Over the last several years, SXSW has become one of the most noteworthy events for leaders in all industries to talk about how emerging, innovative technology could shape their work. That mindset — looking around the corner for what’s next — runs parallel to INK’s Be There Before™ methodology, so we always keep an eye out for opportunities to involve our clients in the event.
This year, we submitted a panel that includes current and previous INK clients, as well as organizations we’ve gotten to know over the last year and were accepted as a part of the Tech Industry track. With SXSW kicking off this week and many of us already thinking about how to get involved in the event next year, here are a few elements that shape a winning session.
Unearth the Right Topic, Not the Most Obvious One
Keeping a finger on the pulse of what’s happening in the B2B tech space is a part of the work we do every day. We track and monitor media coverage, newsletters, podcasts, social media conversations, and various forums, looking for anything that might present an opportunity or impact our clients and their work. This continual analysis gives our team insight into not just the stories being told but also those that aren’t.
When we set out to build our SXSW submission, nobody would’ve been surprised to hear that society and our experiences are becoming increasingly connected, from autonomous vehicles and smart homes to digital payments. Everybody was (and still is) talking about that. But, understanding how to make all of that connected technology secure and functional for consumers was routinely glazed over in industry conversations.
We saw an opening to talk about how important it is to standardize technology and highlight the unique role that brand-agnostic tech alliances play in shaping the future of connected technology. If we use a digital car key as an example, failing to standardize the technology has direct consumer implications. Imagine buying a new car and setting up the digital key feature on your iPhone. Everything works as it should until you want to share the key with your teenager who has an Android. If the digital key is not interoperable — meaning it won’t work with multiple device types securely and effectively — the benefit of that feature is almost completely gone. This hurts the consumer and the companies that want more people to use their technology to spur broader adoption. The only way to alleviate this issue is to develop a universal standard by which companies across the digital key ecosystem abide.
Regardless of the technology, no single company can do this alone. They either don’t have visibility into the entire supply chain or don’t want to collaborate with organizations they view as competitive. Through our work with many tech alliances over the years, we knew that they are the only type of organization that can span an entire product ecosystem and shape a technical standard.That’s when our SXSW submission was born.
When identifying an impactful, interesting session idea, pay attention to trends, but don’t get stuck in the echo chamber of just reinforcing them. Consider the fresher or antithetical perspective and how to tie that to the broader conversation.
Reach Across Your Network for Various Perspectives
SXSW considers multiple factors when selecting panels, including expertise, speaking experience, and diversity. Once we’d settled on the right topic, we discussed panelists with different backgrounds and perspectives. Some of the most interesting panels we’ve attended were those where not everyone entirely agreed, so we wanted to try to create that same discourse when possible.
INK has had the opportunity to work with several tech alliances in its 21 years, so we looked across our broader network to figure out which panelists would be the best fit. We engaged Alysia Johnson, President of the Car Connectivity Consortium and current INK client, and Mike McCamon, Executive Director of NFC Forum, former INK client, and multiple-time SXSW speaker. We also tapped Maureen Gallagher, VP of Marketing at the Wi-Fi Alliance, and Ana Lattibeaudiere, Executive Director of GlobalPlatform, who INK had the chance to get to know through other connections this past year. These panelists were all well-versed in technical standards, could speak to their implications, and had first-hand experience with how they were developed. But the key was they all view standards through a slightly different lens.
Most events, including SXSW, are very upfront about not accepting submissions that just promote a company or zero in on one point of view. When deciding who to submit as part of a panel, think about who you know, who you’ve crossed paths with, and who you admire or find intriguing to ensure the final group can hold a diverse and well-rounded conversation.
Amplify Widely Across Channels
Most events build their programming through a private selection process, but SXSW does things a bit differently by factoring in public interest. Every submission goes into what SXSW deems the PanelPicker,® which allows people to “browse proposals, leave comments, and vote for sessions they think would be a good fit for the event.” This means that how the session is promoted also factors into its success.
For our panel, we again looked to our network to help increase interest in the session. We shared the link to vote on INK’s social channels and tagged all the participating organizations to expand the reach of our posts. We also worked with the panelists’ organizations to share the news on their respective social channels and in the newsletters they sent members. This was another reason we were excited to put forth a session on tech alliances — member organizations like to support fellow members’ work, so they were eager to join in on the voting.
Community voting only accounts for 30% of the selection criteria. Having a strong, timely topic to lean on still matters most, but external and internal communications are powerful tools.
Learn and Look Ahead
Getting a panel selected for SXSW is a balancing act. Building the session requires finding the right mix of relevancy, impact, diversity of perspectives, and expertise. Generating interest requires a quick turn amplification strategy and a solid network. But even with the legwork to get there, there are few more impactful or exciting ways to build a thought leader’s profile than at a major industry event.
As an Austin-based company, we’re thrilled to be part of SXSW this year and to get the chance to explore what’s driving conversations across both the energy and B2B tech landscapes. You can read more on our panel, “Collaboration: The Conduit to Our Connected Future,” on the SXSW schedule.
