[rudimental]

This is interesting. Perhaps prices went up and the culture of SXSW attendees are shifting, from startups to the more mainstream. Also, SXSW seemed saturated with costs and crowds, and is a potential unwise use of funds for many companies. A few won the SXSW lottery each year, but many did some networking like any other conferences. Perhaps it's a sign of maturity amongst how people are spending VC money?