The 2015 SXSW Interactive Festival featured over 800 sessions, exhibits, competitions and networking events attended by 51,000 people in Austin, Texas. This year saw an increase in international participation and space for startups. A major theme was that innovation crosses all industries and cannot be separated. Virtual reality was a major focus, with many companies demonstrating new VR technologies and content. VR is creating excitement as a new medium for storytelling, though widespread adoption will take time as the technology continues to evolve.

2. THE
2015
SXSW
INTERACTIVE
FESTIVAL
FEATURED
OVER
800
SESSIONS,
EXHIBITS,
COMPETITIONS,
MEET
UPS
AND
NETWORKING
EVENTS
WITH
SOME
OF
THE
HOTTEST
ESTABLISHED
AND
UP-­‐AND-­‐COMING
COMPANIES
IN
THE
WORLD.
The
22nd
Annual
South
By
Southwest
Interactive
Festival
(SXSWi)
is
a
5-­‐day
immersive
cultural
experience
focused
on
emerging
technology
and
forward
thinking
-­‐-­‐
fueled
by
content,
creativity
and
inspiration.
Growing
in
popularity
year
over
year,
the
SXSW
Film,
Interactive
and
Music
events
attracted
51,000
people
in
total
to
Austin,
the
cultural
capital
of
Texas.
This
year’s
Interactive
festival
experienced
an
increase
in
both
international
participation,
as
well
as
space
dedicated
to
the
start-­‐up
community.
Due
to
the
tremendous
amount
of
innovation
within
the
health
and
medical
industries,
2015
also
saw
the
launch
of
the
SX
Health
and
MedTech
Expo.
Serving
as
an
incubator,
SXSWi
2015
continued
its
legacy
of
bringing
together
inspiring
and
influential
people,
brands
and
technology
platforms
to
discuss
and
ideate
on
future
transformation.
After
all,
where
else
can
you
find
a
Robot
Petting
Zoo?

3. TRENDS
FROM
&
WHY
THEY
MATTER
TO
YOU

4. Overall,
one
theme
stood
out…
Innovation
is
innovation;
you
cannot
separate
different
strains
of
it
based
on
the
content,
creativity
or
industry
it
is
applied
to
or
drives.
While
SXSW
still
offers
different
experiences
via
its
respective
Interactive,
Film
and
Music
festivals,
it
would
be
counterintuitive
to
everything
SXSW
stands
for
to
put
up
walls
between
these
festivals.
Instead,
SXSW
recognizes
and
appreciates
the
synergies,
creating
a
forum
that
combines
the
beliefs,
passion
and
excitement
among
the
diverse
communities
that
attend.
This
was
most
visible
at
this
year’s
Convergence
Programming,
where
topics
organically
overlapped
between
SXSW’s
Music,
Film
and
Interactive
content.
As
the
traditional
boundaries
between
these
festivals
continues
to
collapse,
new
opportunities
for
collaboration
and
intertwined
conversations
are
surfacing.
It
was
also
clear
that
there
is
no
silver
bullet
when
it
comes
to
solving
for
innovation.
Gone
are
the
days
where
start-­‐up
technologies
would
come
to
Austin
hoping
to
be
the
breakthrough
hit
of
the
conference
–
as
it
happened
for
Twitter
in
2007
and
FourSquare
in
2009.
Keynotes
from
thought
leaders
ranging
from
Lyft
co-­‐founder
&
CEO
Logan
Green
and
Astro
Teller
of
Google
X
underscored
this
shift.
SXSWi’s
power
isn’t
in
solving
for
innovation;
it’s
about
finding
ways
to
move
forward
–
in
your
thinking,
your
perspective,
your
product
–
so
that
you
can
return
home
enlightened
and
inspired,
ready
to
iterate
and
find
success.
INNOVATION
CANNOT
BE
CONTAINED

5. VIRTUAL
REALITY
IS
THE
NEW
INTERNET
Virtual
reality
(VR)
was
a
major
focus
of
SXSWi
this
year,
with
more
sessions
than
ever
dedicated
to
the
technology
and
the
opportunities
it
invites.
Many
of
the
leading
VR
and
augmented
reality
developers
and
companies
were
in
attendance,
with
major
players
like
Oculus
Rift
taking
the
stage
to
share
prototypes,
brand-­‐focused
efforts
and
thought-­‐starters,
serving
as
inspiration
for
brands
to
leverage
VR
as
a
tool
to
unlock
the
future
of
immersive
storytelling.
Other
companies,
like
Jaunt,
a
tech
company
building
the
hardware
and
software
to
make
truly
immersive
cinematic
VR
possible,
debuted
and
demo’d
new
content
and
opportunities,
giving
attendees
first-­‐hand
experiences.

6. WHY
THIS
MATTERS
TO
YOU
Virtual
reality
is
creating
excitement
and
intrigue,
comparable
to
how
the
Internet
first
sparked
marketers
and
brands’
interests
in
the
1990s.
VR
is
clearly
not
just
for
gaming,
and
signals
the
birth
of
a
new
medium
for
brands
and
creative
marketers
to
reach
and
engage
audiences.
There
is
still
a
ways
to
go
before
consumers
can
adopt
VR
in
their
everyday
lives.
As
Oculus
Rift’s
VP
of
Product
Nate
Mitchell
noted
when
explaining
why
the
consumer
version
of
its
VR
headgear
is
delayed,
“the
roadmap
has
changed,”
something
not
uncommon
in
the
new,
rapidly-­‐evolving
and
highly
competitive
technology
space.
However,
as
more
devices
enter
the
marketplace,
now
is
the
time
to
understand
the
content
opportunities
and
find
ways
to
test
and
learn
what
VR
can
offer
your
brand.
VIRTUAL
REALITY
IS
THE
NEW
INTERNET
The
North
Face
gave
attendees
at
the
Google
Fiber
Space
a
sneak
peek
of
the
immersive
experience
it’s
rolling
out
in
select
stores:
virtual
reality
moviemaking
techniques
on
Google
Cardboard
to
take
viewers
one
step
closer
to
thrill-­‐seeking
destinations.

7. Whether
it
was
highlighting
the
technology
that
can
facilitate
it,
the
platforms
that
enrich
it,
the
data
that
can
inspire
it,
or
the
brands
innovating
around
it,
much
of
this
year’s
SXSWi
conversation
was
about
consumer
experience,
and
how
marketers,
brands
and
content
creators
can
improve
upon
it.
We’ve
seen
brands
attempt
‘first
to
market’
executions
and
strategies
for
the
PR
value
rather
than
the
consumer
benefit;
however,
these
tricks
often
don’t
work.
As
Linda
Boff,
Executive
Director,
Global
Brand
Marketing
for
GE
noted,
when
it
comes
to
content
creation,
“audiences
know
how
you
should
spend
dollars
to
create
things
for
them
to
engage
with,”
and
they
expect
that
content
to
contribute
to
meaningful,
valuable
experiences.
Aiming
to
create
transformational
experiences,
WPP's
Team
Detroit
led
programming
designed
around
using
technology
and
elevated
data
as
keys
to
creating
richer
user
experiences.
Panelists
and
speakers
explored
how
data
trails
–
the
digital
‘breadcrumbs’
consumers
leave
behind
across
the
Internet
–
offer
insight
into
consumer
behavior,
and
that,
when
used
right,
allow
for
more
enhanced
experiences
and
better
results.
EMPHASIS
ON
EXPERIENCE

8. WHY
THIS
MATTERS
TO
YOU
To
be
truly
‘consumer
first’,
marketers
need
to
not
only
know
how
consumers
engage
with
new
and
emerging
media
and
technologies,
but
understand
the
factors
that
impact
how
they
will
communicate
with
the
people
and
brands
they
care
about
in
the
future.
This
includes
learning
about
why
new
data
points
are
emerging,
how
technology
is
driving
new
behavior
and
getting
first-­‐hand
experience
by
engaging
with
the
tools
and
platforms
that
can
help
marketers
create
authentic
and
genuinely
creative
experiences
that
surprise
and
delight
consumers.
EMPHASIS
ON
EXPERIENCE
GE’s
BBQ
Research
Center
married
science
and
culture
with
labs
and
workshops
devoted
to
illustrating
the
role
of
data
in
influencing
the
optimal
performance
and,
ultimate
taste,
of
Austin’s
most
popular
food
-­‐BBQ.
The
activation
not
only
allowed
GE
to
tell
it’s
story
beyond
jet
engines
and
wind
turbines,
but
also
gave
back
to
the
SXSW
community.

9. Proving
how
the
whole
is
greater
than
the
sum
of
its
parts,
this
year’s
SXSWi
showcased
countless
ways
of
bringing
people
together,
both
physically
and
mentally,
through
social
media
and
smart
technologies
like
beacons.
To
drive
this
connectivity,
the
official
SXSW
GO
app
was
updated
to
include
the
largest
deployment
of
iBeacons
at
an
event
and
a
new
social
networking
feature
to
provide
a
more
contextualized
SXSW
experience.
FireChat,
the
popular
off-­‐the-­‐grid
messaging
app,
offered
live
interactive
news
via
its
FireChat
SXSW
Edition,
highlighting
the
very
best
of
“what
to
do
right
now.”
And
for
those
participating
virtually,
SXSW
partnered
with
Roku
to
stream
the
conference
on
the
new
streaming
network
‘SXSW
On’
allowing
access
across
the
U.S.,
Canada,
U.K.
and
Ireland.
COMING
TOGETHER
TO
COMMUNICATE
BETTER

10. WHY
THIS
MATTERS
TO
YOU
As
marketers,
we
are
constantly
looking
for
new,
creative
ways
to
cut
through
the
clutter
and
reach
our
consumers.
To
do
so,
we
seek
out
the
newest
devices,
technologies,
platforms,
and
partners.
But
how
often
do
we
step
back
from
our
everyday
business
challenges
to
look
at
our
industry
as
a
whole?
Unlike
traditional
tradeshows,
conferences
like
SXSWi
offer
a
unique
opportunity
to
meet
and
mingle
with
people
beyond
our
professional
borders.
Savvy
marketers
consistently
challenge
themselves
to
seek
out
on
and
offline
resources
and
experiences
that
offer
new
inspiration
and
perspective,
whether
it
is
conferences,
books,
newspapers,
or
Twitter
feeds.
We
challenge
you
to
do
the
same
-­‐-­‐
find
inspiration
in
the
world
around
you
and
consider
how
you
can
apply
it
to
your
everyday
role
and
business
challenges!
COMING
TOGETHER
TO
COMMUNICATE
BETTER
.
Meerkat,
the
new,
free
mobile
app
that
simplifies
livestreaming
via
a
Twitter
integration,
was
the
‘it’
app
of
SXSW
this
year.
Despite
Twitter
cutting
off
Meerkat’s
automatic
access
to
its
social
graph
on
Friday,
plenty
of
early
adopters
were
“Meerkating”
their
panels,
dinners,
parties
and
even
strolls
along
Congress
Ave.

11. Health
and
wellness
was
one
of
SXSWi’s
hottest
topics,
thanks
to
the
launch
of
the
SX
Health
and
MedTech
Expo,
an
exhibit
space
that
featured
60+
companies
showcasing
the
future
of
healthcare
technology.
The
Expo
provided
a
chance
to
get
hands
on
with
the
healthcare
tech
changing
the
world,
and
learn
from
some
of
the
brightest
minds
driving
health
forward.
Milestone
events
included
Martine
Rothblatt,
United
Therapeutics'
CEO,
who
spoke
about
what
human
life
means
in
today’s
age
of
radical
innovation,
and
what
artificial
intelligence
and
robotics
can
offer
us
in
the
future
(hint:
it
may
include
the
capability
of
transferring
human
consciousness
to
machines).
Meanwhile,
hospitals
like
Cincinnati
Children’s
Hospital
and
Boston
Children's
Hospital
joined
in
the
start-­‐up
mentality,
participating
in
the
Impact
Pediatric
Health
Startup
Pitch
Competition,
emceed
by
Mark
Cuban.
BETTER
LIVING
THROUGH
TECHNOLOGY
SX
Health
and
MedTech
Expo

12. WHY
THIS
MATTERS
TO
YOU
This
industry-­‐wide
evolution
isn’t
just
about
wearables,
smart
devices
and
robots;
it’s
about
being
more
connected
to
the
issues
that
matter,
and
adopting
a
patient-­‐first
mentality
to
understand
the
real
need
states
while
attempting
to
solve
for
them.
Investing
in
health
is
good
for
business,
offering
brands
opportunities
to
connect,
understand
and
communicate
with
patients,
families
and
caregivers
in
ways
(and
on
devices)
never
before
imagined.
While
healthcare
is
an
industry
primed
for
disruption,
even
if
your
brand
doesn't
fall
within
the
health
category,
understanding
why
disruption
is
not
only
inevitable,
but
necessary,
is
crucial
for
survival.
Marketers
need
to
recognize
how
innovation
and
technology
will
(if
it
hasn’t
already)
disrupt
your
industry
in
the
future.
BETTER
LIVING
THROUGH
TECHNOLOGY
Equinox
showcased
The
Pursuit:
fitness
classes
with
smart
bikes
capable
of
measuring
500,000
data
points
and
allowing
the
instructor
to
monitor
during
class.
Bringing
fitness
and
data
together
for
a
better
experience,
while
helping
riders
to
stay
focused
and
engaged.

13. ADVOCACY
FOR
A
BETTER
INTERNET
The
Internet,
and
social
media,
have
opened
the
door
to
new
possibilities,
allowing
for
greater
connections
and
interactivity
than
ever
before.
This
transformation
has
given
rise
to
powerful
advocacy
opportunities.
Global
women-­‐and-­‐workplace
activist
Princess
Reema
Bint
Bandar
Al-­‐Saud
spoke
about
her
work
to
empower
women
in
Saudi
Arabia
across
issues
like
gender
equality
and
health
support
through
campaigns
like
#10KSA.
Meanwhile,
motivational
speaker
Lizzie
Velasquez
premiered
her
inspiring
documentary,
“A
Brave
Heart:
The
Lizzie
Velasquez
Story,”
and
spoke
about
her
“Take
the
High
Road”
cyber-­‐bullying
campaign.
Whether
debating
how
terrorist
groups
are
using
Twitter
to
further
their
agenda,
or
Yik
Yak
co-­‐founders
Tyler
Droll
and
Brooks
Buffington
sharing
their
efforts
to
curb
cyber-­‐bullying,
much
of
this
year’s
conversation
focused
on
understanding
our
individual
social
behaviors,
and
how
to
take
responsibility
for
our
actions
with
integrity.

14. WHY
THIS
MATTERS
TO
YOU
Marketers
already
know
the
risky
business
of
social
media,
where
users
can
freely
critique,
troll
and
call
out
any
brand
at
whim.
Issues
like
fraud,
trademark
infringement
and
other
potential
problems
can
cause
major
headaches
for
brands,
leading
to
legal
action
and
plenty
of
lost
time
and
revenue.
Understanding
the
legal
ramifications
of
how
your
brand
can
be
impacted
by
cyber
bullies
and
trolls,
as
well
as
how
others
in
your
space
have
reacted
and
responded
in
a
crisis
can
help
marketers
be
confident
in
pursuing
real-­‐time
marketing
strategies
and
mitigate
risks
when
it
comes
to
how
Internet
users
can
sabotage
or
hijack
your
campaign
or
brand.
ADVOCACY
FOR
A
BETTER
INTERNET
At
the
IPSOS
Girls
Lounge,
a
place
for
women
in
marketing,
advertising
and
research
to
connect,
Dove
encouraged
people
to
recognize
that
“one
positive
tweet
can
ignite
a
positive
trend.”

15. MOPHIE
The
external
battery
and
battery-­‐backup
case
company
‘rescued’
SXSWers
with
dying
smartphone
batteries
via
St.
Bernard
rescue
dogs.
SXSWers
could
tweet
@Mophie
with
a
screenshot
of
their
location
and
battery
level,
and
Mophie
sent
St.
Bernards
with
Mophie
chargers
to
the
tweeter
in
trouble.
Other
SXSW
attendees
could
use
the
Glympse
app
to
track
the
dogs’
whereabouts.
Those
who
fell
for
a
dog
could
even
adopt
one,
thanks
to
Mophie’s
partnership
with
the
St.
Bernard
Rescue
Foundation.
MORE
OF
OUR
FAVORITE
BRAND
EXPERIENCES
AT&T
&
ANIMAL
PLANET
AT&T
&
Animal
Planet
hosted
a
purrrrty
to
find
America's
Next
Cat
Star,
where
people
could
vote
on
contestants.
3M
To
kick
off
its
first
global
brand
campaign
in
25
years,
3M
launched
the
3M
Life
Lab,
a
booth
built
solely
out
of
materials
3M
has
invested
in
over
the
years.
3M
scientists
were
on-­‐
site,
hosting
demos
and
workshops,
with
the
space
also
featuring
live
DJ
performances,
incorporating
sound
samples
from
the
DJ’s
heartbeat
taken
from
3M’s
Bluetooth-­‐enabled
electronic
stethoscope.

16. Entrepreneurship
is
more
than
building
products
-­‐
it's
about
lifting
up
communities
and
making
a
difference
–
STEVE
CASE,
CHAIRMAN
OF
CASE
FOUNDATIONS
&
REVOLUTION
I
don't
want
to
give
some
of
these
losers
power.
–
CHARLES
BARKLEY,
NBA
HALL
OF
FAMER
&
CURRENT
TNT
ANALYSIST
on
why
he
doesn’t
use
Twitter
People
delight
in
sharing
great
content.
Great
content
is
a
great
compelling
story
you
want
to
share.
–
LINDA
BOFF,
EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR,
GLOBAL
BRAND
MARKETING,
GE
The
heart
of
the
event
is
really
the
up-­‐
and
-­‐coming
people
we
haven't
heard
of
yet,
people
we'll
hear
of
in
the
next
few
years.
–
HUGH
COOLEY,
SXSWi
FESTIVAL
DIRECTOR
If
you’re
the
only
one
working
on
a
problem,
then
you
are
working
on
the
wrong
problem.
–
PHIL
LIBIN,
FOUNDER
AND
CEO
OF
EVERNOTE
If
you
want
to
succeed
spectacularly
you
have
to
be
willing
to
fail
spectacularly.
You
have
to
just
go.
For
me
failure
has
always
been…
it
hasn’t
been
a
shameful
experience,
it
was
just
‘oh
that
didn’t
work’.
–
BIZ
STONE,
CO-­‐FOUNDER
OF
TWITTER
&
SUPER.ME
As
the
death
of
the
middle
class
of
film
has
happened,
it’s
been
rebirthed
in
television.
–
MARK
DUPLASS,
FILMMAKER
The
only
way
to
be
happy
in
the
world
is
to
keep
making
things.
–
MARTINE
ROTHBLATT,
CEO
OF
UNITED
THERAPEUTICS

17. THANK
YOU
TO
ALL
THE
MEC@SXSWi
CONTRIBUTORS!
To
see
more
of
what
happened
as
it
happened
at
SXSWi
2015,
download
the
FlipBoard
MECGlobal
For
questions,
please
contact:
Whitney
Fishman
whitney.fishman@mecglobal.com