South by South West

SXSW is just a couple of days away and the whole tech world is gearing up to fill their boots with the latest and greatest from one of the biggest events of the year. Last year the event saw attendance of over 49,000 from all over the world, with ±40% of that number firmly in the Tech camp - AKA Interactive.

So with the tech world watching, and the entire event on the look out for the next big thing, its no surprise that SXSW will be awash with a flood of new product noise, as founders and start-ups jostle to promote the next big thing.

So this year to help out, Publicate and Sarah Austin from Pop17 have joined forces with a host of companies (Rackspace and StartUpBus to name a few) to host The Founder Awards 2012, a big celebration of the good, the bad and the bust of the start up world.

Are you making the trip over to Austin, Texas next month to South by South West?

Team Chinwag will be there, along with the UKTI Mission to SXSW companies, so if you'd like to catch-up, please come and find us! Check out the list below to see where we'll be.

Also, if you're heading out and would like the chance to chatter with other UK delegates who'll also be there, come along to our Pre-SXSW 2012 Mixer, 6.30 - 9.30pm on Wednesday 29th Feb in Central London.

You may also find it useful to check out these 50 Essential SXSW Tips.

Congratulations to the 40 leading UK digital companies selected for this year's UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) Mission to South by South West 2012.

The exciting mission will see the companies travel out to Austin, Texas for an action-packed 5 days at SXSW Interactive, one of the largest and most well known conferences focused on digital media and technology.

Each of the companies joining the mission are listed below, don't hesitate to drop them a line directly to arrange a time to meet up in Austin, or follow their progress via their Twitter accounts. You can follow the UKTI team's coverage of the mission on Twitter @uktiatsxswi.

It's that time of the year again...when all the geeks around the globe start to get twitchy, flights start getting booked up and Austin, Texas starts to brace itself for the thousands of digital folk that will be embarking on the massive annual gathering that is South By South West Interactive 2012 (SXSW). 

I'm pretty sure it happens earlier each year, but maybe it's age. Policemen are all looking younger, too. The annual 'vote for me' fest that is the SXSW Panelpicker has opened its doors.

This year sees over 80 panels submitted from this side of the Atlantic from organisations big and small including the BBC, Iris Worldwide, FutureGov, TechHub, BBC, PeerIndex, mydeco, Somethin' Else, Madgex, Clearleft, The Economist and heaps more.

Everyone knows that there is no such thing as a free lunch. Or breakfast. Or drinks...

That is, unless you're in Austin for South by South West (SXSW). The Chinwag team will be heading out to Austin along with UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) and 31 of the UK's leading digital companies on the UKTI Mission to SXSW.

Alongside the 200+ conference sessions, the trade show (where the Brits have a stand so big, it's been dubbed the British aisle - geddit?) and dozens of evening events, there's more than a handful with an international flavour. 

For those heading in to Austin from abroad, it's a great chance to meet fellow travellers, and the Americans interested in making connections overseas. Here's a few we're involved with (and if you know of more, please feel free to add them in the comments):

• Chinwag's Global Grill @ SXSW
• The Great British Booze-Up
• Great British Breakfast: SXSWi

In amongst the 100+ events of Social Media Week London, plans are progressing rapidly for this year's trip to the incomparable South by South West Interactive 2011.

If you've not been before, be warned, it's not like any other conference you've been to before. In an attempt to ready yourself, mentally, if nothing else, we're planning to put together some tips for Brits heading out to Austin.

In the meantime, here's a brilliant slideshow from Dave Delaney that has some crucial tips on how to get the best out of South-by (if you want to sound like a local):

Following the recent announcement of the UKTI Trade Mission to South by South West (SXSW) Interactive 2011 (10th-15th March), there's some rather good news for digital firms based in London who need a helping-hand to take part in the mission.

The marvellous people at UK Trade & Investment London have announced that they have secured 10 grants of up to £500 (tbc)  available for digital companies based inside the M25. This contribution towards the costs of going can be used towards travel and accommodation expenses of taking part in the UKTI SXSW mission.

It's January, the days are short. The rain is lashing down. Yes, it's that time of year when digital folks minds drift towards Austin, Texas and the massive annual gathering that is South by South West Interactive.

Last year over saw over 14,000+ delegates from 54 countries attend 450 conference sessions and this year promises to be bigger than ever. Alongside the interactive conference, there's also SXSW Film and the legendary SXSW Music festival.

SXSW (or South-by to those in the know) has some form as a trend-setter, it's credited with helping Twitter really take-off. Ditto with FourSquare. What'll it be this year?

It's a unique experience, an a great opportunity for UK digital firms to meet the broadest possible audience from the US digital industry, and from across the globe. 300 Brits made the trip last year and there'll certainly be a large number heading West this time around.

Supporting these UK digital firms, UK Trade & Investment are organising a trade mission to SXSW, including:

SXSW Interactive, one of the most exciting events in the digital calendar, will be taking place 11th - 15th March 2011 in Austin, Texas.

This year it will be hosting two competitions, the SXSW Accelerator and the SXSW Interactive Awards, both of which showcase the unique innovation and convergence that only happens at SXSW. The deadline for both is fast approaching - Friday 10th December at 11:59pm.

Plans are afoot for next year's trip out to South by South West Interactive, and we hope, a Digital Mission that's even better than last year.

Due to factors beyond our control the details are still being confirmed but we wanted to make sure that this trip was on your radar as early as possible.

We're gathering expressions of interest from companies who would like to join the mission using this form, as it's likely to be a fairly quick turnaround when applications open.