Arizona Entrepreneurs Represent at SXSW

 
 
By Tishin Donkersley, M.A. & Marcela Palefsky
 
South by Southwest (SXSW) kicks off the 2013 film, interactive and music festivals and conferences on Friday, March 8 in Austin, Texas. The festival’s 27th year brings new bands, films and technologies to attendees.
Scheduled Friday, March 8 to Tuesday, March 12, SXSW Interactive Festival is five days full of presentations highlighting innovative ideas, new digital works and emerging technologies. This year, those attending the festival can choose from a variety of keynotes, presentations, core conversations, book readings, workshops and mentor sessions.  Some of the new technologies featured include 3D technology and applications for people with disabilities, advanced social media monitoring and NASA’s next great telescope.
SXSW Interactive Festival holds an annual awards competition that uncovers breakthrough digital work and celebrates innovators. This competition provides industry exposure, tech-related prize packages and bragging rights to the winners.
On Saturday, March 9 at 10:30 a.m., Cleavon J. Blair, founder and managing partner of Blosme, a Scottsdale-based software design and development company, will speak on the emerging place of ethnic diversity in the field of technology. During the panel discussion titled, “Stomp the Divide: A Blueprint for Creating Tech Thought Leaders,” Blair, along with other speakers, will spotlight the changing perceptions of diverse technologists and the growing support for the multicultural entrepreneurs in the United States.
In addition to the Interactive Festival, attendees have the opportunity to experience SXSW Music and Media Conference and the SXSW Film Conference and Festival.
SXSW Music and Media Conference, running Friday, March 8 to Sunday, March 17, consists of discussions, opportunities and music to inspire and educate both seasoned and new musicians. In the evenings, hundreds of musical acts are showcased on over 100 stages in downtown Austin.
From Friday, March 8 to Saturday, March 16, the SXSW Film Conference and Festival offers iconic actors, filmmakers and acclaimed creative who reveal their methods and craft through conversations, panels, workshops and mentor sessions.
Started in 1987, SXSW began as a way for Austin musicians to share their music and has since grown into a festival that helps creative people further their careers by bringing them together to share ideas about music, film and the Internet.
Follow us @AZTechBeat for the latest at SXSW and highlighting our AZ participants during the festivities. To get the complete schedule visit SXSW.
Follow Cleavon J Blair @blosme &  #BiTHouse during SXSW