep dives into just how this happened and what brands can learn from this.
When: Monday, March 13 | 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Where: Hyatt Regency Zilker Ballroom 3-4
>Art + Science: Videos that Inform, Inspire, & Scale
The composition of what makes viral content is a mystery. For years, marketers have tried to crack the equation. President of POPSUGAR Studios, David Grant, will discuss what every marketer needs to know about creating engaging content.
When: Tuesday, March 14 | 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Where: Hyatt Regency Zilker Ballroom 1
>The Evolution of Podcast Advertising
Podcasts have quickly gained a second wind over the past few years. As podcasts continue to gain momentum, advertisers are finding new ways to leverage this new channel to gain new customers. This panel discusses podcast best practices for advertisers and why they are the gateway to an on-demand future.
When: Tuesday, March 14 | 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Where: Hyatt Regency Zilker Ballroom 3-4
>Ask Before You Need: Startups, Investing, and You
The acquisition process has evolved in the past 20 years. Startups must leverage new strategies and practices to break through the noise and make their companies stand out. This panel discusses the secrets to attracting investors.
When: Thursday, March 16 | 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Where: Hilton Austin Downtown Salon D
>Brands are Leading the Way in the Evolution of VR
VR has been at the forefront of conversations around advertising for a few years now. It’s quickly become a channel to engage with customers in a more intimate, connected way than ever before, providing the with a more immersive brand experience. This panel will discuss why some of the most innovative VR content today is created by brands and dissect the relationship between brands and creators.
When: Thursday, March 16 | 3:30 p.m.- 4:30 p.m.
Where: JW Marriott Salon 1-2
Guide to SXSW Networking events
>Oracle Code Austin 2017
When: Wednesday, March 8 | 8:00 a.m.
Where: Hyatt Regency Austin
>Brand Innovators Austin
When: Friday, March 10| 7:30 a.m.
Where: Lamberts Restaurant
>Dell Presents – The Experience
When: Friday, March 10 | 10:00 a.m.
Where: The Sunset Room
>Mashable House 2017 – For the Superfans
When: Friday, March 10 | 12:00 p.m.
Where: The Main
>Comcast Media 360 Happy Hour
When: Friday, March 10 | 3:00 p.m.
Where: Departure Lounge
>CNN Bungalow — Opening Night
When: Friday, March 10 | 8:00 p.m.
Where: Bungalow
>Taco ‘Bout It
When: Saturday, March 11 | 11:00 a.m.
Where: Max’s Wine Dive
>Pinterest House
When: Saturday, March 11 | 10:00 a.m.
Where: Lustre Pearl
>Experience IBM
When: Sunday, March 12 | 10:00 a.m.
Where: Brazos Hall
>ATX Startup Crawl
When: Monday, March 13 | 5:00 p.m.
Where: Capital Factory
>CI&T Presents Agile Carnival
When: Tuesday, March 14 | 9:00 a.m.
Where: Courtyard Marriott
These are just a few of the incredible sessions and networking events to attend at SXSW. For the full list of sessions check out the official SXSW Interactive 2017 schedule.