An assembly of creatives and innovators is gearing up and heading south to kick off the 2023 SXSW Conference and Festivals. The tech, film, music, and media goliath is set to take place In Austin Texas, from March 10 to March 19, and this year marks just the second live SXSW festival since its 2-year hiatus in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
While last year SXSW was still recovering and adjusting back to normalcy, this year industry professionals and festival go-ers are eager to be back in action and expose themselves to several of the most talked about and upcoming trends. Here’s a look at some of the biggest trends that will be taking over SXSW 2023:
AI
With the rise of generative AI software such as Chatgpt developed by OpenAI, artificial intelligence has taken the ad and tech industry by storm.
As brands and companies are expeditiously trying to figure out ways to incorporate AI into their business model, AI will certainly be at the forefront of many conversations at SXSW taking over last year’s topic of conversation NFTs.
TikTok
As one of the fastest-growing and most influential social media platforms out there, Tiktok will be the topic of many panels and events at SXSW making it one of the biggest trends to look out for.
In addition to the panels, TikTok will be showing up to SXSW by hosting their own exclusive event where many are curious to see if and how they will react to the introduction of the new bipartisan bill that will give President Joe Biden the power to ban TikTok due to its ties with China’s Bytedance Ltd.
Cannabis
The cannabis industry is a rapidly expanding industry that is still a concern to many professionals, especially with the drug still being illegal on a federal level.
SXSW is hosting over 15 sessions and panels led by companies and creatives who aim to drive the industry forward within the upcoming years.
Interactive Tracks
While SXSW is one of the biggest conferences in the world, it wants to stray away from the association that conferences have with boring office suits and beige walls in an attempt to push innovation and interactions.
This has led SXSW to assemble 8 interactive tracks where experts and respected companies assemble and work in the future of focused technology. The 8 interactive tracks SXSW has assembled for the 10 festivals include 2050, advertising and brand experience, design, energy, health and MedTech, markets and economics, the tech industry, and transportation.
Don’t miss out on all the trending panels and events at SXSW 2023, including Zoic Studios’ panel on “Women Writing Genre and Badass Female Leads” led by their VP Development Samantha Shear, and “Case Study in Sync: Advertising” featuring Squeak E. Clean Studios Music Supervisor/Director of New Business Kayla Monetta.
By: Nelson Nwaukwa