nicklockey: RSVPing as many parties as I can tonight on Upcoming.com- don't want the guest list Nazis getting arsey again.
Latest Updates: upcoming RSS
-
Nick
-
upcoming: Mar 10, 2008: Frrvrr™ Launch Party: Monday Night Frrvrr! at The Mohawk
Nick
Featuring performances by Tokyo Police Club, 'Til We're Blue or Destroy, The Laughing, Freezepop and Car Stereo (Wars). Sponsored by Frrvrr.com, The Barbarian Group, The Onion and 43 Things. SXSW Badges, Wristbands or Guest List RSVP. Frrvrr: start the conversation™
-
upcoming: Mar 10, 2008: Plutopia! The 8th Annual SXSW Interactive Gathering of Tribes at Scholz Garten
Nick
THE BIGGEST BOLDEST PARTY AT SXSW INTERACTIVE! Includes music by Carl Stone, Intimate Stranger, and David Demaris; The Heather Gold Show, a talk by Bill McKibben, the Lance Van de Kamp Show featuring Maggie Duval, Omega Monster Patrol, along with a diverse set of artists, hackers, bots, and poets.
Plutopia - Imagining a Utopian future for all people. What if the Nanobots DON’T eat us and the The Giant Robots DON’T Attack. What if Global Warming doesn’t cook us and our garbage doesn’t bury us? What kind of sci-fi future do WE the people envision?”
Join us on for interactive, experiential trip to a new world as you immerse yourselves in a plutopian sci-fi view of the future as envisioned by a brilliant multidisciplinary collaboration of artists, geeks, musicians, performers, and speakers. As much an arts and education show as an amazing party, you’ll come away amped up, inspired and enlightened.
We hope to have shuttle buses for your convenience!
(Admission free with SXSW Interactive badge. No badge? Ten bucks. Cash bar. This party is a mutation of the annual EFF-Austin event.) -
upcoming: Mar 10, 2008: SXNW - South by Northwest 3rd Annual Geek Fest Party at SXSW at Iron Cactus
Nick
Blue Flavor, Bryght and Raincity Studios are proud to present the 3rd annual South by Northwest (SXNW) geek fest party at the Iron Cactus in Downtown Austin.
There will be plenty of free drinks and cool people to meet. Once again this year we have booked virtually the whole venue but please let us know you are coming so we can plan ahead.
Iron Cactus is a Southwestern style grille and Margarita Bar. They pride themselves on presenting authentic Southwestern cuisine, gleaning recipes and ingredients from Southern Mexico to Utah. Plus, Iron Cactus features more than 80 Tequilas and is considered in the top 10 best Tequila bar in the world.. -
upcoming: Mar 10, 2008: Hey! Ho! Let’s Go! The SXSW Film + Interactive Rock Band Party at Cedar Street Courtyard
Nick
NEXT NEW NETWORKS and TUMBLR invite you to the most epic Rock Band party the world will ever know.
Rock Band Showdown starts at 9pm, live music follows by The Vettes and Brenn.
Come watch some of your favorite SXSW attendees face off playing Rock Band at the Cedar Street Courtyard. Announced bands so far:
OVERHEARD (Casey McKinnon, Bonny Pierzina, Veronica Belmont, Leah Culver)
EPIC AND THE FAILS (Tantek Celik, Sean Bonner, Micki Krimmel, Rudy Jahchan)
PETTY INTERNET CRIMES (Zadi Diaz, Doug Sarine, Sarah Atwood, Steve Woolf)
Get there early with a team to enter yourself in the showdown or email michelle at nextnewnetworks dot com.
SXSW showcase bands THE VETTES and BRENN, and Rockband soundtrack artists FREEZEPOP will take the stage to close out the night!
SXSW Film / Interactive / Music badge required for admission, or RSVP here to get on the list.
Text SXSW to 30644 for updates or visit http://sxsw.tumblr.com.
EPIC and the FAILS
-
Stef
aeioux: ouch. party starting early for me. off to the Flickr / Fire Eagle thing at Iron Cactus on 6th - http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/445093
-
Stef
aeioux: @sxswm aim for 16bit party - 10pm-2am, 1308 E4th Street, http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/428080/
-
Shared in Google Reader: The SXSW Baby! Checklist 2008: What to Pack, To-Dos, Tips, Tricks, and Things to Remember
Stef
It’s almost time for SXSW! But before you leave, here’s a few things you should remember to bring....
- LAPTOP: It seems like a no-brainer to bring your computer with you to SXSW. However, you may not want to lug it around while you’re out and about having fun, especially at night. Many people who attend SXSW Interactive prefer leaving their laptops in their hotel rooms, preferring to focus on non-computer activities during the day. Close the laptop, and you might end up learning more and having more fun! But if you absolutely must do some work, there is also abundant and free wireless throughout Austin, like the hotspot in the Downtown Hilton’s lobby. (Personally, I’d hike it out to Halcyon, Jo’s, or The Hideout instead.) Bring any other tech bibs and bobs you can’t live without. Additionally, it might help to clear off some hard drive space and backup your files before you arrive in case you plan on downloading photos to your computer, etc.
- CHARGER, POWER STRIP, EXTENSION CORD, ETHERNET CABLE: Don’t be an outlet hog. If your Apple computer’s power brick covers up free outlets, please bring an extension cord. Bring a power strip, if you’re got one, and you’ll be the most popular kid on the block during Interactive. Always Be Charging. Always Be Charging. The Convention Center never seems to have enough handy outlets (and your hotel room might not either). Note that wireless connectivity in the Convention Center can be spotty due to the huge number of people connected at once. Some folks like to bring an ethernet cord, just in case, so they can plug into the wall at the ACC. Each night, before you go to bed, do remember to charge your essential gadgets, like your phone. There’s nothing worse than having a dead or dying phone at SXSW.
- LAPTOP BATTERY: Don’t forget your batteries! Put it in a plastic bag if you’re going to check it! Effective January 1, 2008, the Department of Transportation (DOT) will no longer allow loose lithium batteries in checked baggage.
- SWAG: Self-promotional items: got business cards? Moo cards? Stickers? Buttons? Other swag? Bring it! People love free stuff, and that’s how they’ll remember you after SXSW is over.
- (NOT TOO FULL) LUGGAGE: Don’t forget to leave room in your suitcase for all the extra swag you may be bringing home with you.
- CAMERA: Digital camera with extra memory cards and charged batteries. And the battery charger, if necessary. And a camera cable or card reader to transfer images. Again, it might help to clear off some hard drive space (and do a backup) before you arrive. Oh, and do turn off the sound on your camera. Nothing says “I’m taking a picture of the panel!” like hearing those little beeps.
- CAMERA BATTERY: same goes for camera batteries. If it’s lithium, put it in a separate plastic baggie.
- CAMERAPHONE AND FLICKR: iPhone/PDA/Treo/Blackberry and attendant charger. Turn off any annoying sounds or embarrassing notification sounds, or else you’ll drive everyone around you insane from hearing those little iPhone typing sounds or an SMS notification wind chime. Before you leave, set your smartphone up to email photographs to Flickr. I like to set it up so that Flickr automatically adds a “sxsw” or “sxsw 2008” tag, too. Also note that cellular connectivity in the Convention Center can be unreliable due to the huge number of cell phones in one location. I’m guessing AT&T will definitely be spotty with all those iPhones in one confined area at the same time… so don’t be surprised if you can’t get onto Edge.
- SXSW MOBILE SITES AND SXSW SMS: Don’t forget to bookmark:
- the official mobile site sxsw.mobi
- The iPhone-formatted SXSW Interactive schedule
- the SXSW Interactive Companion at webclips2go.com/sxsw08
- the iPhone-formatted Music Schedule at sxswinfo.com
- Your personalized SXSW Calendar at calendar.sxsw.com/myevents
- You might also want to bookmark istwitterdown.com
Don’t forget to sign up for the SXSW SMS list. Simply text “join” to 47979. You can also look up panels, films, and bands via SMS. Text ‘find panelname’ or ‘find bandname’ or ‘find filmname’ to 47979 to get schedule listings. Adding the short code to your address book makes it even faster!
- DODGEBALL: Configure Dodgeball to say that you’re in Austin. The short code for Dodgeball is 36343 ("dodge"). Send “switch austin” to Dodgeball to change cities. Broadcast your whereabouts to your friends by sending “@place name” and broadcast a message to all your friends by sending “! your message here” to Dodgeball. “Off,” which turns Dodgeball off to the night, and “locate,” which tells you where your friends last checked in at, are handy commands, too.
- UPCOMING: Community event site upcoming.yahoo.com is a must if you’re attending SXSW Interactive, as many of the official and unofficial evening events and parties are listed there. Other attendees also self-organize outings to go bowling, visit the Rodeo, or meet like-minded folks. So don’t forget to RSVP to all the cool parties! And sign up for Kick! while you’re at it.
- TWITTER: Twitter is basically the easiest way to keep in touch with your fellow SXSWers, but people at SXSW are a chatty bunch. I’m hesitant about allowing Twitter to send my friend’s updates to my phone this year, given the high volume of messages sent out last year. Bookmark the mobile Twitter site, m.twitter.com in case the volume gets too high. And if you do have SMS updates on, I recommend setting Twitter off during sleeping hours, say between 1 AM and 8 AM. If you don’t have SMS updates on, you might also want to turn on direct message forwarding to SMS. I hope you all increased your SMS plans with your cellular provider already! You may also want to warn your Twitter friends that you’re going to SXSW, and that it’s OK to unsubscribe from you for a little while. Hint: if you’re on AT&T, dial *DATA# to see your remaining text messages for this billing cycle.
- PHONE ADDRESS BOOK: Enter in the numbers of folks to meet up with (handy to have in case SMS or email is too slow). The SXSW Headquarters line is (512) 467-7979. Also enter in the phone number to your hotel’s front desk and airline customer support numbers and bookmark Flightstats Mobile, if you’re flying into AUS. I would also add a few Austin taxi companies into your phone, like Austin Yellow Checker Cab, at (512) 452-9999, Austin Cab Company at (512) 478-2222, and Lone Star Cab at (512) 836-4900. In Austin, I’ve had bad luck trying to hail a cab from the street (unlike NYC) so calling ahead is always, always recommended. And in the rare instance that you want to call 411, use Google’s free 411 service, at (800) 466-4411.
- CONFIRMATION EMAILS AND SUCH: Just to be safe, bring printouts of your flight itinerary, SXSW 2008 registration confirmation email, hotel confirmation email, the SXSW Baby! guide on where to eat during SXSW 2008, perhaps a downtown Austin map, and schedules for public transit options like the free Dillo or inexpensive Airport Flyer. Just in case.
- MAPS OF FILM AND MUSIC VENUES: You can also print out film venues and music venues [PDF] if necessary. Hint: if you bought a Badge, they will give you this stuff in the Big Bag. Look for the pocket guide inside the tote bag. If you only have a film pass or music wristband, or are winging it, you should print out the maps for yourself.
- YOUR PERSONALIZED SXSW CALENDAR: By now you probably have a tentative schedule of panels, keynotes, screenings, parties, music showcases, unofficial events, sightseeing, and more from the Personalized SXSW Calendar (you can any event using the “add to calendar” link) or your sched.org calendar. Print it out and/or sync it to your iPhone/PDA/etc. Make sure you have the correct time zone chosen for Austin. I find it’s always good to have a paper copy, just in case. Do one last sweep of the schedule, knowing you may not make it to 50% of the stuff you choose. What you really need at SXSW is both your personal picks and the master lists and schedules. Bring your Plan B, and Plan C, and Plan D, and the knowledge that any of your plans may fly out the window the minute you wake up. Be flexible, but bring a game plan. If you’re really dying to get into something (especially a popular panel or small-capacity party), arrive early.
- FREE PARTIES LIST FOR MUSIC: Print out the free day time events from Austin showlist (highly recommended). The Austin showlist has printable pages! Look for the “printable” links above each day. Also, bring pens and a highlighter so you can easily choose what you want to see. I recommend printing out the entire schedule from showlistaustin.com since plans can change very quickly. It’s way easier to make plans for the day during breakfast or find a backup party if you have the entire Showlist schedule with you. As I mentioned earliier, you really need both your personal picks and the master Austin showlist and evening schedules on hand.
- MP3 PLAYER: For the plane, an mp3 player, filled with a ton of music from the the unofficial SXSW BitTorrent file. And don’t forget your charger for that device, either!
- GOOD SHOES: Wear the most comfortable shoes you own. Now is not the time to break in new shoes. You will be standing, a lot, especially if you’re doing SXSW Music. Purchase padded insoles, for shock absorption. Bring multiple pairs of comfortable shoes, so you can air them out and alternate. Closed-toe shoes work better, because Sixth Street gets dirty, and the bars are crowded. Sometimes it rains, so don’t bring any shoes that bleed if they get wet. Leave those flimsy slippers and smelly flip-flops at home.
- EARPLUGS: Bring good ear plugs. I like to bring multiple pairs, in case you lose one earplug or have a friend who is unprepared. They don’t take up space, so why not bring the entire box? This is especially important for the Music Festival. And who knows how good thick walls of your hotel room are?
- A RESTED BODY: Get plenty of sleep before SXSW because you’re going to need it. If you arrive in Austin tired, you’re only going to get more tired.
- SLEEP MASK: This + earplugs = awesome power nap time! Sometimes you just need a disco nap.
- PEN AND PAPER: Handy if you want to take notes old school style. You never know when you’ll need it. Also good for writing on the back of business cards.
- COMFORT ITEMS: Chapstick, band-aids, travel size lotion bottles, extra hair ties (if you have long hair), sanitizing hand-gel (Purell travel size), tissues/napkins, floss (for post-BBQ cleanup), breath mints/gum, eye drops, vitamins/Emergen-C, stain stick and handi-wipes (for sticky BBQ messes), and Woolite single wash packets, in case you need to hand wash something. The hand sanitizer is especially handy if you find yourself at an outdoor party with BBQ and only porta-potties during the Music Fest.
- SNACKS: If you’re flying, bring some food for the plane. Also consider bringing snacks that are portable, healthy, and non-perishable. Don’t forget that SXSW is a blur of beer, BBQ, and tacos, so some fruits and veggies will be in order at some point. Bring dried fruit, nuts, granola, trail mix, instant oatmeal, apples, oranges, crackers, other things to nosh on, just in case. You probably shouldn’t eat only queso and brisket the entire time you’re there, and you’ll be pressed for time, often. The food in the Convention Center’s tradeshow area...leaves something to be desired. Bonus: if you have a room with a fridge (I think you can get them for a small fee at the Hilton) or kitchenette, visit the Whole Foods (via cab or Dillo) and pick up some healthy snacks and water.
- WATER: Stay hydrated. You’re going to be drinking, talking, standing, walking, and more. Drink lots of water, especially if you’re spending a lot of time at open bars. Of which, you’ll probably be doing a lot, so pace yourself. If you’re flying, have an empty water bottle for the plane, so you can get through US security at the airport, and then fill it up later.
- MEDICATION: Claritin. Nose sprays. Eye drops. More tissues. It’s springtime in Austin, and that means allergies, thanks to ragweed. Note: there is a CVS on Congress and 5th Street, but the pharmacy is only open Mondays through Fridays, 8:00am-6:00pm. This particular CVS location is also closed on Sundays.
- MONEY: The average tourist spends $24 a day in Austin. You’ll probably spend more if you’re eating, drinking, and parking or taking cabs. That convention center latte isn’t going to be cheap either. Have lots of small bills on hand and don’t forget to tip the waitstaff! They have to put up with tens of thousands of tourists in their town for 11 days straight.
- A COAT AND FLEXIBLE CLOTHING: Dress in layers. Bring a light jacket or sweatshirt, because SXSW can get quite chilly at night, and the Convention Center is highly air conditioned! Austin spring is very unpredictable. It might be hot and humid the whole time you’re there, or it might be overcast and drizzling. Dress code tends towards the casual but hip. Pack accordingly.
- RAIN PLAN: An umbrella or rain poncho, in case of sudden thunderstorms. Yes, it does happen! And it’s not pretty, especially if you’re at an outdoor show and it starts hailing on the band playing.
- HUMOR, PATIENCE, AND A SMILE: Please don’t forget these at home. Be friendly. And know that even if you didn’t get into that one panel, party, screening, show, or club, there’s plenty of fun elsewhere during SXSW.
TO DO AS SOON AS YOU GET TO AUSTIN
- BREATHE: in that sweet Texas air! Mmmm.
- LODGINGS: Go check into your hotel as soon as possible. Drop your bags off.
- REGISTER: Go stand in line at the Convention Center to get your badge as soon as possible (lines will get long, heinously long) and bring a pen or something to fill out the registration form.
- GET THE BAG: Go get your “big bag” of conference materials (this is heavy, and filled with swag), go back to the hotel, and empty it out. I usually take out the conference guides/schedules, the Austin Chronicle, and party invites, and leave the rest for *cough* later. The pocket guides are key to SXSW survival. You can fill up your iCal all you want, but sometimes, you need the pocket guide. Don’t lose it! They run out every year. Interactive attendees, be sure to look inside the Conference Guide for a special note from Bruce Sterling who unfortunately cannot make it to SXSWi this year. Platinum badgeholders, note that the SXSW Music pocket guides and materials often aren’t ready until a few days into the Interactive/Film conferences.
- BREATHE AGAIN: Take a nap or grab a quiet beer before the insanity starts.
- GET THE PAPER: Going to SXSW Music? If you don’t have a music badge, make sure you have a copy of the Austin Chronicle (Austin’s free alt-weekly) as they’ll have the entire showcase schedule printed up inside. This can easily be removed, and folded up. Also don’t forget to cut off the “tail” of your wristband.
- GET READY: Expect exhaustion—relax when you get home! You can always sleep on the plane. Right?
- GO: And most importantly be ready to: have fun, introduce yourself to strangers, to sleep too little, eat far too well, listen a whole bunch, think so hard your brain hurts, get way too excited, mix and mingle with tons of fascinating people, trade business cards, put names to faces to URLs, take a lot of photographs, drink lots of Shiner or Lone Star or Red Stripe or what have you, rock out, smile until your face hurts, make bundles of new friends, expand your blogroll like nobody’s business, fill up your brain with all sorts of new ideas, talk too much, see a lot of exciting and cool and inspiring things, have a ton of fun, and network like you’ve never done before.
Austin, here we come!
-
Stef
aeioux: packing my virtual sxsw backpack: twitter, wordpress, tumblr, flickr, profilactic, viddler, utterz, twixtr, google share, upcoming, um....
-
Stef
aeioux: packing my virtual sxsw backpack: twitter, wordpress, tumblr, flickr, profilactic, viddler, utterz, twixtr, google share, upcoming, um....
-
upcoming: Mar 11, 2008: The Bigg Digg Shindigg at PureVolume Ranch
Nick
Join the Digg crew at The PureVolume Ranch to celebrate the last night at SXSWi. Enjoy a full bar while dancing to the sounds of live bands and DJs throughout the night. The party will continue into the wee hours of the morning - there's always time to sleep later!
Tuesday, March 11th
9pm - 4am
PureVolume Ranch
323 E. 2nd Street (corner of Trinity & 2nd)
Austin, TX
Sponsored by Digg, PureVolume and Franciscan Winery. -
upcoming: Mar 10, 2008: Carnypocalypse at Elysium
Nick
Think Zombies
Think Carny
Think Carny Games
We're going to have a blast, and Kid Beyond is coming in from SF to knock your socks off with his human beat-boxing and live vocal looping. If you've never seen it, you NEED to!
We're also going to have post-apocalyptic carnival games to play for fabulous prizes, swag, and free drink tix!
Come in costume! You'll get a discount! No clowns!
(We'll have a clown decontamination booth on site) -
upcoming: Mar 10, 2008: The Great British Booze-up at Shakespeare’s Pub
Nick
It's baaa-aaack!
The best party of South by Southwest returns. Expect much merriment courtesy of your British cousins, Clearleft, Boagworld and Carsonified. The venue has changed but last year's description still holds true:
We’ve put some money behind the bar, and thanks to the beneficial exchange rate, this should last for a while at least. We’re also organising food, so you won’t be limited to warm beer and pork scratchings. In fact, it should be the perfect destination for all you hungry and thirsty conference goers. However you’ll want to get there early as numbers are limited.
Free booze, free food, good music and even better company... what more could you ask for?
And once the Great British Booze-up winds down, we can all stumble on over to South by Northwest across the street.
-
upcoming: Mar 8, 2008: SXSW Worldwide Flickrite Meet-up! at Cathedral of Junk
Nick
Come on down and meet fellow Flickrites! The Austin group on Flickr is organizing a get-together at the Cathedral of Junk! As a bonus, some of the Flickr team from San Francisco will be in town -- they are sponsoring drinks and may have some free swag to give away as well! And, if it goes as usual, Flickr members from around the world will be there!
Take photos of each other and the giant tower made completely of junk! Take the stairway to the top. Donations to the crazy Cathedral are welcome too! -
upcoming: Mar 8, 2008: Google Party at Light Bar
Nick
From http://2008.sxsw.com/interactive/evening_events/ :
Light Bar (408 Congress Ave @ 4th St)
Come join the fun with Google! There are sure to be great beverages, tasty eats and plenty of that fun Google swag. Hope to see you there! -
upcoming: Mar 8, 2008: frog design SXSW Opening Party at Mexican American Cultural Center
Nick
From sxsw.com: This is the legendary frog party you've always been hearing about. We'll have Grupo Fantasma, fire dancers and more to officially kick off the 15th year of SXSW Interactive.
-
upcoming: Mar 7, 2008: Screenburn 2008 @ SXSW Interactive (South by Southwest) at Austin Convention Center
Nick
SHOWCASING NEW INNOVATIONS IN THE VIDEO GAME INDUSTRY
ScreenBurn The third annual ScreenBurn Festival enables consumers and game developers to preview the future of this industry, hear about soon-to-be-released titles, learn fascinating insights from thought-provoking experts, plus meet up-and-coming new talent whose innovations are powering the next generation of play.
SCREENBURN 2008: March 7-11th, Austin, Texas
The 2008 edition of ScreenBurn, the gaming component of SXSW Interactive, is a five-day event providing up-and-coming gaming industry talent an opportunity to learn from more established professionals. Rise to the next level of your career through enlightening panel discussions, networking opportunities, and technical discoveries. ScreenBurn features four days of presentations related to the newest developments in the gaming industry, held on the Third Floor of the Convention center.
ScreenBurn 2008 also includes the ScreenBurn Arcade, taking place on the first floor of the Austin Convention Center on Saturday, March 8 and Sunday, March 9th. The ScreenBurn Arcade, an open platform of exhibitors and game tournaments, is free to the public and connects consumers, independents, developers, and soon to be masters of the game world. -
upcoming: Mar 7, 2008: SXSW outing to the Star of Texas Fair & Rodeo at Fairgrounds
Nick
The Texas Star Rodeo is actually on from the 29th of February to the 15th or March. However the first day of SXSW is mostly registration, so I thought it could be fun to round up a few stray attendees and head on over. Expect lots of cowboy hats, bucking broncos and chilie cook-offs. Oh, and a monkey that rides a sheepdog (http://beefandpie.com/video/whiplash.html)
-
upcoming: Mar 7, 2008: SXSW Interactive (South by Southwest) at Austin Convention Center
Nick
The SXSW Interactive Festival features five days of exciting panel content and amazing parties. Attracting digital creatives as well as visionary technology entrepreneurs, the event celebrates the best minds and the brightest personalities of emerging technology. Whether you are a hard-core geek, a dedicated content creator, a new media entrepreneur, or just someone who likes being around an extremely creative community, SXSW Interactive is for you!
-
upcoming: Mar 9, 2008: The People Powered Party: SxSWi Party by Moo, Etsy, Timbuk2 and Threadless at The Tap Room
Nick
Moo Cards, Etsy, Timbuk2 and Threadless bring to you:
The People Powered Party (PPP)
Come celebrate the DIY revolution with four companies that put their community at the center of product design. There will be free drink tickets, nibblies, entertainment and some fun DIY activities. Space is limited, so come early!
DJ's (Flosstradamus. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flosstradamus followed by a DJ set from someone TBD), giveaways, good times.
Come join us at the Tap Room and tip a glass or two to you.
Next Page »
