Tech, Web3, innovation, metaverse, 5G and other news attract people from all over the world to Austin (USA) in search of networking and refreshment for ideas and creativity
Created in 1987, SXSW (South by Southwest), made the city of Austin (USA) a hub of convergence for creative minds working to foster palatable connections in technology, innovation, releases, cinema, music, education, culture and advertising. And networking.
The 2022 edition, which starts this Friday (11) and runs until the 20th, marks the return in person, but the organizers know that the hybrid model will still be intense and the average of 400 thousand visitors will not be broken.
The origin of the event is music, which is one of the few things capable of transporting people to the historical memories of life. And it will be on the agenda and entertainment agenda this year with cinema and interactivity, which form the event’s support columns and add topics such as Web3, NFT, metaverse and 5G.
Brazil is looking for new solutions that will soon become standard. And with a delegation that includes professionals from agencies, production companies, media and observers of the global market scene.
“We look forward to hearing about cutting-edge innovation reconfiguring the human experience, trends in gaming and interactivity, mixed and augmented reality, the promise of the metaverse, cryptocurrencies, the future of sound experiences, agendas on sustainability and climate emergency, multilateral collaboration. Always attentive, of course, to the brand activations that will happen there”, details the executive Isabela Mantese, head of strategy at AKM_PFM.
Globo will be present at SXSW with a delegation of 10 professionals. But it’s hot, to debate, the SXSW Edu, which takes place from this Monday (7) and ends on Thursday (10).
“Innovative initiatives related to education”, in the words of Manzar Feres, director of integrated businesses at the station, are the way to go. On the 14th, Globo promotes happy hour in Austin and will produce a summary of the main events and lectures to be downloaded via download.
Trackings that deal with the future, tech industry, advertising and branding experience, media, TV and games industries have always been on our radar and are the ones we follow most closely. And, this year, education, which is one of the pillars of Globo’s social commitment, is also highlighted. In addition, with the transformations that the whole world is going through, we cannot fail to follow the discussions related to climate change, civil engagement and technology in medicine and health”, explains Manzar, who is also looking for business and strengthening relationships.
“The amount of information and news shared during the festival days yields many good conversations, with people interested in understanding the changes and looking to the future. Of course, the less formal meeting opportunities during the event generate interesting networking. SXSW is also a great investment for businesses, especially for industries like ours, which have been undergoing transformations and investing in innovation”, continues Manzar Feres.
Being present after the hibernation imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic is a necessity. Ian Black, CEO of New Vegas, and CCO Vinicius Facco will enjoy this face-to-face moment. “We believe that the festival still has a very important role in making our industry have contact with other discussions that other festivals focused on creativity do not provoke, and it brings a bit of broader themes that not only advertising itself, a construction of a broader society. nice up front. Usually lectures with unusual names mean more original content. In addition, we are looking for speakers who represent counter-hegemonic voices, such as black thinkers, who bring broader and more complex perspectives on topics related to Web3”, explain Black and Facco.
Andrea Mendonça, chief growth officer at B&Partners, adds to her anxiety
about the new about people, planet, sustainability, entrepreneurship, health and well-being. “The festival will bring very relevant themes in this regard, such as Discovering the undiscovered, which will show how innovation can provide solutions to some of the biggest contemporary problems; and The power of inclusivity, which will focus on the importance of incorporating diverse points of view, which is something I’ve always believed in”, ponders Andrea.
Seeing how the SXSW agenda will treat technology, in the words of Douglas Nogueira, planning director at Talent Marcel, is a quest to find solutions.
“For those who left the periphery for Austin at the age of 40 and 25 years of CLT, debuting two years late because of the pandemic is no sacrifice,” he says, adding: “How can tech help us to to be more human, inclusive and healthy? I want to see how these issues are being addressed, beyond the metaverse. There are serious ethical, legal and inclusion issues still being debated.”
Reunions
“Innovation takes on another layer: how do we innovate in the way we connect, relate and interact? How does technology help us create healthier, truer connections?” asks Karina Corchs, executive director of strategy at R/GA. “I hope to boost exchanges of experience, culture, perspectives and return renewed and inspired to create a more human future. The age of (dis)information: how to control the quality of information in a universe of so many media, channels and even pulverized virtual worlds; and how, in fact, to promote actions and accelerate processes”, replies Karina.
“A great opportunity to learn”, is the conclusion of Tallis Gomes, co-founder and chairman of G4 Educação and founder of Singu and Easy Taxi. “It is possible to identify trends and opportunities to be explored, as well as threats to be circumvented and to understand how other sectors are evolving. SXSW provides conditions to do this: to update itself; break, in a unique environment”, he reflects.
“Seeing creatives, organizations, brands and public institutions looking in the same direction and trying to find ways to a sustainable society” is the expectation of Carolina Braga, head of planning & insights at UOL, “at a time when ‘making the world a place better’ goes beyond brand campaigns and becomes a matter of survival”.
Carolina continues: “It is worth mentioning lectures on technologies that directly impact human behavior and, consequently, media consumption. Representatives of large organizations reveal how artificial intelligence can help us interact with consumers in the metaverse as well. Still in the field of artificial intelligence and technology, I hope to see effective solutions, not only from publishers, but also from governments that work to combat intolerance and disinformation on the networks, in defense of democracies”.
Reunions are motivating. The tête-à-tête meetings, ditto. “It’s looking to the future, new technologies, new human and work relationships, emerging voices. And, in addition, you also have the opportunity to learn a little about topics that may never come close to your technical scope, but that can certainly contribute a lot to open your mind and bring new insights, such as Health & MedTech, Cannabis and Transport, in the case of someone in our industry. And there is short-term learning, which a week after the event can already be used in practice, such as benchmarks for different segments, a new trend report, a methodology or even a framework, a different way of organizing the storytelling of the event. your presentation”, says Sumara Osório, CSO of VML&R, who will be at SXSW for the third time.
“In 2018, the explosion of Cannabis and Social Media drew attention, in 2019, Blockchain and AI. 2022 is the year of games, metaverse and Web3. The Fairmont hotel is often the seat of the Advertising & Brand Experience track and those are basically the main themes there too. The importance of diversity also stands out and is transversal to many of the themes, from the production of art, content and technology to entrepreneurship and the work environment. AR’s and VR’s remain on the rise and influencers turn into creators. Cannabis gives some space to psychedelics and TikTok becomes a topic, including a documentary about it. Activations and installations are also a great learning experience for what is to come. This year, Dell will have 4 days of meetings on creativity, imagination and new technologies; and Michael Dell himself has a featured session on emerging technologies”, says Sumara.
Social isolation has brought pressure and stress to those who work with references, inspiration and creativity. This triad is the summary of Bruna Pastorini, director of planning and data at Druid. “The entire reference search process had to happen at home and 100% over the internet. Given this, having the possibility of going from an almost total deprivation of references to a hyperexposure to innovation, creativity, multiculturalism and the entire atmosphere of SXSW is very important, it is practically urgent”, considers Bruna.
“I believe we are thirsty for this moment of finally being able to open our minds to the intensity of an SXSW, and be exposed to the most innovative. This year we will see the games, and all the innovations that the game has been pulling, gain prominence in the panels of the event. Certainly, SXSW will make the game official as a generator of experiences and a tool for us, advertisers, to create new connections between brand and audience. And I see SXSW pulling our industry even further into games. We will definitely go home with our heads buzzing with ideas and crazy to put everything into practice”, adds the Druid executive.
Google will have the head of retail Rodrigo Chamorro as the country’s representative. In his opinion, information, content aligned with market trends and vision for new consumer behaviors are on his agenda. “The event will be an opportunity to meet people and attend sessions that challenge my current way of thinking. Most tasks found new execution formats, technology gained new uses and we even redefined the relationship between people. In addition to all this, the event should be the stage for debates on the role of brands, companies and platforms in this new context.
Discovering what is still unclear, discussing directions that can be taken and learning from the experiences of others will be the most interesting for me in the 2022 edition. What is debated at SXSW quickly spreads and generates curiosity. This interest in new topics opens doors for companies that think differently, new agendas are created and evolution happens. Events like SXSW keep innovation on the agenda, generate opportunities and new learnings, and that’s why I consider it so important to participate”, concludes Chamorro.
