This year’s SXSW, the annual March festival in Austin where technology converges with pop culture, had a distinct atmosphere. It brought back memories of the 2019 event when downtown was bustling with crowds and long lines outside local businesses.
Attendees noted a similar vibe this year, although some changes were evident. My friend, a local and frequent attendee, mentioned that the festival is now two days shorter. The demolition of the Austin Convention Center led to a “decentralized” setup, with events and panels spread across various downtown venues. This made the conference feel less overwhelming but also less cohesive.
The event is still rebounding from the pandemic, which resulted in staff layoffs and a two-year period with minimal income. Since then, it has changed ownership and adopted a new approach this year.
Greg Rosenbaum, SVP of programming at SXSW, described this year, the 40th anniversary of the conference, as its most “ambitious reinvention” yet. He highlighted innovations like the new Clubhouses, designed for recharging, networking, and special programming, which drew 5,000 visitors daily. Rosenbaum also noted that attendees were engaging more with Austin and the downtown community.
Tech founders I spoke with found the conference highly valuable, echoing the sentiment that with events like these, the return is proportional to the effort invested.
The festival featured numerous opportunities for networking and engagement. Grammy-nominated Lola Young performed, Vox hosted a notable party, the latest Boots Riley film debuted, and keynotes were delivered by Serena Williams and Steven Spielberg. I also had the opportunity to moderate a panel on AI and taboo topics such as relationships and money, which I thought went well.
Ashley Tryner-Dolce, an investor and founder, praised the conference as an “incredible gathering of ideas.” She, like many others, found the side events, such as INC’s Founder House party where she networked with other founders and CEOs, to be the most meaningful.
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She remarked, “It’s less about the main stage and more about who you’re sitting across from.”
James Norman, a managing partner at Black Ops VC, attended without an official badge. He organized an event to connect founders with opportunities and participated in some film screenings and dinners.
He noted, “If you’re just showing up without the right connections or proximity to the rooms and conversations that matter, you’re going to struggle to unlock the real value of the event,” a sentiment shared by Jonathan Sperber, who took part in the SXSW pitch competition.
Sperber emphasized the importance of preparation, stating that his team ensured meetings were arranged and a clear strategy was in place. He described the setting as “effective for connecting with large enterprises and other key stakeholders.”
Despite recurring rumors of SXSW’s decline, it continues to thrive. Each year, new attendees arrive with fresh perspectives and ambitions, eager to seize the opportunities the festival offers.
First-time attendee Simon Davis felt the event was “a media conference with a tech angle, not the other way around.” He appreciated the diversity compared to other tech events.
He commented, “At SXSW, you get a much wider range of people, backgrounds, and experience levels. The live music programming reinforces that. It’s a different energy entirely. Not somewhere you’d necessarily go to do deals as a tech company, but a great place to share and learn.”
This year saw the introduction of a new badging system, allowing for varied experiences based on the purchased track badge—film, music, or tech. I found myself surrounded by discussions on AI and technology, with some lamenting the reduced focus on music compared to previous years.
The conference eliminated secondary access, requiring attendees to purchase an all-in-one premium badge for around $2,000 to access all events. A reservation system was also introduced to manage lines, requiring badge holders to book time for activities. Even those with a platinum badge, like Sperber, had to navigate these changes.
Sperber noted that the festival felt less accessible to spontaneous attendees, with some events filling up quickly. The decentralized format also posed challenges in navigating the venues.
He shared, “I liked the openness and the ability to meet folks from all life experiences, got to really understand the city, and some of the interactive exhibits were very interesting.”
Rosenbaum explained that the decision to remove secondary access followed feedback from attendees seeking more streamlined badge access and increased benefits for Platinum badges. The price of the platinum badge was reduced to make the comprehensive option more affordable. He confirmed that the reservation system would return next year, with adjustments based on feedback received.
Norman described the event as more of an “unconference,” providing flexibility for attendees to move around and meet people.
Rodney Williams, co-founder of fintech SoLo Funds, recognized changes in the event but saw them as not entirely negative. A long-time attendee and participant, Williams chose to attend for only a few days this year, organizing his own events to avoid lines.
He observed a shift for tech founders, with SXSW evolving from a “scrappy discovery zone” to a “high-cost, high-competition space,” emphasizing “investor interaction and experiential marketing,” where companies with larger budgets have a greater presence.
Williams remarked, “If you are attending for the first time or don’t have access to the right events or connections, the event can definitely prove to be tricky.”
According to Adweek, there were fewer spectacles and a noticeable absence of big tech companies advertising. Williams explained that advertising remains a costly endeavor, even without the participation of major tech firms.
He added, “Companies with massive marketing budgets are usually the only ones participating, launching products, or throwing pricey events. It wasn’t always like this, and that shift has taken away opportunities from the emerging tech companies that used to participate.”
Williams concluded, “Now, standing out requires more than just a great product, demanding significant marketing investment that only companies with huge budgets can do.”
Nevertheless, he and Norman both hosted parties this year. Organizers expected around 300,000 attendees this year, indicating that the festival remains vibrant and full of energy.
Williams concluded, “I always enjoy it and make the most out of it.”
