SXSW 2016: That’s a Wrap

By Travis Tyler
SXSW Press Team

It is not every day that you get to experience something as big and exciting as South by Southwest. I had my expectations on what I thought my experience would be. However, what I ended up experiencing completely blew me away. My SXSW partner, Allison Belcher, and I set out to discover all that SXSW could offer us. We attended a ton of different panels, met a few famous folk and I got to attend my very first trade show; which is super awesome, by the way, if you haven’t been to one. I would recommend you go to one soon.

One thing that most people don’t realize, or at least I didn’t when I went there is how massive this event is. Literally, people from all over the world come to see the different events, whether it be interactive, film or music. I not only go to experience the interactive portion but I met a ton of interesting people from all over the world. From Germany, the Netherlands and even London. The different cultures that come to Austin for this once a year event showed me how lucky I was to attend and be a part of something that big.

My favorite part by far was the trade show. There were so many creative geniuses there, it was insane. Again, people from all over the world came to showcase their latest technology, ideas and innovations. In the Japan section, they had this pretty genius DJ kit called Monster: GO DJ. It comes with a mini keyboard input, a mini DJ turntable and even a pre-loaded set list for those wanting to play events. It is super small and portable.

Also in the Japan section, they had a mini teapot recorder. If you open the jar, it has a prerecorded message you leave in there for people who open the jar. Perfect for parents trying to keep their kids out of the cookie jar.

Of course they had a SONY section previewing all the latest digital recorders, cameras, even this app that for five dollars lets you record video in 3D. Talk about innovations.

To sum everything up, I couldn’t have had such a great experience if it weren’t for my partner and friend Allison Belcher. We conquered SXSW this year and it wouldn’t have been the same if I hadn’t traveled with her. Going to SXSW alone can be fun, we met a bunch of different people who were just there to check out panels, eat food and call it a day. When you’re with one of your best friends though, it pretty much enhances your experience and guarantees you a good time. We had goofy stories from the panels, helped a guy jump his car (neither of us had experience with that) and even got to enjoy a drink or two. All in all, it was the best way to spend my spring break and for those looking to experience culture, music, interactive, film or just enjoy good company, SXSW is the place to do it. I look forward to attending next year, maybe I’ll see you there too.