| I think SXSW was a mess this year - but it was still a worthwhile conference to be at. Was advertising everywhere and totally in your face? Yes. Were there a million people trying to get into the parties? Yes. Did all the panels totally suck? Yes (this is something the author totally failed to mention BTW.) The benefit to going to SXSW is to see / meet people in your space. The most important part is just being there, and getting awesome introductions. The noise is totally outrageous. I don't think anyone launching a product (including us) would be able to make huge waves unless you already had nice little buzz going. SXSW is amazing because everyone from SF, LA, NYC, Austin, and a million other places come together expecting to meet people. One last thing - Nick posted this comment: I am part of the mid-to-high-profile blogger/media crowd; I'm entitled, but I know how shitty I sound saying that I'm entitled. We're the crowd who demands VIP access. Dude you are so lame it hurts. All these parties were the same. Do you really need to get drunk and have awkward social media conversations at 3 AM? Do I really want to watch an overweight blogger try to ride a mechanical bull? Sure the parties are fun (for a moment) but like btilly said, its all about what your looking for. If I am looking for a party I would much rather go to music (hot girls,) you go to interactive to get a feel for the people in the digital space and what they are trying to do. But yes... last year was a little cooler. |