A Young Professional’s Guide to SXSW: 5 Business Goals to Accomplish

December 1, 2022 Anne Cox

Creative Industries Expo – SXSW 2022 – Photo by Tico Mendoza

The holiday season is in full swing and you’re likely already dreaming of setting your away message, logging off, and preparing to deck the halls. But of course, the holidays are also a time to look ahead, and SXSW 2023 is right around the corner!

SXSW offers so many different areas for young professionals to further their careers. It’s never too early to start strategizing your business goals to ensure you get the most out of your time at the event. Below are our top 5 business goals for young professionals to make for the 2023 SX season.

1. Go With a Group

Attending SXSW with a group of friends or coworkers means you can cover more ground, hear more than one perspective, and feel more comfortable in larger event settings.

Bring your team of 10 or more to SXSW and save big. Once your group is registered, book hotel accommodations through SXSW Housing & Travel or contact housing@sxsw.com to hold hotel rooms until names are confirmed.

Pro Tip: Booking through SXSW Housing & Travel grants registrants access to the lowest rates in Austin during SXSW. Plus, the earlier you book your travel arrangements, the more you’ll save.

2. Make a Plan

You don’t want to be caught last-minute when the event is just a few days away and you haven’t even begun to pick out which panels, sessions, and networking events you want to attend. Explore the official SXSW Schedule and download the SXSW GO app to create your own personalized schedule in advance. As event time and location details become available, your personal schedule will be automatically updated.

Learn more about our recently announced Keynote and Featured Speakers.

3. Attend a Mentor Session

Mentor Sessions offer attendees the unique opportunity to meet one-on-one with industry professionals. These are an incredible chance for young professionals to receive guidance from someone higher up in their field. RSVP’s for 2023 Mentor Sessions will be available in February.

Pro Tip: Keep an eye on our announcements and sign up for our newsletter to be the first to know about RSVP updates!

4. Prepare an Elevator Pitch

You’ll likely be asked “So, what do you do?” about 10 times a day, especially if you’re attending our networking events. Prepare an elevator pitch that summarizes your current role, what you do, and your long term goals.

Pro Tip: Bring extra business cards. If you run out, no fear. Search the SXSW GO mobile app's attendee directory to star connections and send direct messages.

5. Recap

It’s easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of SXSW and wind up not remembering half of it. A great way to refresh your memory of each day’s events is to gather with your team for a happy hour and recap the highlights of each session. You never know what you might’ve missed!

Register for SXSW 2023

Join thousands of other attendees deep in the heart of Austin, Texas from March 10-19, 2023 to celebrate the convergence of the tech, film, and music industries.

Keep up with us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.

Creative Industries Expo – SXSW 2022 – Photo by Tico Mendoza

The post A Young Professional’s Guide to SXSW: 5 Business Goals to Accomplish appeared first on SXSW.

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