Fresh

It’s been over a week now since the final day of SXSW Interactive, and of course we are just now getting over the post-South By “hangover” period (readjusting to everyday life and work, and trying to remember what day it is). We’ll be unleashing several SXSW recap posts over the next couple weeks, reviewing some of our favorite panels and some of the ideas that really “stuck”. There were only four people from eROI who went to the conference this year (fewer than in previous years) but I think we’ve got plenty of thoughts to share amongst the four of us.

But before we share our deep thoughts, I just wanted to give a quick overview of my experience this year and share some notes I compiled on the plane ride back to PDX.

Unlike last year, I came to Austin armed with a smart phone so I got to tweet to my heart’s content (from my barf account) and check in often with Gowalla. Lots of my friends were using Gowalla this year and it really did come in handy trying to figure out which panels they were sitting in or at which bar they were responsibly partaking.  Plus there was the excitement of possibly finding a virtual VIP wristband to get into the Gowalla Tiki Room party, where Diplo was slated to perform, or one of the many real life prizes that Gowalla was giving away. I didn’t pick up any prizes or the VIP pass, but a friend did win one of the Lomography cameras (and we did make it into the outdoor Gowalla party, albeit after Diplo had left the stage and during a rainstorm).

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SXSW Interactive is almost here, so those months of giddy nerd anticipation are almost over! Hooray! But wait, have you studied the schedule yet? Picked your top panels? Perused the party lists? Researched the must-try restaurants and food carts? No?  Well don’t panic yet, you still have a little time. And to help sort through all the madness I’ve compiled a list of tools and sites that are helping me do some pre-planning this year. As a mere SXSW Sophomore I’m far from an expert on the conference or on Austin, but hopefully this post will help you get organized a little bit.

Finding Promising Panels

Sometimes a panel or session that looks amazing based on its short description in the official SXSW handbook turns out to be, ehhhh, not so great.  And of course the one you decided NOT to go to was the must-see panel of the day.  Although you’re not going to pick winners every time, you can help yourself by doing a little research beforehand.

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