Type to search

SXSW Sydney is 11 days away – here’s everything you need to know

Featured News

SXSW Sydney is 11 days away – here’s everything you need to know

Share
SXSW Sydney

Marketing Mag Interview: Samantha Saunders South by Southwest (SXSW) returns to Sydney on 14-20 October for the second consecutive year. Marketing sat down with SXSW head of marketing Samantha Saunders to discuss what’s in store for this year’s event, why it’s a must-attend, and everything you need to know to prepare for the inspiring week ahead.

Marketing Mag: What is SXSW Sydney, and why is it a must-attend event for creatives?

Samantha Saunders: SXSW Sydney is one week of connections that inspire the unexpected. It’s a conference plus festivals that combine technology, music, screen, games and culture, and the reason why creatives from all of these different disciplines should come to South by Southwest is the opportunity to cross-collaborate across the different silos.

We know there’s great music, game and screen festivals, but it’s not so often that these are all combined. The SXSW conference week gives attendees a behind-the-scenes and industry expert look at all of those unique industries.

SXSW Sydney

MM: For the 2024 event, what’s the new strategy, outlook and focus?

SS: We definitely understood that there were a lot of questions around what SXSW Sydney actually is – and it’s hard to put this into one sentence. South by Southwest means different things to different people, so it’s important to really understand those different audiences, their background and price points.

Making sure everybody understands that SXSW has content they will enjoy and there will be people there they will love connecting with no matter who they are, is something we’ve heavily focused on this year in terms of the different types of credentials on offer.

This year our premium badges have become even more premium, while at the other end of the spectrum, we have invested more into our free programming to give everyone a taste of what SXSW offers – especially on the weekend. Additionally, we’re bringing in more interstate and international visitors to create broader regional appeal.

MM: What can attendees who perhaps don’t identify as ‘creatives’ take away from SXSW Sydney?

SS: A lot of people don’t think they’re creative, but SXSW is absolutely for people in HR, finance, startups etc. SXSW is a creative event to expose these departments to relevant creativity. This year we’ve really stripped out the idea that SXSW is for creatives from our consumer messaging, because I know from in my old days – of not being a creative – that you often feel like an event like this is not for you. 

I would also encourage all attendees to step out of their comfort zone industry and explore the games showcase or the music festival – see things you wouldn’t normally see. This year we have a Spotify playlist and a lot of the artists are not known names, but the programming team have put together a festival that means if you like Gracie Abrams, you’re going to find something similar.

SXSW Sydney

MM: How can attendees make the most of the packed agenda?

SS: Definitely start by doing some prep. This year we’ve invested heavily into the SXSW Sydney app. We know it wasn’t as user-friendly as it could have been last year, so this redeveloped platform has more functionality than ever. The schedule has been locked in early so attendees can plan their week to experience as much as possible.

I would start by planning a day at a time. Go into the app and ‘favourite’ the session you plan on attending, while also favouriting backups too. The app will then build you a custom agenda and suggest other sessions to fill the gaps.

If there’s a session you really want to see, give yourself time to get in the line. Queuing is obviously not something that people necessarily enjoy, but speaking from my experience at SXSW Austin, they’re actually the place where you meet people and how you understand the atmosphere of the festival.

MM: Are there any particular new trends taking centre stage this year?

SS: As you’d expect, there was a lot on artificial intelligence that was submitted through Session Select – our community programming tool that enables individuals and groups to submit proposals to be voted on by the broader community.

About 75 percent of the program has come through Session Select, and so our team has put content together specifically around AI. Even if it’s food AI or travel AI, we’re putting a large emphasis on artificial intelligence. The marketing and advertising industry have really lent into SXSW Sydney as the ‘Asia Pacific South by’, but a lot of our cohort don’t head to Austin every year. It is great to see these industries really get behind Sydney, as it’s the second strongest industry from attendees so far with registrations, after the tech sector. 

MM: With networking being a massive part of the SXSW experience, how can attendees really capitalise on this opportunity? 

SS: Start by organising your crew ahead of time. Talk to your network, whether it’s on LinkedIn or WhatsApp, and then create a group chat of people you know are going to share what you’re interested in seeing. They might’ve found a session on the schedule that you’re really interested in but missed.

When I attend, I am also surprised to see how many people from my career that I bump into. SXSW becomes a really natural way to connect and network with people you already loosely know – and then there’s the meetups, networking sessions, drinks, coffee and all sorts of small group meets that align you with people with similar specific interests.

Many of our survey respondents tell us they found their next job, client, partner and collaborator at SXSW Sydney. There are so many ongoing connections made at SXSW and we say these connections are recession proof. It’s a great opportunity, whether you are happy in your career now or are looking for a change, to have connections that extend in unexpected ways.

SXSW Sydney

MM: What do you hope the main takeaway of attendees will be?

SS: It’s definitely the broad content that we bring. Unlike other marketing conferences on the calendar, SXSW Sydney is where you’ll find innovative content on all things – technology, sport, people and culture, different parts of a business, the future, and more.

Whether you’re an experienced or emerging marketer, it’s really important to get out of your own lane and see things from a different perspective. You’re then more aware of the challenges of your CFO, the customer, your team. You get that 360-degree view of the landscape that your company is operating in.

The key point of difference is the breadth of content – plus it definitely helps that you’ll not only have networking but also a fun and relaxing time. Go to a party, see a movie, explore!

Get your tickets now

Final release badges for SXSW Sydney tickets are still available. Get in quick – the festival kicks off 14-20 October.

     
Tags:

We send love letters weekly

Get your inbox filled with best content.

Sign up now

You Might also Like

Leave a Comment