Hot take: I think SXSW stopped being about Austin tech years ago

I went to my first SXSW Interactive back in 2009 and it was all local startups in that old convention center. Now it's just big brand activations and people trying to sell you crypto, I barely see anyone from 6th Street companies anymore. Last year I counted maybe 5 Austin-based booths out of 200 in the main expo hall. Am I the only one who misses when it felt like our scene instead of a traveling circus?

3 comments

3 Comments

avery2196d ago

The local scene just moved to the alleyways and side streets. I walked past a warehouse off East 5th last year that had like 30 Austin founders doing demos on folding tables with a keg in the corner. No badges required. The official conference is a billboard now but the real Austin tech energy is still there if you know which rusty food truck parking lot to check.

oliverhernandez6d ago

Hold up, a keg in the corner and folding tables? That's wild. I mean, I miss the old expo center vibe too, but finding thirty founders all crammed into a warehouse off East 5th sounds like the real grimy Austin I remember. Did you actually get to see any demos or was it just people drinking and swapping business cards in the dark? That kind of energy is way harder to find now with all the sponsored stages and branded charging stations taking over.

the_lisa6d ago

Actually I see it a little differently... the big brand money kinda helps keep the whole thing alive and brings in speakers that tiny local budgets just can't pull off. Austin startups still do pop-ups and unofficial parties everywhere, those are just harder to find now.