Translated from 日本語 • View original Hello. It's a branding project.
As I wrote in this article, I went to SXSW and returned home ♡ safely
It was an exciting day to actually see, hear, and experience the latest technology, corporate services that may become popular in the future, and trends!
What are the trends in SXSW in 2017?
As for this year's exhibits, I have the impression that there were a lot of VR. Continuing from last year, which was said to be the first year of VR, we found VR booths here and there!
As a development system, there was also VR without an HMD, and it was very crowded. (It seems to be the world's first!) ）
Also, I think the keywords I often heard this time were "AI" and "machine learning". I'm looking forward to seeing how AI becomes more and more familiar and changes it will make in our lives.
Useful Information
The secret of SXSW's on-site activities was the information that Aimi wrote before was very useful! I would like to +α this and summarize what I want to tell those who will participate next year and beyond before I forget it.
Transportation in Austin
As mentioned in this article, taxi apps Uber and Lyft are currently not available in Austin. (As of March 2017) Instead, locals were using other apps like RideAustin and Fasten.
We didn't know about this app, so we walked 40 minutes one way from our house to the venue for a few days from the first day. If only I had known this app sooner...!
By the way, I used RideAustin this time, but you will receive a message via SMS when you register, so if you are considering using it, it is a good idea to purchase a SIM locally or make sure you can receive SMS.
What to Wear in Austin
The photos of the members who went last year were short sleeves and light clothes.
"If you have something to wear, you'll be fine." Believing his words, he brought only light clothes. … I was stupid.
Maybe it's just this year, but Austin was cold during my stay! As a bonus, it rained and the temperature dropped even more.
It seems that the temperature difference between morning and evening is severe and the amount of rain is high, so we recommend bringing a thick hoodie or cardigan (Uniqlo Ultra Light Down). In fact, I saw many overseas people wearing down during the period. Don't let this happen...
How to interact locally
During SXSW, tens of thousands of attendees from all over the world gather in Austin. It's a waste not to take advantage of this opportunity! … So, I would like to introduce the exchange methods we practiced there.
- Talk to the waiting time for the session
When it comes to popular sessions, Zara also has to line up 30 minutes in advance to get in. Take the plunge and talk to the people in front of and behind the line! Being in the same session means that you are interested in the same thing. It may be easy to come up with common topics. Another recommended way to talk is to ask, "What kind of session is this?" Since several sessions start at the same venue and at the same time, it can be difficult to understand what line it is. This exchange was taking place at various venues every day.
Let's create a conversation starter with this!
- Attend workshops and meetups.
The time between the session and the start of the next is short, and many people are distracted by the movement, so it is difficult to get to know many people at once just by talking to them during the waiting time. That's why we recommend Workshop and Meetup!
Workshops take longer than sessions, and it seems that it is easy to ask questions and have conversations because the same thing is created in groups. Meetup is also easy to have conversations because people gather for the purpose of interacting from the beginning!
I participated in a yoga meetup and became ♡ friends with a Turkish woman There are a wide variety of meetups for engineers, designers, geeks, and NASA, so why not join the one that suits you and make friends?
- Join a Party
SXSW hosts a large number of parties every day.
If you drink alcohol and become cheerful, you may have the courage to go out that you wouldn't normally do! If you dance with cheerful Americans, you're already friends ^^
*By the way, there is always age verification at venues with alcohol. If you're attending the party, don't forget to bring your ID.
- Keep asking questions.
There are many opportunities to actually touch the exhibits and experience the services at trade shows and demo shows every day. Exhibitors also want more people to know about their services, so they will gladly answer your questions.
If there was a service we were interested in, we tried to ask questions in poor English and communicate proactively.
- Make clothes that are easy to stand out
Don't underestimate it. In fact, this may be the most effective! Mickey pants that Nobu wore when I went with him. On the day I wore these pants, I said, "Wow! Cute♡."
Seeing that this led to a conversation and we became friends, if only I was wearing a Pikachu T-shirt... I ( ́・ω・') regretted it, and I would like people who go next year to practice it.
Finally
SXSW is completely different from the usual exhibitions in Japan and has many festive elements. Every day I encountered new services and technologies, and I was excited.
I have especially looked at the services of startup companies, and all of them were very enthusiastic about their services.
ISAO's VISION is "Realizing a service that will make hundreds of millions of people hot from Japan" I want to return to SXSW with such a service! I have a new goal.