One of the many advantages of creating a South by Southwest (SXSW) unofficial guide based on my experiences of the event is understanding the audience that attends SXSW.

Just by tweeting and sharing the hashtags tied to the conference along with useful content, I spark conversations with individuals who are outside my network. The fact that they are seeking tips to enhance their SXSW experience or looking at who will be there, facilitates connections even before I get to Austin.

My 4th time going to SXSW

My first experience of SXSW was in 2011. That first year, I had the opportunity to meet new people and nurture relationships with great humans like AJ Leon whom I know consider a friend. I had met A.J. Leon at other conferences like the first and only Twitter Developer Conference.

Seeing A.J. at different events in the country, created a bond and helped me understand we had things in common based on our lifestyles. I would have never guessed that we were Big 4 CPA Firm alumni. Fast forward to 2014, I am going up to Fargo, ND to be part of a unique conference created by him and his lovely wife Melissa.

Meeting New People

Meeting new people gives me the opportunity to see things from a different perspective and think outside of my comfort zone.

If you pay close attention to your surroundings and those you converse with, you will do a better job identifying each person’s talents.  Many around you are changing their communities, industries, and the world as we know it. Don’t be afraid to spark a conversation.

People over Technologies

There is nothing better than meeting the person that created a new technology, application, or process of doing something that is useful to global communities. Sure it is cool to use the technologies, but to actually be able to talk to the creative behind it is priceless.

Just by hanging out in a restaurant line, lounging at what was the bloggers lounge, or meeting up with an old friend, you get access to new people, new ideas, and new ways of doing things.

Nurturing those relationships

Something that comes natural to me is nurturing relationships once I see a connection with the person. I start connecting early, like other years, I already have a list of people I want to meet that I have met through the guide I created and information shared on the multiple social platforms.

We can Coach you

We teach our clients and business partners these same methods and coach them on nurturing relationships.  This will increase the reach of your networks and more importantly get your closer to identifying opportunities that can eventually translate into new business opportunities.

No matter if you’re a small business owner or the CEO of a large corporation, next time you go to a conference like SXSW think of how to connect with people outside your networks and keep the conversation going after the conference.

If you need help our ideas we do offer some executive mentoring packages just contact us directly.