This is my first year to attend SXSW.  I know, I know – I’ve lived in Austin close to 20 years, and I’ve never been to SXSW Music, SXSW Film or SXSW Interactive.

So, this year, I’ll be attending SXSW Interactive.  I’ve been reading blog posts, tweets and listening to everyone give advice on what to do and what not to do.  I have to say – it’s all been a bit overwhelming!  With keynotes, panels, parties, official, not official – I get stressed just thinking about it.  For now, here’s my plan:

1. I used SCHED*SXSW to plan my days.  It lists the panels, as well as the parties, by hour and by day, so it’s easy to customize a schedule.  (I first used the mysxsw tool on sxsw.com, but like the interface of Sched*SXSW better).
2. I followed the advice of many people (@heatherjstrout and @deancruse, to name a couple) who told me to pick everything that sounds appealing.  Don’t worry if they overlap, they said, you’ll decide day of what sounds most interesting.
3. I synched the schedule with my Blackberry calendar, and I also plan to print it out.  I’m still somewhat old school, and find it’s sometimes easier to review things on paper vs. electronically, especially when there are as many things going on as there will be at SXSW.
4. Go with the flow!  Even with all the planning I’ve done, I’ve still been told to just go with the flow and not be too stuck to the schedule.  You never know who you will meet, what discussions will take place and where you will end up.

With just a couple of days to go, I’m really getting excited about attending.   There is a buzz in the Austin air. I’ve always felt it around this time of year, but this is the first time I’m actually a part of it.  Check back next week for my post-show analysis.  And, if you are a SXSW veteran, feel free to leave any tips or advice in the comments section.

Filed under: Events