Ten things I hate about SXSW
Having attended her first SXSW exactly one month ago, Josephmark’s Content Lead Georgia Dixon discusses her bittersweet romance with the conference and like any relationship that comes to an end, she wants to know – could it have gone better?
I hate the way you sell badges to everyone
And the way you keep me waiting
I hate the way you don’t provide queue-tainment
I hate it when you aren’t communicating
I hate your inconsistent session rules
And the way you overwhelm my mind
I hate you so much that it makes me sick
It even makes me rhyme
I hate the way you treat secondary badge holders
I hate it when your freebies run dry
I hate it when your app bugs out
Even worse when there’s no backup session nearby
I hate the way you let me think Frank Ocean might play
And the fact you knew he wouldn’t show at all
But mostly I hate the way I don’t hate you
Not even close, not even a little bit, not even at all.
Just like Kat Stratford and Patrick Verona, I had a bittersweet romance with SXSW last month. It only lasted ten days and whilst I enjoyed every minute, no relationship is perfect. I learnt a lot, discovered a tonne of new artists I now listen to and saw some great films – but it’s the people you meet that makes SXSW worthwhile.
In true coulda-woulda-shoulda style, I’ve reflected on the time that was and now I want to unpack what could’ve been. I have no doubt that a visionary company like SXSW has already thought of the below but am a firm believer in suggesting solutions (or at least toying with them), rather than just complaining about things.
👉 Create an online platform for every bit of content. Once you’ve missed out on a session you were fangin’ for, you assume you can see it later online. Whilst some sessions are on YouTube and SoundCloud, it’s a fragmented experience that doesn’t have everything. This is where a Ted-Netflix combo of SX content could come into play. Imagine if you could search via mood, category or what’s trending, and have the platform integrate your favourites list so you could see what you missed out on. It wouldn’t matter if it were recorded in video or audio, SXSW has so much great content, it’s a shame you either can’t find it or have to look so hard for it. A platform like this could also be sponsored by the brands who already invest so much to be seen in Austin, I assume they’d want the visibility online as well. This is the biggest pain point for me, I don’t think I’d mind about what else I’ve listed below if this platform existed.
👉 Give those poor secondary suckers a break. I was fortunate enough to be sporting a platinum badge, which is an all-access pass that let me skip queues and pretty much VIP it up, but a friend of mine had the interactive (AKA secondary) badge and even if she queued up super early and was the 5th person in line for a film, she’d still miss out. Could the first ten secondary badge holders not be guaranteed a spot?
👉 Cap the number of attendees. Sure, this is highly unlikely as it brings in too much revenue but what if it were an application/randomised/first-in, first-served system? I realise it couldn’t pull a Coachella and have two weekends in a row, or could it? If there’s demand, would sponsors, brands and partners not be up for it? At the conference’s current size, a lot of your time is spent planning, running around and waiting for a session, artist or film to begin.
👉 Push the app further. If I can’t get into a session, what’s nearby? At times, I wanted the app to be more helpful and let me know what else I could do if plan A was at capacity. Would’ve also been great if the app asked me whether I enjoyed a particular session and compiled instant feedback for other users to see. Sessions could trend on whether they received rave reviews or come highly recommended and you could add them to your watchlist for later.
👉 Improve comms. In the line for Joe Biden, a gentleman in front of me didn’t realise there had been a queue earlier that morning to secure a wristband for this line. Confusing, I know. The email with that vital information had been sent the previous evening. “Why would I be checking my emails at night when I’m out partying?” he asked. Everyone knows you’re bound to miss out on a few things – it’s just how SXSW goes. But I did feel bad for this guy.
👉 Ask brands to provide queue-tainment. People spend hours waiting just to get into sessions and gigs, are there opportunities for brands here? I know I often wanted a backpack that magically charged my phone or provided water – could brands sit in with these resources?
👉 Have consistent session rules. Sometimes you’d be let into a session if another person had walked out and freed up a seat. Other times, you weren’t allowed to do that. I understand it would interrupt whoever is speaking but so many people miss out.
👉 Provide more napping stations. Casper supplied a few beds but to be honest they needed them all around the conference. And yes, I could’ve just used the floor.
👉 Confirm/deny rumours like Frank Ocean. If you haven’t eye-rolled me by now then you definitely just did. Does SXSW know what’s happening at any given time or do artists rock up unannounced for secret shows? If it’s the former, then I felt sorry for all of those souls who lined up for hours outside Fair Market thinking Ocean would appear.
👉 Show a virtual status board for everything. There was a clever little status board available for film so you could see where capacity was at and whether you were likely to score a seat. This would’ve been great for interactive and music too.
Maybe if all of SX’s content was available for anyone to consume online, then I wouldn’t have met all of the great people I met. Maybe none of the above matters because SXSW is created for and by the lucky few who can afford the ticket, flights and accommodation. Maybe my suggestions wouldn’t make much of a difference even if they were implemented. We’ll never know. Relationships are full of ifs, buts and maybes – and whilst I loved my SXSW experience and wouldn’t trade it for anything, it has issues. But don’t we all.
If you’re interested in reading my highlights from the conference, I’d be happy to share the slides I put together for the JM team – just sign up to our mailing list.
Josephmark is a digital ventures studio based in Brisbane, Sydney and Los Angeles. We design, develop and launch meaningful digital products that change the way we work, play and connect. Find us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
