Issue link: https://sxsw.uberflip.com/i/795237
SXSW GUIDEBOOK 2017 5 INTRODUCTION WELCOME March 2017 Since our first SXSW in 1987, our primary mission has been to help creative people achieve their goals. In year one, we showcased 177 mostly indie bands for a small, but enthusiastic, music industry crowd, and we were able to shine a light on promising artists in a relatively intimate setting. All of you will attend a very different SXSW in 2017. While we're still here to help creative people achieve their goals, attendees now come from all over the world—voices from diverse professions in film, technology, and music. And now more than ever, SXSW is here for you as a platform for discovery and identifying solutions that will help us navigate the current state of the union. At any given moment, you'll find dozens of options. No two people will have the same journey, but we guarantee that you will return home having discovered something unexpected. Many lives will be changed in large and small ways. It's best to start with a plan, but prepare to improvise. There are many ways to learn about the choices available. Information is shared by word of mouth, via our SXSW® GO mobile app or the sxsw.com website, through social media, and (even in 2017) through print publications like this. This guidebook will help you navigate the event using information about the basics of SXSW. Individual pocket guides with detailed schedules and specifics of SXSW programming, including the conference sessions and Interactive, Film, Music and Comedy festivals, are also available. With these tools at hand, we trust you'll find plenty to see and do and hear. Here's wishing you a good event and a great start towards achieving your SXSW 2017 goals. Roland Swenson CEO/Co-Founder SXSW