SXSW 2023

by Madi McGuire

When you land in Austin, TX, you are greeted with guitars, “Live Music Capital of the World” reminders, many-a LBJ references, and a whole lotta Longhorn Orange. Austin is one of those cities that will stupify anyone who is unfamiliar with the culture, the landscape or the sheer size of the place. 

I knew of Austin as the town subsequently populated because of The University of Texas, but I grew up a sports fan, so that checks out. Austin is anything but a college town, and has flourished into a large, entrepreneurial hub for young professionals, influencers, artists… all of the people petitioning to Keep Austin Weird. 

SXSW is just one event within Austin that makes it special. This ten-day gathering of creatives and people hungry for networking and showcasing is a spectacle that everyone should experience once. I mean, we walked past Eva Longoria… Who doesn’t want to do that?

Downtown Austin is riddled with food, hotels, bars, murals and other happenings to explore. However, during SXSW, there are even more gatherings on the street and small pop-ups to stumble upon. My coworker and I only had a badge for Sunday, but we were able to take advantage of other key-note speakers and freebies outside of the convention center. 

The Fast Company Grill was a wonderful, free experience with small bites and drinks. We were able to see the CMO of Mastercard, and a Mastercard Accelerated Artist, Manu Manzo, while at the Grill on Saturday evening. (Yes, Mastercard makes music… you should look it up.)

There are many forums, blogs and event pages in Austin that will show you all of the free experiences and concerts that are happening adjacent to the conference– I highly recommend exploring some different sites and making a plan to see a show! There were also several pop-ups like “The Art of Hip Hop” pop-up at the Museum of Graffiti. For $12, you could experience cover art, logos, graffiti and other art that celebrated the 50 year anniversary of Hip Hop. 

Try Hard Coffee wins my award for best latte, and West 6th Street, specifically Buford's wins for the best place to dance off the stress at the end of the night. Las Bis is a must-try rooftop with conservas (tinned fish… if you weren’t aware), wine and caviars. Of course, Old 6th, closest to the convention, is a must see area. This strip of Nashville-esque honky-tonks and day bars is anything but quiet and boring. When you Google the street it is described as, “noisy” and “rowdy”. Precisely. 

My coworker and I were fortunate enough to help organize a panel and be behind the scenes of not only SXSW, but the life of a projected first-round NFL draft pick and his NIL partnership. The football fanatic in me was melting, but I played it cool (or as cool as you can get in the Texas heat)! 

Austin is a creative focal point, and a mecca for innovation. I left feeling inspired, but eager to return. Whether you make a detailed itinerary or go-with-the-flow while you are at SXSW, you will have a good time and be surrounded by some of the best people that the world has to offer.