Sessions at SXSW Interactive 2011 about SXSW with video

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Friday 11th March 2011

• Help Save SXSW from Marketer Douchebaggery

  by Ben Essen, Emily Hickey, Nihal Mehta, Ryan Daume and Zeb Dropkin

  Is SXSWi in danger of being ruined by the influx of marketers to the conference?

  Coming off of SXSWi 2010, Jolie O'Dell struck a cord with her post WHY SXSW SUCKS
  "Too many people, not enough tech... dodging and evading these shallow douchebags... only to find swarms of douchebags showing up an hour or so after the location is made known..."

  We're bringing some smart, caring minds together to move the chatter in the halls into the light of a focused panel. The elephant in the room is being put on center stage. Can SXSWi adapt, or will it be overrun? Has the conference jumped the shark? Voices for both the techie/creator side and the marketer side will make up the panel.

  We're aiming to land on solutions - this is not a bitch session. How can we address the challenges of a changing audience and optimize for the conference for valuable interactions? Are some social ground rules called for?What will the audience for SXSWi 2015 look like? Can we envision how that it could kick ass?

  This challenge is not unique to SXSWi. We see communities struggling similarly to adapt and build value. We can learn from their mistakes and solutions.

  This conference is as resilient as it's participants. If you show up, it will to.

  LEVEL: Beginner

  • SXSW

  At 2:00pm to 3:00pm, Friday 11th March

  In Ballroom F, Austin Convention Center

  Coverage video