25 TIPS FOR SXSW (PART 4 OF 5)
As most of you know the SXSW Music + Film + Interactive Festivals and Conferences are fast approaching. This week, I have provided you with 5 different daily tips in various areas (lodging, driving, getting around Austin, etc.) that will hopefully help you maximize your trip based on my own personal experiences.
My focus has been mainly be on the Music and Media Conferences (March 17-21), but many of my tips and advice have been general enough that you can apply them towards any part of SXSW.
For Monday’s 5 Tips on Lodging click here
For Tuesday’s 5 Tips on Driving to Austin click here
For Wednesday’s 5 Tips on Getting Around Austin click here
Today’s tips are 5 General Tips for Your Trip to SXSW
Ok, so now that I’ve shared with you some personal experiences and tips from my own arsenal for SXSW in the areas of lodging, driving to Austin, and getting around Austin the time has come to give some advice that would probably be in line with the kind of advice that a parental figure might bestow upon you. However, since I am still in my 20’s, I hope it will be better received by you than if issued by someone who appears to be more far removed from the experiences you are currently encountering and making a part of your own personal trajectory.
These next 5 tips essentially stem from the one quality that I for better or worse possess an atypically high level of, common sense. It is this quality that has probably kept me out of trouble and drama free for most of my life. I, like the rest of you, may not always put it to good use, but it’s always there if I need to fall back on it.
With that said, here are 5 General Tips for Your Trip to SXSW
1. Carry Business Cards – Don’t forget to pack your business cards. If you don’t have any, you might want to consider printing some out on your own (you still have some time) or if you have some time (time is running out) use cheap printers like Vista Print or Got Print (they are located in Burbank where you can pick up your order personally) They don’t have to be fancy, they just have to have your current contact information. It’s not the best feeling in the world to have someone ask you for your card and you have to make up some excuse every time. This is one time in your life when you really should have them, as you will meet lots of people and you’ll want them to be able to locate you once you are all back in the “real post-SXSW world.” Most people won’t be bothered with searching for pens and paper to write down your number, and being as how you just met (and you might be one of tens, twenties, or hundreds) they probably won’t want to plug your info into their phone just yet (you’d be surprised how many people have never made it into my phone). The information on the business card is also what they’ll probably use to not only contact you with, but also research you with. So make sure that you provide the info (tools if you will) for what you actually want found on you.
Bonus Tip: When it comes to business cards, you actually may already have some from a company that you are employed by. You may be fine with using these, not wanting to take on the additional expense of getting new ones printed. However, take a minute to think if you will want all of those people that you meet randomly on the streets of Austin (some of who may not be legitimately in the business they say they are) contacting you at your place of employment. For example, I tend to constantly embark upon and take on new projects that allow me full control and the ability to exercise my creativity. However, I usually try to keep my personal endeavors separate from my professional ones as typically I have been employed by big
name entertainment companies that sometimes make people see stars (or at least think they will be getting closer to fulfilling some dreams by getting to know me better…or stalking me). For the most part, I would not want random people contacting me on my direct line while I am in the midst of a time crunch trying to make deadlines or seeing projects through.
For this reason, I always have business cards for my creative projects (front and back of my TRAffIK business card pictured left–sorry, had to blackout my cell phone number), so that I can be selective about whom I give which to. For most LA residents that attend SXSW this is their world as well. So I would suggest that you think twice before you hand out your professional business card to every person you meet.
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