SXSWi Survival Guide

So, now that I’ve been back from South by Southwest Interactive for a couple of weeks I thought I would pen my thoughts on how to survive this venerable “spring break for geeks”.  The event itself can be a bit overwhelming for newbies like myself, I spent a lot of time thinking about how I would handle all of the panels, parties and networking.  One thing I didn’t spend a lot of time considering was how to make it all the way through – I landed on Wednesday evening – that meant I had 5 nights in Austin – with that, my top 5 tips for surviving SXSWi:

1. Location, location, location…

The first thing I learned in Austin is location is key.  I stayed approximately 10 minutes outside of downtown proper, doesn’t sound too bad right?  Wrong, it’s 10 minutes in “real-world-time” but you have to remember that this is SXSWi, everything will take longer.  For example, we’re staying in a town that has a relatively small population of taxi cabs, this means when there’s a big spike in people, the availability of cabs goes down, thus making it hard to get back and forth from your hotel to the convention center.  I thought to myself “No problem self, you can get the shuttle pass and ride the shuttle back and forth.” which did work nicely, however, the shuttle only comes about once every 20-30 minutes, your 10 minute trip to the hotel (for that nap I’m going to tell you to take in my next point) just became a 20-30 minute journey.  Your best bet is to find a downtown hotel and BOOK EARLY.  I was told the best time to book is 4-6 months in advance – book it – even if you don’t go, you can always cancel, but if you do go, you’re tightly situated downtown.

2. Plan your schedule in detail, but be give yourself permission to deviate.

At SXSW, planning is key – I promise you’re not going to be able to see everything, but if you take the time in advance and look through the panels, you can make sure you get a seat for the ones you want to catch.  I would give yourself at least 15 minutes between panels, you’re going to need to use the facilities, get some water and maybe have a snack (keep an eye out for tip number 4).  It’s going to be basically impossible to see 2 panels that are back to back – so plan accordingly.  Another thing to keep an eye on is the location – some panels are pretty far away from the convention center so you’re going to need to give yourself plenty of time to get there.  Most importantly, be flexible, if you get out of a panel and meet some interesting people, but you know you have another panel that you planned to go to next, skip it!  This event isn’t JUST about learning, but it’s about networking too – whether that’s for new business, vendor partners or just plain cool people – networking is a key part of SXSWi.  Lastly, plan some rest time – if your schedule is anything like mine, you’re going to try to get to the convention center by 9am and will undoubtedly be up until the wee hours, you’re going to need a nap.  I would suggest carving out some time in the early afternoon around 2 or 3pm to head back to your hotel and grab a couple of hours of quiet time – catch up on email, take a nap or read – you’re going to thank me later.

3. Power chords, you’re going to need them…

This may seem obvious, but I guess it isn’t, you’re going to need to charge your mobile device/devices throughout the day.  In order to do that, you’re going to need your charger.  The fine people at SXSWi know that we’re nerds and that we have a ton of stuff that needs electricity, phones, laptops, GPS, cameras and more, so they provide us with plenty of outlets and power strips to share.  Now, if you fail to heed my advice and forget to bring your charger – you’re probably in luck – one of the best ways to meet someone new is to ask to share some of their electricity.  One of my coworkers was charging her phone and a kindred-phone-spirit approached her and asked if she would mind sharing – this led to us getting invited to see an awesome band, not to mention a few good karma points in the process.

4. Don’t forget to eat!

This is not a time to skip meals or go on a diet – you’re going to be “enduring” 16-18 hour days – you need your strength.  This is a breakfast, lunch and dinner type situation – there are plenty of food options, ranging from free to five star – don’t skip any meals.  Many of the hotels include a continental breakfast, this may mean waking up a little earlier, but it will be worth it as they day goes on.  I would also keep a couple of snacks on you, you’re not going to want to pay for the food at the convention center and you may need to carb up at some point during the day.  I would suggest something easy and high in protein – not candy, this is just going to give you some temporary energy that wont last.  Also, drink plenty of water, you’re going to be doing some drinking (see tip 5) and that means getting dehydrated and losing electrolytes, have the occasional salty snack or sports drink to keep you balanced.

5. Drink responsibly.

SXSWi can mean a lot of parties and drinking, it’s just a part of the culture of the event.  If you know that going in, you can be smart about it.  Remember that one of the key things to accomplish at SXSWi is networking, and networking drunk might as well not be networking at all.  What I’m trying to say is pace yourself – stick to the lighter drinks and avoid mixed drinks with a lot of sugar (they’re going to make recovering tomorrow harder).  Overall, think ahead as you plan your evening and try to be thoughtful about your drinking.

Overall, SXSWi can be a fun, educational and productive event if you keep these few tips in mind.  See you next year!