sxsw

Are you thinking of applying for the UKTI Trade Mission to SXSW, but not really sure where to start? Wondering how long the application process takes and how it's assessed?

When and how should you book hotels? Do you need to buy a SXSW badge? So many questions, so to make things a little easier we have outlined some simple steps that we hope will answer all of your questions.

We have already had a strong group of application for the UKTI Trade Mission to SXSW, but you do still have time to apply. Applications close Friday 25th November, so start applying today. 

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.

The PanelPicker entry process for the 2012 SXSW Festivals and Conferences has officially opened, proposals will be accepted until the end of the day on Friday 15th July (11:59pm CST // 5:55am UK time).

The SXSW PanelPicker was developed to offer the community a chance to get involved in SXSW - not only by submitting panel, workshop and presentation ideas but also by reviewing, commenting and voting for the ideas they'd like to see become part of the SXSW festival.

Entering a solo presentation, workshop or panel to the PanelPicker is the best way to share your ideas, make sure your expertise are included and help shape SXSW 2012.

A big thank you to everyone who attended Chinwag's Global Grill during the mission to South by South West last month and contributed to the Japan Tsunami appeal.

The event, designed to bring together all of the international delegates flying in to Austin for the event, saw the generous patrons of the event donating over $500 towards the American Red Cross' appeal to support victims of the earthquake and tsunami.

A big thank you to UK Trade & Investment for supporting the event, and the lovely Christopher Dunn from UKTI's Houston office for making sure the cash got to its proper destination, top chap!

Joseph Jaffe launched his new book “Flip The Funnel” at SXSW (Austin, Texas) last month. The book is supposed to help digital agencies, marketing folk and brands reassess how they do business online (and offline). Jaffe is a marketing wizard and hailed as one of the most sought-after consultants, speakers and thought leaders on new marketing.  

I’m writing this a few days after returning back to the UK after attending “South by South-West” (SXSW) Interactive, Austin, Texas. It’s an enormous conference or festival of all things digital and web related. In Silicon Valley it’s known as “spring break for geeks”, an apt description which describes the attendees and the atmosphere just a little too well.

It’s spread over 5 days, with talks, discussions, panels and keynotes running all through the day with parties running all through the night. There is simply no other conference like it. You won’t see people in suits, instead, flip flops, shorts and a T-shirt branded with your company logo is fairly typical.

Chinwag's Digital Missions, hosted with the help of UK Trade & Investment, have been running for over 3 years, and have included 7 trips to the USA, as well as helped promote and recruit for trade missions to Japan and China.

The missions have been a huge success with dozens of companies finding new business, setting up offices in the US and finding long-term business partners and friends amongst the mission companies.

We're continually looking to improve the missions and look at new destinations, and this is where you come in.

Here are fifty tips from the mind of SXSW veteran, and Chinwag mastermind, Sam Michel. They are good, and they work - I know because I've personally beta-tested every one of them!

1. Shoes - Wear comfortable shoes. There is lots of walking - the Austin Convention Center (ACC) is so large that it could declare itself a principality and have its own royal family. They'd be on Twitter of course.

2. Pace yourself - You know that think about the candle that burns brightly? You may want to be a bright star, but the days are long, and the nights longer still. Don't over do it too soon.

3. Flexibility - Plan to change your plan. The queues for one session or party might be huge, so look at what else is on. You didn't some here to queue, you can do that back home.

4. Contact - Stay in touch on Twitter, Facebook, FourSquare, but don't forget old skool SMS. It's all about the people. Contact and be contactable.

5. Roaming Data Charges - They can be eye-watering. Lots of venues in Austin have WiFi, and a new EU ruling means you shouldn't get ripped off, well, not too badly anyway. Coverage hasn't been great in previous years, it may be better this year. There again, they say that every year.

6. Eating & Drinking - plan your days well and it's unlikely you'll be buying any food or drinks, virtually for the whole week. Check our our BBQ, the Block Party, the Great British Breakfast and more...

7. Breakfast - This is the most important meal of the day, it will set you up right. For us the kings of breakfasts are Magnolia, & Downtown Jo's on 2nd Street.

8. 6th Street - Get to know it, its choca-block of party venues - very lively during Interactive, absolutely heaving during music. Walk the whole length, but perhaps not every day!

9. BBQ - You you might be in its ancestral home. Good dining options: Iron Works, Stubbs, and Salt Lick.

10. Texas - Austin State Rodeo - Get a cab there, and don't forget to get a number to get a cab back!

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

Congratulations to the 31 leading UK digital companies that have been selected for this year's UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) Mission to SXSW Interactive 2011.

This trip will see the companies travel out to Austin, Texas for a five day trip in and around South by South West Interactive, one of the largest conferences focused on digital media and technology.

Each of the companies is 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 below. You can follow the UKTI team's coverage of the mission on Twitter @uktiatsxswi.

UKTI SXSW 2011 Mission Companies

• Acunu Ltd
• Brandwatch
• Casual Films
• Completely Novel
• Cyber-Duck
• DAD Solutions
• Digital Outlook Communications
• East London Productions
• Engage Sciences
• Fortune Cookie
• Fly Post
• Get-ctrl Limited
• Glass Eye Productions
• Lingo24
• Minute Box
• MOFILMS
• MoodShare
• Namaste Entertainment
• Parcel Genie
• Planzai
• Psonar
• Rummble Labs
• Screenreach Interactive
• Shout’em
• Somethin’else
• Teamly
• The Play Mob
• w00t!media
• We are Social
• WhoSampled.com
• Zkatter

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):