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Another South by Southwest has come and gone, with this year’s show assuming a non-traditional format. Without a convention center in the mix, the show was spread throughout hotels and other spaces in downtown Austin. This ended up being a good thing and a bad thing.
These and other takeaways were tossed around by Hopscotch Interactive’s Emily Olman and CircleClick’s Anne Ahola Ward. In fact, this was Ward’s 20th SXSW. Her advice from that two-decade run: change is the only constant at SXSW. Expect every year to be different.
As for favorites, Olman and Ward were big fans of countries that sent delegations. Standouts included Germany and Finland (Ward’s lineage), whose Lakeland city of Tampere showcased the latest sauna technologies. “This is soft diplomacy,” said Olman, “and it’s good for business.”
Showcasing Spatial
As for XR elements, South by Southwest hosted its standard XR Showcase – the tenth annual running. This included several immersive and lengthy experiences. In fact, to experience all of the available XR experiences on display would take you about 15 hours, said Olman.
What stood out most? Ward and Olman point to Snap’s Jonathan Yeo activation. Using Spectacles, users could experience immersive renditions of his art – which was appreciated for not only its creativity and interactivity, but the fact that it was approachable and snackable.
Other XR standouts include Crafting Crimes, Lost Love Hotline, Reality Looks Back, and The Baby Factory is Closed. To get a sense of these experiences, get the full color from Ward and Olman in their debrief below. And stay tuned for more event coverage and insights from Olman.
Header image credit: Ryan Duffy on Unsplash