The 2012 SXSW Festival attracted a large crowd. Photo courtesy of SXSW Facebook page.
The SXSW Festival was a major attraction during spring break
this year in Austin, Texas. The music scene is perhaps the most well-known and
most attended part of the ten day event, but other attractions may be the place
to go.
SXSW is an annual event occurring in Austin that includes
musical performances from bands and individuals from all over the world,
attracting thousands of guests. SXSW also includes film screenings, speeches,
runway shows, parties, and much more, according to its website.
Three different sections make up the festival: the
Interactive stage, the Film stage, and the Music stage. This year, the
Interactive portion started March 9 and ended March 13. The Film portion of
SXSW was held March 9 through March 17, and the Music events occurred March 13
through March 18.
Ben Buso, a writer for the humor website cracked.com, was in Austin for the annual party that the
website has at SXSW during the Interactive stage. According to Buso, it’s a
great networking opportunity.
“Most people come to SXSW for the music, but what most people
don’t realize is that at the Interactive events, you can network with possible
employers,” said Buso. “We’ve had several people join our team because they
talked to the editors at our event.”
Buso’s girlfriend Callie Ludwig, 24, was also in town
attending the cracked.com event, as well as several others. She agreed that the
Interactive events can be extremely helpful.
“I have been coming to the Interactive events for the past
couple of years to mingle with future employers, and of course have fun,” said
Ludwig. “This year, I came for a few workshops so I could learn more about
producing and maybe get involved.”
Ludwig’s friend Amy Tanner, 26, also came to SXSW to attend
an Interactive event to prepare for her future career. Tanner attended a new
event at SXSW for this year called Mentor Sessions.
“Last year, I went to a Meet Up session, which is a great
way to mingle with professionals,” said Tanner. “But this year, there was a new
thing called Mentor Sessions, where you get one-on-one coaching and advice from
a professional in the technology field. It was exactly what I wanted.”
The Interactive events are drawing more crowds now and will
continue to grow in future years, causing networking possibilities to grow as
well. Descriptions of the many events offered during this year’s Interactive
stage of SXSW can be found on the Interactive section
of the website.
Those that are interested in receiving SXSW updates can
signup
to get more information and contact other attendees.
Ben Buso- benbuso@yahoo.com
Callie Ludwig- lilly6789@msn.com
Amy Tanner- amytanner87@gmail.com
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