SXSW comes to Sydney in October 2023!

It has recently been announced that the world-renowned tech conference, SXSW will be expanding to Australia and Asia Pacific in 2023, being held in the home city of our Australia office, Sydney! 

This is a great development for the southern hemisphere, with hopes it will aid the advancement of Sydney’s tech industry. In recent years, NSW has upped technology funding within Sydney in the hope to rival the likes of Silicon Valley, and become a world-class tech hub.

At UX Connections, we acknowledge the importance of tech conferences for inspiring our consultants through world-leading technologies, listening to leading industry professionals, and networking with like-minded individuals. This is why we attended SXSW earlier this year in Texas where we saw the likes of Sarah Bond, Khoi Vinh, and Reggie Fils-Aimé (read our review here). If you’re wondering what you can expect at SXSW, we’ve summarised the SXSW vibe below.

Exciting attractions

There is a huge range of impressive attractions at the conference, which comes second to none. Unlike other tech conferences, SXSW refuses to be constrained to repetitive, overused attractions. At SXSW we were able to walk straight out of an in-depth, hour-long talk discussing groundbreaking medical research, and straight into a light-hearted, comical Q&A with the cast of a new Netflix series! Between these talks and events, there was always an exhibitor attraction to fill your time. Not to be forgotten were the communal breakfasts, which allow for the opportunity to network with other attendees over a bloody mary! Or, we could visit the exhibits put on by leading brands that showcased bespoke Porsches, classic Batman costumes, and even Banksy originals. If we got hungry, we headed over to Doodle’s immersive multi-sensory experience to grab some noodles, and even a free manicure!

Diverse attendees

Due to the broad range of conference attractions, SXSW attracts a diverse audience of attendees from all over the world. People from a multitude of industries make the journey there, whether it be: film, media, wellness, art, science, automotive, financial, health and safety, law, and most importantly, tech! It brings together people whose paths would otherwise never cross, allowing them to discover their similarities and offer refreshing perspectives.

More than just the conference

Whilst Austin City is littered with SXSW attendees, the conference evokes excitement for the local people, and entices others into the city to experience the vibrant vibe. In the evenings, there are live performances, great food options, and the nightlife comes alive. It’s a wonderful conference which allows attendees to access industry-leading content, whilst immersing themselves and experiencing the city! The slogan of the city says ‘Keep Austin Weird’, and this incredible conference certainly helps, bringing people from all over the world into one shared space.

We can’t wait to see how Sydney will bring a new, fresh perspective to the SXSW conference! Currently, there is very limited information on what will be included and who will be there, but our own experience in Austin assures us that it won’t be one to miss!

Look out for more of our Sydney SXSW blog posts, giving advice on what to do, where to stay, and who will be there!