South by Southwest (SXSW) Conferences and Festivals are now accepting programming proposals for the 2016 event with the launch of the popular PanelPicker. The PanelPicker interface is an online tool that allows the SXSW community to have a significant voice in programming Music, Film and Interactive conference activities through an open proposal and voting process. SXSW 2016 takes place March 11 – 20, 2016 in Austin, Texas.
PanelPicker is a two-step online system. Step One encourages the community to submit proposals for daytime conference programming at SXSW at http://panelpicker.sxsw.com beginning Monday, June 29, 2015 through Friday, July 24, 2015. Each individual account holder is permitted to submit one idea per Conference. Step Two allows the community to browse all of these ideas and rate which of these proposals they think are the best fit for the March events. Community voting begins Monday, August 10, 2015 and will continue through Friday, September 4, 2015. Votes from the community, along with feedback from SXSW Advisory Boards and the SXSW staff, will help determine programming for the 2016 event. Additional information including themes, presentation formats, and the user-generated tags feature built in to PanelPicker can be found at http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/faq. The first round of confirmed programming for all three conferences will be released in October 2015.
SXSW Music (March 15-20, 2016) is interested in the future of the music industry: insight on innovations, trends, well-researched predictions, and thoughtful advice and guidance to further careers. Attendees want to know about expanding the market for musical performance and recordings on an individual and collective level. The best ideas are based on speakers’ direct experience, and showcase their specialties. Proposals for specifically-focused panels or solo/dual presentations are welcome.
SXSW Film (March 11-19, 2016) is interested in focused case studies as well as developments in distribution, production, and audience building. Nuts and bolts educational workshops along with engaging Meet Ups for networking are also welcome. Entries for the Digital Domain program which addresses advancements in storytelling via multiple platforms, and creativity in digital environments are also encouraged. Like SXSW Interactive and Music Festivals, SXSW Film champions diversity and welcomes both specifically-focused panels or solo/dual presentations.
SXSW Interactive (March 11-15, 2016) is seeking advanced-level, thought provoking and creative ideas that will help push industries to innovate for the future.We will also continue our trend of increasing the number of solo, dual and instructional workshop programming that we accept, in lieu of panel sessions. We are excited to expand our programming to include more topics on health, government and policy, privacy and security, as well as specialty tracks including fashion, food and sports. SXSW Interactive is positioned at the forefront of creativity, so the more inventive the idea, the better. SXSW Interactive celebrates diversity in all its forms, which means diversity of opinions, genders, ethnicities, etc.
Some of the most unique elements of SXSW lie within the Convergent areas of our events, where programming topics organically envelop more than one featured industry. Convergence programming is accessible to more than one type of badge, as a bonus learning and networking opportunity. To submit proposals for convergence programming, ideas should be entered into the Film PanelPicker, Interactive PanelPicker, or Music PanelPicker.
In addition to submitting proposals for SXSW Conferences via PanelPicker, there are many ways to participate in SXSW 2016.
SXSW Music Festival will accept Artist Applications through Sonicbids starting June 29 thru October 24, 2015. Apply early for a discounted rate. For more information visit sxsw.com/music/festival/apply.
SXSW Film Festival will accept Feature Film, Short Film & Music Video Submissions from June 29 – November 3, 2015. Submit early for the early bird rate, and for more information visit sxsw.com/film/festival/submit.
Also starting August 3, SXSW Interactive will accept entries for the best digital creative work for the SXSW Interactive Innovation Awards, video game projects for the SXSW Gaming Awards and innovative startups for the SXSW Accelerator competition. The final deadline for all is November 6, 2015. Details can be found at sxsw.com/interactive/awards.
The South by Southwest® (SXSW®) Conferences & Festivals offer the unique industry convergence of music, film, and emerging technologies. Fostering creative and professional growth, SXSW is the premier destination for discovery. The event is a launch pad for innovative content with new media presentations, music showcases and film screenings providing exposure for creators and compelling entertainment for attendees. Registration and hotel reservations for the 2016 event will open on August 3, 2016. For more information, please visit http://sxsw.com.
