SXSW | Austin City Unlimited

For years I looked forward to my annual pilgrimage to Austin, Texas for the South by Southwest Festival (SXSW).

It was an embarrassment of new rock riches. Days and nights filled with tunes, delicious food and wonderful people. The Texan hospitality was something that stuck with me all year. The memories of past years will be with me for life.

Experience It For Yourself.

If you’ve never been to Austin, you must make a point to do so some day. Sixth Street is a music lover’s dream. It has bar after bar of live music all day and night. It’s a great set up because during SXSW each establishment has 4-5 sets every night and the proximity of all the venues gives you the chance to actually see 4-5 different bands every night.

SXSW also features a convention portion for music industry related issues, panels and presentations. For years it was a chance to check out new bands, learn stuff and catch up with colleagues from all over North America. And sample the aforementioned great food!

South Goes North.

I was then privileged to be on the organizing committee to replicate SXSW in Toronto. The result was the North by Northeast Festival (NXNE). Like SXSW, it has also expanded past music. The 2010 edition in June features 650 bands, 50 venues and 40 films over 7 days.

Go to NXNE if you can. The city is gorgeous in the summer and the downtown core is exciting and alive. It's the most multicultural city on the planet so there are plenty of fabulous places to eat and experience.

Brothers In Arms: Alive and Well.

Today, SXSW and NXNE are thriving. Both continue to support hundreds of up and coming new bands while attendance remains strong. But as the world goes digital and the music industry goes portable, things have changed. SXSWi was introduced a few years back and the event now has sessions, events, presentations and panels about all things digital.

I had expected to join the festivities this year but with CEPSM [client] Canadian government clients’ year end March 31st, that plan was quickly changed. I will keep hope that the 2011 edition is in the cards.

Social Media Onslaught.

Despite the seemingly endless temptation for those attending this year to give a lot of client love and sponsored shout out tweets, if you have ever wondered whether SXSW can be a fun time, mark it down for next year and find out for yourself. The music and media stuff may pique your interest, the people will make it memorable.

If you are at or attended to SXSW this year or any year or wanted to go this year or any other year, please share your thoughts.

@knealemann
strategy. marketing. social media.

photo credit: flickr

Communicating with Other Creatures

Nice To Meet You

It hit me last week while having coffee with someone I had just met. We were having a great conversation.

It weaved from family stuff to work stuff to ideas and plans. The exchange felt very natural. We had met through the social network but the commonality was work.

In order to activate the true power of digital and social channels we must be able to navigate actual conversations with other humans. The tweets and emails are not enough. I look forward to more conversations this week with new people - it's cool, you should try it!

Gadgets and Gossip

The debate over formats and tools may never end but if your personal skills in areas such as talking with people and face-to-face correspondence are lacking you may need to give that some attention.

Because I paid attention to the conversation, I now have the privilege of being involved in TEDx Ottawa.

Science Fact or Fiction?

Often when "the future” is portrayed in films, we are donning uniforms and flying in cars. Medicine has advanced to the point where doctors simply zap us in the shoulder with a silver implement and the poison from the alien force is removed.

We walk on escalator type sidewalks and no one can explain how we can fly in our space ship through an asteroid storm hundreds of light years away the nearest fueling station.

Horses and Horsepower

Centuries ago it would take weeks to deliver a letter written with an ink-dipped feather to its recipient via horseback. But do our thumbs on a smart phone make the message more important?

Has technology allowed us to forget how to speak with each other?

@knealemann
Helping you create your best business,
marketing and social media strategy.

image credit: nationalgeographic.com

Twitter: Good News Only Day

The news cycle is peppered with Twitter right now. When my mother asks about it, I know it’s ‘everywhere’. So now what? Hopefully you are getting what you need from it and hopefully gaining new contacts, new ideas and new relationships.

If you are not on it, perhaps you are confused about what it is or whether it's another useless time waster.

This is not about Ashton or Oprah, Ellen tweets are cool and Anderson does a good job promoting his show, but what are YOU getting out of it? What are YOU sharing? How is it helping YOU grow?

The stream is often cluttered with sales’ pitches and once-in-a-lifetime offers. But what about just one day, where all we do is share good news on Twitter?

What if - for just one day - we put away our theories and our business chat and just share something good. I’m not suggesting we put blinders on and forget reality, but just for 24 hours we share good news.

Perhaps you know of someone who selflessly helps others with no anticipated personal gain or you read a cool story that makes you feel good. It doesn’t matter the scope or the size, just good news that others may enjoy.

Good News Only Day on Twitter.

Is it possible? Can we do it? #gnod

@knealemann