I am pleased as punch that I get to write about South By Southwest as one of Austin’s many gifts to the world. I got to go to SXSW with a gold pass as my only Christmas present last year, but it was totally worth it. I knew I had to go when I found one of the people who inspires me most was a keynote speaker, and I had an absolute blast going to as many movies as I could, catching some really excellent panels, and getting my gig here at Metblog along the way when I met wae at a party.

SXSW began with only music on their mind in 1987, expanding to involve a film conference and an interactive/technology conference in 1994. Together the conferences draw hundreds of speakers, dozens of bands, hordes of films and nearly 20,000 people to our clubs, convention center, and theaters. It not only provides networking and recreation, but also educational opportunities for students by offering student discounts to conferences and free badges to volunteers.