SXSW Sydney Opens Ideas Forum, Names First Partners

SXSW Sydney wants your thoughts.

The conference and showcase extravaganza opens the lines of communication with the best and brightest creatives, and names the first two partners for its debut event.

Today (Dec. 8), organisers pull the virtual gates on Session Select, a platform where “professionals, experts and inspired thinkers from around the world” can enter ideas which would shape the 2023 conference program.

The digital hub will take submissions until Feb. 14, after which time the voting results will be entered into the pot with input and advice from SXSW Sydney’s independent industry advisory boards and official programming teams.

When all the work is done, the final content line-up for the 2023 conference will be revealed.

“Sydney’s diversity makes it the perfect incubator for creativity and we’re lucky that so many artists, creative thinkers and innovative businesses call it home,” comments Colin Daniels, managing director of SXSW Sydney.

When SXSW Sydney heads to Australia next October for the first time, the event “will place a global spotlight on our region’s creative community, highlighting the incredible ideas, sounds and skills found in Sydney and the Asia-Pacific,” he continues, “and the best part is that with our range of event formats and Session Select platform, anyone can be involved.”

The head of conference programming at SXSW Sydney is Fenella Kernebone, an experienced journalist and producer who served with TEDxSydney as head of curation for five years.

“With SXSW Sydney Session Select, we are looking for brilliant ideas and speakers with the most relevant, timely, forward-thinking and future-focused ideas to share,” says Kernebone.

“This is a unique opportunity to showcase your creativity and to critically engage with audiences in your industry and beyond. We cannot wait to hear from the SXSW Sydney community.”

Colin Daniels

The SXSW Sydney team is taking shape.

Warner Music veteran Simon Cahill joins as head of marketing and commercial partnerships, and, as previously reported, Bossy Music founder Claire Collins is named head of music.

Announced late June, the industry gathering and live music smorgasbord will take place Oct. 15-22 in Australia’s most populous city – the first time SXSW has stepped out of the U.S.

Also announced today, University of Technology Sydney (UTS) and Young Henrys are SXSW Sydney’s first partners, and event producers confirm that applications to participate at SXSW Sydney Music Festival and SXSW Sydney Screen Festival will open on Jan. 18, 2023. 

SXSW Sydney is a collaboration between TEG and the NSW Government’s events and tourism arm Destination NSW.

Mark your diaries and visit sxswsydney.com and Session Select for more.