Coming to SXSW Interactive? Let Mindshare North America be your guide. We've got tips on transportation, dining options, and most importantly of all: recommendations on which sessions you shouldn't miss.

1. MINDSHARE
GUIDE
SXSWi 2015

2. "That small, grass-roots event — which drew
700 people its inaugural year — has since
mushroomed into SXSW, one of the largest
and most influential gatherings on the planet."
– USA Today, March 7, 2014
2MINDSHARE AT SXSW 2015

3. SXSWi
• 30,000+ participants from 83
countries
• 1,100 sessions with over 2,000
speakers
• 3,000+ press outlets covering
the festival
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4. Making the most of SXSWi
• The conference is widespread throughout downtown Austin - be sure to explore
outside of just the Convention Center
• Spend time walking around outside of the Convention Center to find the best
branded experiences
• The trade show floor is only open Sunday-Tuesday; budget ~2 hours to cover
the full floor
• Download the SXSW GO app & use it to program your personal schedule
• Be open to spontaneity & be prepared with a plan B (lines can be long)
• Big names on panels draw crowds, “unknown” speakers deliver unique
experiences
• There is no Uber surge cap; wear your walking shoes
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5. SXSWi Distilled
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Mindshare experts will distill the top
events, trends, and emerging topics
during the festival for marketers
Follow us on Twitter @Mindshare_NA
and MindshareInTheLoop.com for:
• Preview POV on what we will see at
SXSWi (published week of event)
• Daily blog and video updates,
interviews
• Top 10 Trends from SXSW post-
event

6. The
Sessions

7. What to attend
• Mindshare experts have put
together a selection of
recommended sessions for each
day of SXSWi.
• These sessions focus on innovation,
invention, and key emerging
marketing areas such as sensory.
• The selections were chosen to
inspire new thinking, big ideas, and
connecting to where your
consumers are going.
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8. Friday, March 13
11:00am–12:00pm
Digital Diversity: How
Culture Impacts Digital
Hyatt Regency Austin (Zilker
Ballroom 2) – 208 Barton
Springs Road
Exploring culture in major
groups across the
increasingly-diverse U.S.,
attitudes & priorities, and
how that influences the way
people communicate online.
Speakers: Facebook, Ipsos
MediaCT
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12:30–1:30pm
Beacons, mPay, and the
Great Shopper Reboot
Sheraton Austin (Capitol
Ballroom) – 701 E 11th
Street
Brands/retailers explore the
increasing impact of in-store
sensors and beacon
technology, the push
towards mobile payments,
and more. MediaPost event.
Speakers: Intel, Lowe’s, Alex
and Ani, and MaxMedia
12:30–1:30pm
En Vogue: Blurring Lines
Between Brands and Tech
JW Marriott (Room 205) –
110 E 2nd Street
A wearable tech/fashion
expert explores the
intersection of fashion &
technology by breaking
down models of brand
collaborations: Tory
Birch/Fitbit, Apple/Gucci, etc.
Speakers: Artefact (UX
designer solo presentation)

9. Friday, March 13
2:00–3:00pm
Millennials and Sports:
Reaching Next-Gen Fans
Four Seasons Hotel
(Ballroom AB) – 98 San
Jacinto Blvd
Despite the nature of live
sports programming, sports
media has to embrace multi-
platform to reach millennials.
See what the NFL has been
doing in that regard.
Speakers: NFL, NFL
Network, Re/Code
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3:30-4:30pm
Defining the Next-Gen
Retail Experience
Austin Convention Center
(Ballroom D) – 500 E Cesar
Chavez St
A new generation of
innovators are changing the
way consumers think about
shopping. And retailers
thinking of the retail
experience.
Speakers: Rent the Runway,
Sephora, Stitch Fix

10. Saturday, March 14
9:30–10:30am
Machines That Tell Stories
JW Marriott (Room 210) –
110 E 2nd Street
How machines are affecting
digital storytelling and new
ways of finding meaning –
and how to be savvy about
your own digital narrative.
Speakers: HP, Polycot
Associates
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11:00am–12:00pm, 12:30-1:30pm
SXSW Accelerator: Wearable Technologies 1
SXSW Accelerator: Wearable Technologies 2
Hilton Austin Downtown (Salon J) – 500 E 4th Street
3:30-4:30pm; 5:00-6:00pm
SXSW Accelerator: Digital Health and Life Sciences Tech 1
SXSW Accelerator: Digital Health and Life Sciences Tech 2
SXSW Accelerator® is a two-day pitch event in six categories
for early stage technology startups to pitch their product and/or
services to industry technology experts, high profiled media
personnel, and venture capitalists / angel investors. A grand
prize winner for each category will be selected at the end of day
two as part of the evening SXSW Accelerator Awards
Ceremony.

11. Saturday, March 14
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11:00am-12:00pm; 12:30-1:30pm
SXSW Accelerator: Social Tech 1
SXSW Accelerator: Social Tech 2
Hilton Austin Downtown (Salon G) – 500 E 4th
St
SXSW Accelerator® is a two-day pitch event in
six categories for early stage technology
startups to pitch their product and/or services. A
grand prize winner for each category will be
selected at the end of day two as part of the
evening SXSW Accelerator Awards Ceremony.
11:00am-12:00pm; 12:30-1:30pm
SXSW Accelerator: Enterprise/Smart Data
Tech 1
SXSW Accelerator: Enterprise/Smart Data
Tech 2
Hilton Austin Downtown (Salon F) – 500 E 4th
Street
SXSW Accelerator® is a two-day pitch event in
six categories for early stage technology
startups to pitch their product and/or services. A
grand prize winner for each category will be
selected at the end of day two as part of the
evening SXSW Accelerator Awards Ceremony.

12. Saturday, March 14
12MINDSHARE AT SXSW 2015
3:30-4:30pm; 5:00-6:00pm
SXSW Accelerator: Ent. & Content Tech 1
SXSW Accelerator: Ent. & Content Tech 2
Hilton Austin Downtown (Salon G) – 500 E 4th
St
SXSW Accelerator® is a two-day pitch event in
six categories for early stage technology
startups to pitch their product and/or services. A
grand prize winner for each category will be
selected at the end of day two as part of the
evening SXSW Accelerator Awards Ceremony.
3:30-4:30pm; 5:00-6:00pm
SXSW Accelerator: Innovative World Tech 1
SXSW Accelerator: Innovative World Tech 2
Hilton Austin Downtown (Salon F) – 500 E 4th
Street
SXSW Accelerator® is a two-day pitch event in
six categories for early stage technology
startups to pitch their product and/or services. A
grand prize winner for each category will be
selected at the end of day two as part of the
evening SXSW Accelerator Awards Ceremony.

13. Saturday, March 14
3:30–4:30pm
The Future Role of Tech in
Dining and Food
Austin Convention Center
(Ballroom D) – 500 E Cesar
Chavez St
Chef David Chang
(Momofuku) talks about the
shifting landscape of dining
and how technology is
revolutionizing the way we
interact with, and consume,
food.
Speakers: Momofuku, The
Awl
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5:00-6:00pm
A New Authenticity in a
Holographic World
JW Marriott (Room 210) –
110 E 2nd Street
How the unreal world is
enhancing experiences for
people and impacting
perceptions of reality, and
the art of creating authentic
holograms.
Speakers: Valis – Virtual
Artists Agency and Pound &
Grain Digital

14. Sunday, March 15
9:30–10:30am
Storytelling with the New
Screens
Austin Convention Center
(Room 12AB) – 500 E Cesar
Chavez St
How will 3D printers, VR,
AR, and smart objects/cities
reinvent the future of
storytelling? Findings from
USC's Annenberg Innovation
Lab.
Speakers: USC Annenberg
Innovation Lab
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11:00am–12:00pm
Give Me Your Data – But
Stay Away From Mine!
JW Marriott (Room 404) –
110 E 2nd Street
Don't track or collect my
personal data, but find me
the fastest route, if I'm lost, &
personalize everything. How
do we navigate the
schizophrenia?
Speakers: Banjo, Application
Developers Alliance
12:30–1:30pm
Activism At Its Best: Drive
Supporters To Do More
Austin Convention Center
(Room 10AB) – 500 E Cesar
Chavez St
How to build out campaigns
that matter; to move the
digital focus beyond email
acquisition & empower a
community of dedicated
followers.
Speakers: DoSomething.org,
World Wildlife Fund,
Change.org, PETA

15. Sunday, March 15
9:30-10:30am (Enterprise/Smart Data) | 11:00am – 12:00pm (Digital Health) |
12:30-1:30pm (Innovative World) | 2:00-3:00pm (Wearables) | 3:30-4:30pm
(Entertainment and Content) | 5:00-6:00pm (Social)
SXSW Accelerator Finals:
Enterprise/Smart Data | Digital Health & Life Sciences | Innovation World |
Wearables | Entertainment and Content | Social
Hilton Austin Downtown (Salon FG) - 500 E 4th Street
The finalists from the previous day’s pitch competition compete and show off
their applications/technologies in one last round. Categories include: Enterprise
and Smart Data, Digital Health and Life Sciences, Innovative World, Wearables,
Entertainment and Content, and Social. A grand prize winner for each category
will honored in the evening at the SXSW Accelerator Awards Ceremony.
Speakers: various startups, presented by Oracle
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16. Monday, March 16
11:00am–12:00pm
An Interview with Yik Yak’s
Founders
Austin Convention Center
(Ballroom A) – 500 E Cesar
Chavez St
GigaOm interviews the
founders of Yik Yak for a
look at changing messaging
apps & how usage patterns
of college students can apply
to older audiences.
Speakers: Yik Yak, GigaOm
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11:00am–12:00pm
Breaking the 4th Wall:
Audience Participation. In
Digital Age
Four Seasons Hotel (San
Jacinto) – 98 San Jacinto
Blvd
How content producers can
deliver new experiential
types of entertainment based
on emerging technology,
changing audience
expectations, and more.
Speakers: Brain Factory,
Warner Bros, Portal Ent, Sync
Screen
12:30–1:30pm
Balancing Data and Intuition
JW Marriott (Room 205) – 110
E 2nd Street
How fashion brands and
retailers can find the right
balance between using the
insights gleamed from
data/analytics, while still
taking risks and using intuition
for unprecedented initiatives.
Speakers from: social
media/fashion branding
consultants

17. Monday, March 16
5:00–6:00pm
AR and VR: Moving
Beyond the Square Screen
Four Seasons Hotel (San
Jacinto) – 98 San Jacinto
Blvd
How augmented reality and
virtual reality are
fundamentally changing the
entertainment landscape &
how we can prepare and
adapt.
Speakers: Machinima,
DAQRI, Snaps
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5:00-6:00pm
Getting Men Comfortable
with Mobile Shopping
JW Marriott (Room 205) -
110 E 2nd St
The growth of mobile
commerce & the impact of
social shopping apps. The
process of getting men more
comfortable with shopping
on their smartphones.
Speakers: Lowekey Media,
Android Homme, Troy
Alexander

18. Tuesday, March 17
11:00am–12:00pm
Better and Faster: Predict
Opportunity & Win in 2015
Austin Convention Center
(Ballroom A) – 500 E Cesar
Chavez Street
Trend Hunter’s guide to
unexploited trends in 2015,
plus six patterns of
opportunity in interactive & a
quick guide to neurological
traps that hinder smart
people.
Speakers: Trend Hunter
18MINDSHARE AT SXSW 2015
11:00am–12:00pm
AJ+ Presents the Future of
Engagement
Austin Convention Center
(Next Stage) - 500 E Cesar
Chavez Street
There’s no denying that AJ+
has disrupted the news
world. How they’re
addressing the changing
landscape of storytelling in
the digital/mobile age.
Speakers : AJ+ (Al Jazeera’s
digital outlet)
12:30–1:30pm
The Future is Short-Form:
Storytelling for Today
Hyatt Regency Austin (Texas
Ballroom 2-3) – 208 Barton
Springs Road
An exploration of how the
growth in viewership in
short-form content is
affecting general viewing
habits, and what it means for
the future.
Speakers: Maker Studios,
CAA, Bloomberg News

19. Tuesday, March 17
3:30–4:00pm
Understanding the
Beacosystem
Radisson Town Lake
(Riverside Ballroom) – 111 E
Cesar Chavez Street
Use beacon technology in
innovative ways requires an
ecosystem of apps and
active users to make them
work. This session should
help.
Speakers: Kwolia, InMarket,
TPN
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3:30-4:30pm
Personalization
Uncovered: Creeps vs.
Grocery Store
Hyatt Regency Austin (Hill
Country ABCD) – 208 Barton
Springs Road
A discussion about
managing the fine line
between using personalized
data to add value to in-store
shoppers and using it to
creep them out.
Speakers: Adobe, Aetna,
Dell

20. 20
Hyatt
Regency
Sheraton
Austin
JW
Marriott
Radisson
Four
Seasons
Convention Center
&
Hilton

21. Around
Austin

22. Things to see & do around Austin
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1.
State Capitol
Building
What:
Texas State Capitol
Where:
Congress & 11th St
When:
Year round 7am-10pm
2.
Rainey Street
What:
Old homes converted to
bars & restaurants
Where:
Rainey Street
When:
Year round
4.
Austin’s Bat
Colony
What:
Largest Bat Colony in
NA
Where:
Congress Bridge
When:
At Sunset in March-
April
3.
Barton Springs
Pool
What:
68 degree natural
spring pool
Where:
Barton Springs Road
When:
Year round 8am-6pm
(closed Tuesdays)
5.
SoCo
What:
Trendy street of retail and
restaurants close to
downtown
Where:
South Congress Ave between
Riverside Dr and W Johanna
St
When:
At Sunset in March-April

23. Things to see & do around Austin
23MINDSHARE AT SXSW 2015
6.
Jester King
Brewery
What:
Craft Brewery Tasting
Room
Where:
30 min drive towards
Dripping Springs
When:
Fri 4-10pm, Sat 12-10,
Sun 12-6
2.
Road Trip to Salt
Lick
What:
Notorious BBQ
(BYOB and Cash only)
Where:
30 min drive towards
Driftwood
When:
Everyday, 11am-10pm
4.
Broken Spoke
What:
Honky Tonk Dance
Hall
Where:
South Lamar (10
minute drive from
downtown)
When:
10:30-11:30 Tues-
Saturday
3.
Alamo
Drafthouse
What:
Movie theater w food
& drinks served in
theater
Where:
5 locations around
Austin
When:
Year round
5.
Lady Bird Lake Trail
What:
Running & bike trail through
downtown Austin
Where:
Along the Colorado River
When:
Year round

24. Places to eat around town
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Qui
Perla’s Seafood
Easy Tiger
Beer
Garden
Rainey
Street
Uchi
Odd
Duck
Driskill
Hotel
Franklin’s
BBQ
La Condesa
Torchy’s
Tacos
Wink
Restaurant
& Wine Bar
Guero’s Taco Bar
Enoteca &
Vespaio
Max’s Wine Dive
Z’Tejas
Second
24 Diner
Lamberts
BBQ
Hopdoddy burgers
Salty Sow
Eastside Cafe

25. Getting around town
Hail A
Cab
Austin
Free app for
iOS and
Android
25MINDSHARE AT SXSW 2015
Uber
Free app for
iOS and
Android
Lyft
Free app for
iOS and
Android
Car2Go
Car sharing
service, cars fit 2
people
$35 one time sign
up fee
$15/hour or
$85/day
MetroRail
Rail line from
Leander to
downtown Austin
(near Convention
Center) Mon-Sat
and from Lakeline
to downtown on
Saturdays
Zipcar
Car sharing
service, range of
car sizes
$85 sign up fee
$10/hour or
$69/day

26. THANK YOU