Austin is gearing up to host the 29th annual South by Southwest this week, where more than 30,000 attendees will flock to the Texas capital from March 13 to 22 to partake in all things interactive, film, and music. After last year’s tragedy, where a drunk driver killed and injured passersby on a barricaded street during the festival, conference organizers worked with the City of Austin to reevaluate SXSW’s structure. As a response, the number of city-approved temporary permits for official and unofficial events was cut back 25 percent from 2014. Security will be ramped up with an increased number of police officers.
In that vein, rather than the usual open R.S.V.P. system, the Fader Fort is now guest-list-only. “The more the festival grows, the more the process needs to evolve,” explained Andy Cohn, the president and publisher of The Fader, “and the more precautions need to be taken to ensure we are able to keep providing our free and safe event to our guests.” The publication’s Dell partnership will allow viewers to watch the goings-on through satellite live-streaming stations set up throughout Austin.
Some major brands aren’t returning to the festival. Most notable is the absence of Frito-Lay and its Doritos vending machine stage usually erected in the middle of downtown. Last year, SXSW keynote speaker Lady Gaga was scheduled to perform on the stage, but it was relocated to a larger outdoor space at the last minute. Despite Apple’s ties to the city with its Austin office campus, the iTunes Festival won’t come back, either.
In their stead, newer companies are vying for guest attention during those 10 days. As a first-time super sponsor of the conference, McDonald’s is looking to use the conference to reinvigorate its digital presence. The fast-food chain will hold open pitch sessions focusing on how to change customers’ restaurant experience through content, delivery, and more. The McDonald’s Lounge will host hackathons and salon meetings. Meanwhile, Flood magazine, formerly Filter, is using SXSW as its debut with the FloodFest. The event will host musical acts like Spoon and Run the Jewels. Presenting sponsor Lyve will present its cross-platform photo and video service.
Other brands are rethinking their activations this year. General Electric will take a closer look at Austin’s famed cuisine with the GE BBQ Research Center. The centerpiece will be an experimental interactive barbecue smoker. Guests will delve into the science behind what makes smoked meat tasty with an interactive gallery.
Fast Company will bring back the grill for the fifth year, which will play host to sessions, parties, and workout classes. Activations include Toyota’s Oculus Rift distracted driving simulator and an interactive Austin-centered video game by DJI Drones. Inspired by the show Life Before Zero, National Geographic will host a frosty interactive scavenger game where participants race to solve puzzles. IFC makes its second SXSW appearance with the IFC Fairgrounds, which will involve a mechanical bull and sticky wall. Other returning brands include the Mashable House and the MashBash, Samsung, BuzzFeed, and Friskies.
To help situate attendees, the official mobile app will use iBeacons to create an “Around Me” feature that will show users what events are trending nearby as well as who is checking in. Last year, there were 44,500 registrants and the total economic impact of SXSW brought in $315 million for Austin.
