SXSW announce speakers for upcoming meet ‘n’ greet sessions

Prospective SXSW attendees are set to receive information from some of the most knowledgeable folks out there, with 12 speakers being announced for a run of upcoming meet ‘n’ greet sessions.

Last month, South By Southwest revealed that they would be holding a series of meet ‘n’ greet sessions for those who find themselves interested in heading along to the annual conference.

Having kicked off back in 1987, SXSW have spent the last 30 years turning Austin, Texas into the place to be for artists, industry insiders, and music fans from around the world.

With a penchant for discovering some of the hottest new artists, future film staples, and technological advancements, SXSW has been responsible for some pretty amazing careers.

However, with so much said about the conference over the years, it can be difficult to sort the fact from the fiction, and the fluff from the focal. To combat this and make it easier for prospective attendees to get the info they need, the conference had announced a run of meet ‘n’ greet sessions.

Kicking off later this month, these sessions will hit up Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane, and will feature four SXSW veterans on hand to reveal tips, techniques, and secrets to navigating the conference for maximum results.

Appearing in panels moderated by SXSW Regional Development Manager Australasia – and 18 year veteran – Phil Tripp, the speakers for these upcoming sessions have been announced, and it’s a veritable “who’s who” of music media.

With more than 50 SXSW events between them, these speakers include the likes of Thought Police’s Ben Keenan in Melbourne, Gregg Donovan of Wonderlick Recording Company and Management in Sydney, and Tom Larkin of VVV Management in Brisbane.

Check out Gang Of Youths at SXSW 2018:

With applications for artist showcases, film screenings and PanelPicker speaking submissions opening on July 2nd, Phil Tripp notes that this month’s set of panels provide everyone who might be keen to attend with all of the information that they need in order to succeed at next year’s conference.

“It may seem early to launch a 2020 event now, but there’s a rush from canny bands, labels and managers to apply in the first month while SXSW reviewers and auditioners are fresh and have time to give attention to submissions as opposed to the deluge of latecomers submitting close to deadline late September when their ears are crisped and tired,” Tripp explains.

“Same with the aspirant speakers who race to get their props in early before the July 20 deadline in the hopes of scoring a complimentary all-access badge if their topic is greenlit. This series of seminars will address how to best submit.”

All of the SXSW seminars are free to attend, with no RSVP needed. Read on for more information about dates, locations and – of course – the speakers at each event.

The 2019 edition of SXSW saw a vast contingency of Aussie artists showing Texas how we do it down here, including Skegss, Amyl & The Sniffers, Tia Gostelow, WAAX, WAFIA, The Gooch Palms, and Angie McMahon, who took home the coveted Grulke Award for her amazing efforts.

Check out Sia performing at South By Southwest:

SXSW Meet ‘n’ Greet Gatherings

Free entry, no RSVP required

Melbourne

Monday, July 15th (5:30-8pm)
The Gem, Melbourne, VIC
289 Wellington St, Collingwood

Featuring:

Ron Anderson – Unicorn Group CEO, Australia House Co-Curator
Ben Keenan – Thought Police, Former Clemenger BBDO agency Creative Director
Trent Clews-De Castella – CEO Phoria immersive tech studio
Marcus Walkom – Senior Lawyer, Media Arts Lawyers

Sydney

Tuesday, July 16th (5:30-8pm)
Upstairs Beresford, Sydney, NSW
354 Bourke St, Surry Hills

Featuring:

Gregg Donovan – Co-Director Wonderlick Recording Company and Management
Justin Drape – Co-founder/CCO of Monkeys Agency,  Australia House Co-Curator
Tony Perna – Social Media Manager at Foxtel’s Lifestyle, former BBC Studios
Ron Anderson – Unicorn Group CEO, Australia House Co-Curator

Brisbane

Wednesday, July 17th (5:30-8pm)
Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane, QLD
312 Brunswick St, Fortitude Valley

Featuring:

Sue Swinburne – 7x SXSW veteran, Griffith Film School Lecturer, led Screen QLD official delegation in 2018-19
Tom Larkin – VVV Management and BIGSOUND Conference Programmer
Phil Brown – GM Strategic Partnerships at Nightlife Music
Jodie Hilton – Fashion label & branding strategist. Founder The New Garde, Uncommon Store

This article originally appeared on The Industry Observer, which is now part of The Music Network.