5 Ways to Make Connections at SXSW

South By Southwest ( SXSW ) is a week of awesome parties, concerts, tech, and expos. If you play your cards right, it can also be a week of creating life-long connections and relationships in an array of industries. If you’re going to SXSW for the first time or you’re looking to take a break from the adrenaline of watching back-to-back concerts, I recommend taking some time out of your schedule to establish valuable connections. SXSW is in a great location because Austin is a diverse city with dozens of start-ups in different niches sprouting up every month. The city is also filled with investors eager to invest in innovative ideas. So whether you are looking for work or you’re looking for funding or to create the next big thing, you’ll be in the right place. I’m done hemming and hawing over how great Austin is, so now for the important stuff. In this next section, we’ll look at five great opportunities to expand your network. Be sure to bring an ample amount of business cards or other accessible contact information (such as your LinkedIn profile) to make sure you cement your relationships.

Check out the official SXSW Trade Show: There are going to be hundreds of businesses and startups looking to show off their wares and services.
Need a job, or wanting something more? Check out the SXSW Job Market. The SXSW Job Market always has a ton of tech and media companies looking for new hires. You’ll be in the perfect place to determine your next step in the job market.2016 edit: You can see a list of employers here. Amongst them are Dell, Magento, Netflix, and Apple.
Learn something new and meet people in the process: Join some of the SXSW Workshops! Although these require badges, we highly recommend getting a badge anyway since you’ll have more access to fantastic live shows and other experiences. SXSW has workshops for both its Film and Tech categories, while it also has Meet Ups for its Music category.
Here’s a no-brainer- Talk to people at the shows, bars, and parties you attend! You really never know if the stranger sitting next to you is an angel investor or someone with a killer idea until you strike up a conversation with them. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Despite the obviousness, I’ve seen too many people at bars with their eyes on their phone ignoring the latent opportunities around them.
Look into industry meetups: With people from all over the globe meeting in one place, there’s bound to be people looking to connect with other people in their fields. But don’t just connect in your particular industry! Do your best to look into other industries that interest you or could become connected to your industry in your future.

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New iPhone Check-in App Update

If you have an iOS device and want to process lines faster, the new version of Ticketbud’s check-in app is perfect for you!

After working closely with event organizers, our new app is designed to fulfill all of your needs as an event organizer and your attendees will thank you. Never again will you have to worry about the line being held up. And best of all, this app is completely free for you to use.

Awesome New Features:

List of All Events When you first open up the Ticketbud app, you’ll be prompted to log in- the username and password are the same as your Ticketbud login info.

Right when you log in, you’ll be able to see a list of all the events that you’re currently running. When you tap on a certain event, you’ll get access to a whole host of rich data such as your gross sales, sales by ticket type, and the attendee list for that particular event. You’ll also be able to check in attendees from your list or scan tickets, which brings us to our next awesome feature:

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="274"] Ticketbud iPhone App Event Photo

See a list of all your events[/caption]

Check in by name, or scan ticket QR codes: In order to scan a ticket’s QR code, all you need to do is tap the “scan tickets” button, which then utilizes your device’s camera to view and process the code. You’ll then be notified one of two ways: Ticket Validated, or, if the ticket is unrecognized or already used, Ticket Invalidated. Ticket scanning is one of the easiest, fastest, and best ways to keep those lines moving.

The coolest part of the QR ticket scanning is that it doesn’t even have to be a physical ticket- our ticket scanning feature also allows you to check in attendees tickets right from their phone.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="275"] Ticketbud event page for ticket scanning

Rich data and easy-to-use interface for events[/caption]

If you’re not using physical tickets, you can also check in by name. All you have to do is use the Attendee List feature, which gives you a search feature that allows you to check in guests by tapping a button next to their name. You don’t need to have physical features for this to work.

Mobile Scanning and Multiple Devices Did we happen to mention that you can even further avoid bottlenecks in lines by having multiple devices with the Ticketbud app at your gate, thus allowing you to check in tickets at the same time? You’ll love that and the fact that the app works seamlessly across multiple devices. It’s just another reason why Ticketbud is known for being obsessive about helping organizers succeed.

Note that as of writing, the Ticketbud app is only for event organizers. Don’t despair if you’re not a Ticketbud organizer, however- we have something in the works for you as well!

If you’re an organizer (or attendee) and you have feedback for our new app, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We’re here to make your event as seamless as possible. As always, Ticketbud is here to help you take control of your event.

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