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, schooling, 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 varied 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 so much over that point interval … However what hasn’t modified is our deal with creativity.”
Let‘s dive into a few of Hugh’s prime ideas for injecting creativity into any occasion planning course of. All in favour of listening to the total interview? Test it out on the Hustle Daily show.
Tips on how to Inject Creativity Into Your Subsequent Excessive-Attendance Occasion
1. Permit creatives to study from different creatives.
One of many greatest advantages of large-scale occasions is the chance to community with professionals outdoors of your vertical.
As a marketer, I‘m not all the time fascinated by studying from different entrepreneurs. Generally, I’ve discovered essentially 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 study from one another. In the event you’re a musician, you may study so much from connecting with different musicians … However you may study 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 will likely be troublesome to foster the kind of collaboration and creativity that your attendees crave. As an alternative, take into account the way you may merge seemingly-opposite teams of execs to work together and study from one another.
2. Keep targeted 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 completely targeted 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. Finally, Forrest has found one important element of long-term success within the occasion business: Keep on-top of what issues to your viewers, and discover methods to pivot when applicable.
Click on right here to hearken to the full podcast episode 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 deal with huge creativity in all its many varieties.”
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, preserve your group on the forefront.
AI is a trending matter proper now, however are you positive your group cares about it? Or are they extra fascinated by studying develop their TikTok following? Leaning into the content material that applies to your group will likely be key to creating a satisfying and high-attended occasion.
3. AI is more and more essential … 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 rejoice 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 various concepts collectively in a metropolis that has all the time cultivated and celebrated creativity — in a time of yr when you’ve 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 trend proper now. However essentially the most compelling motive folks buy tickets to conferences and occasions is the in-person providing. With 65% of workers preferring a completely remote setup, face-to-face interactions are uncommon.
When given the prospect, folks wish to bounce on the chance to attach in-person.
So, whereas it may be tempting (and cost-effective) to create a completely digital occasion, you may wish to take into account providing attendees the chance to interact in actual life — even when that simply means an optionally available meet-and-greet after the principle 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.”
