4 SXSW marketing events you can't miss

SXSW in Austin, Texas starts next week, and whatever your role in the industry, there’s something you need to see. Here are our top four events, with a focus on tech, design, and digital:

1. Startup Spotlight

The event for Startup Spotlight says: “Twenty emerging startups. Open bar. Check it out.” OK WE’RE THERE! (No seriously, it’s important you go).

2. Big Data and Artificial Intelligence 

Explored by a panel led by Ganesh Bell, chief digital officer at GE, the session will help audience members understand if Big Data will fuel the growth of A.I. or if A.I. will be the key to unlocking Big Data.

3. Why Should I Wear This? 

Wearables! “This workshop will take a human-centered design approach to evaluating and crafting value propositions, and then translating them into physical and digital prototypes. We will use the framework of context (the user and their environment), capability (technical features, types of data), and change (the behavior to modify) to rapidly define, iterate and test new wearable concepts.”

4. Design in Tech Report

“The hallmark of today’s most beloved technology products and services is a tangible balance of design and engineering that perfectly blends form and function. Whether it’s an innovative thermostat like Nest, a novel digital magazine like Flipboard or a new payment system like Square, design has emerged as an essential component in both consumer and enterprise technology products and as a sought-after discipline at tech startups.”  As former head of the MIT Media Lab and president of Rhode Island School of Design, and now partner at venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, John Maeda knows a thing or two about design. A must-see.