SXSW for Beginners

© SkyHigh Photography

Attending South by Southwest is an experience like no other. The three fests under the SXSW umbrella – Interactive, Film and Music – each hold conferences, panels, and networking opportunities between March 12-21. Theaters all over Austin screen festival films. Austin's downtown transforms into a landscape of music venues, with parking lot and backyard shows springing up like weeds in a garden. There are more parties than you can shake a stick at. At any given moment, there are dozens of fun things to do.

For first-time attendees, SXSW can seem wholly overwhelming. The official site even acknowledges this by offering information to “help you unravel the ball of yarn” that is the festival. After consulting with an panel of past attendees, we’ve compiled a list of the five most important things for a SXSW newbie to know.

1. Dress appropriately.

Don’t bring a ton of stuff. Wear pants that don’t chafe and comfortable shoes. After 11 days of waiting in line for films and running around downtown to attend back-to-back concerts, you’ll be thankful you did. Also, sunscreen is your friend. So are earplugs. Miniskirts and stilettos? Not so much.

2. Be flexible.

Do your homework before the festival starts. Make plans. Make backup plans. Make backup backup plans. Schedule at least 2 or 3 things for every time slot or you'll find yourself unable to get into where you most wanted to be. Plans change fast in the craziness of SXSW. Wherever you want to be, get there earlier than you think you need to.

3. Be prepared to be disappointed.

Like any festival, there will be times when you miss something you really wanted to see. There will be times you and your friends disagree over where to go next. And, because SXSW is all about discovery, there will be cool shows or movies you miss because you instead attended shows that sucked.

“Every year, I seem to be disappointed about my SXSW experience about 75% of the time, and the other 25% is so damn awesome that it way more than makes up for the bad parts,” said Jason Cohen, a five-time attendee. “Soldier on through the disappointments and don't let it stop you from enjoying all the good.”

4. Figure out how to do it on a budget.

If you volunteer, you get a free badge, which gives you priority entrance to events, shows, movies, parties, panels, and more. If you’re badge-and-wristband-less, just pay attention. You may not make it into a venue at night, but most showcasing bands have cheap day shows. Spend your money wisely. Pay for music or films, not for drinks. (If you know where to look, free drinks will be everywhere.) RSVP to all the parties you can. Listen closely when a friend of a friend tells you about something cool.

5. Be open to the experience and have a good time.

Jump in feet-first. Explore. Experiment. Enjoy. It's South by Southwest, after all. You're lucky to be there.