Based in 1987 in Austin, Texas, South by Southwest (SXSW) is an annual convention that brings collectively greater than 300,000 professionals within the movie, TV, music, training, and tech industries.
In 2024 alone, featured audio system embrace embrace Jane Fonda, Dwyane Wade, Alex Cooper, and Daisy Ridley.
All of which is to say: It‘s an enormous occasion centered round numerous inventive verticals. So who higher to talk on creativity than SXSW’s Co-President, Hugh Forrest?
As Forrest places it, “Our north star has all the time been creativity. I have been with the occasion for over 30 years, and the occasion has modified loads over that point interval … However what hasn’t modified is our concentrate on creativity.”
Let‘s dive into a few of Hugh’s high ideas for injecting creativity into any occasion planning course of. Excited by listening to the complete interview? Test it out on the Hustle Each day present.
The best way to Inject Creativity Into Your Subsequent Excessive-Attendance Occasion
1. Enable creatives to be taught from different creatives.
One of many largest advantages of large-scale occasions is the chance to community with professionals exterior of your vertical.
As a marketer, I‘m not all the time fascinated by studying from different entrepreneurs. Typically, I’ve discovered probably the most inspiration in conversations with script-writers, educators, or social media creators.
Hugh Forrest believes wholeheartedly within the energy of interdisciplinary networking.
He says, “Particularly, we have seen how completely different sorts of inventive folks can be taught from one another. When you’re a musician, you’ll be able to be taught loads from connecting with different musicians … However you’ll be able to be taught much more from connecting with an innovator within the meals house, or an athlete, or somebody who’s doing a tech startup.”
In case your occasion is overly-siloed, it is going to be tough to foster the kind of collaboration and creativity that your attendees crave. As a substitute, think about the way you would possibly merge seemingly-opposite teams of pros to work together and be taught from one another.
2. Keep centered in your group and what issues to them.
Forrest says that SXSW has all the time mirrored the creativity in Austin, Texas.
When SXSW first started in 1987, they fully centered on music — after which, in 1994 when Austin grew to become a burgeoning movie scene, SXSW tailored and added movie and multimedia.
Extra lately, when the College of Texas added a medical faculty, SXSW launched well being and medical know-how into their content material lineup.
As Austin expands and shifts its pursuits, so does SXSW. In the end, Forrest has found one vital element of long-term success within the occasion trade: Keep on-top of what issues to your viewers, and discover methods to pivot when acceptable.
Click on right here to hearken to the full podcast episode right here.
As he places it, “I imply, if we’re related, if we’re compelling, if we’re enhancing, a lot of that’s as a result of we’re very in contact with our group or the assorted communities we serve—whether or not that is bands and filmmakers for the movie and TV competition, or entrepreneurs, innovators, and creators. The occasion has thrived for 35 years due to this concentrate on large creativity in all its many types.”
He provides, “If Austin continues to push into AI and turns into this world heart for AI innovation, we’ll push much more into AI at South by Southwest. If Austin turns into the sneaker capital of the world, then we’ll see much more sneaker stuff in Austin.”
Equally, when you think about testing out new content material at your subsequent occasion, hold your group on the forefront.
AI is a trending subject proper now, however are you positive your group cares about it? Or are they extra fascinated by studying the best way to develop their TikTok following? Leaning into the content material that applies to your group can be key to creating a satisfying and high-attended occasion.
3. AI is more and more vital … however do not under-appreciate the face-to-face element that lets creativity shine.
“One of many themes that we all the time rediscover at SXSW is on the one hand, we’re an occasion about know-how and have fun new methods for folks to attach,” Forrest says.
He provides, “However then again, a very powerful know-how is face-to-face interplay. And that hasn’t modified. Bringing folks with numerous concepts collectively in a metropolis that has all the time cultivated and celebrated creativity — in a time of yr when you have got the manifestation of rebirth and creativity (i.e. springtime) — has turned out to be a really sturdy formulation for good issues to occur.”
AI is all the fashion proper now. However probably the most compelling purpose folks buy tickets to conferences and occasions is the in-person providing. With 65% of staff preferring a totally distant setup, face-to-face interactions are uncommon.
When given the possibility, folks need to leap on the chance to attach in-person.
So, whereas it may be tempting (and cost-effective) to create a wholly digital occasion, you would possibly need to think about providing attendees the chance to interact in actual life — even when that simply means an non-compulsory meet-and-greet after the primary occasion.
As Forrest places it, “Creativity is what makes us human. And in 2024, as we see increasingly machines taking on, we actually must lean into our humanity.”
