SXSW, the annual conference focused on the latest and greatest in music, film, and technology, is descending upon the city of Austin faster than you can say “where’s the afterparty?” Are you ready for it? We find that even taking a cursory glance at the list of panels available to South By attendees can be overwhelming—there’s a ton of them!
Allow us to alleviate some of the pre-conference stress by sharing a few of the panels we’re planning to hit up during SXSW Interactive and the places where you can find WP Engine staffers sharing their thoughts and ideas with attendees.
Where can I find WP Engine during SXSW?
First thing’s first, let’s talk about how WP Engine is giving everyone at SXSW Interactive a head start on building their personal brands by providing free professional headshots to anyone who wants one. We’re urging attendees to “Face Forward,” as in face forward to your future success and build your brand. Please help us be a part of your success by stopping by the WP Engine booth (No. 328) at the Interactive trade show between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m throughout the conference.
There’s nothing like a huge party to launch a tech conference. That’s why we’re heading to the 2015 Pre-SXSW Startup Crawl. This event features more than 50 Austin startups putting their work on display and looking for new talent. Bring a resume and grab a beer! We’ll see you at the Capital Factory on Thursday, March 12 between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m.
WP Engine founder and CTO Jason Cohen will help entrepreneurs find the correct approach to launching their second or even third startup during the panel discussion “Unicorn #2: How Entrepreneurs Choose the Next Idea” on Friday, March 13 from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Hilton.
Join WP Engine Labs Senior Director Tomás Puig and R/GA Executive Creative Director Paul Dery for a four-hour workshop on how to lay the marketing foundation your startup needs for success. There’s limited space for this one, so visit the landing page for “Adv. Brand and Marketing for Early Stage Companies” and reserve your spot now. The workshop is Saturday, March 14 from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the JW Marriott.
WP Engine CEO Heather Brunner will share lessons learned during her time at Austin tech trailblazer Trilogy in “Trilogy: A Killer Network Can Transform Your Town.” If you’re interested in a discussion about how your company can grow a talent base and inspire entrepreneurial thinking, this is the panel for you. Check out the panel Sunday, March 15 from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at the Hilton.
Our director of engineering, RC Johnson, is hosting a panel on how to build a crack team of software engineers and (here’s the tricky bit) keep them! Attend “We Hired a Dev! How Do I Get More and Keep Them” on Tuesday, March 17 from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the JW Marriott.
Want to get in touch with WP Engine during SXSW? Maybe you’d like to meet the team or find out about how you can join our staff. Maybe you just want to say hello. Whatever you want to talk to us about, the best way to do it is to email [email protected].
Where can I learn more about WordPress at SXSW?
Simple Labs Edupreneur and Comic Writer Nate Cooper wants to teach you how to build a WordPress site via the power of sequential art. He’ll read from his comic book, Build Your Own Website during a short SXSW panel on Friday, March 13 from 5:30 p.m. to 5:50 p.m. A book signing follows.
WordPress Developer and Automattic Founder and CEO, Matt Mullenweg (and a surprise special guest to be announced later) will share insights about open source and the creative process involved in making software in “A New Generation: Creativity and Open Source” on Sunday, March 15 from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the JW Marriott.
Where can I find out more about open source at SXSW?
Watsi Technical Co-Founder Jesse Cooke and Stephanie Geerlings of Cloud City Development will espouse their plans for a future in which everyone develops open source software for the good of humanity. Join the revolution during “Creating the Open Source Society” on Saturday, March 14 from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the JW Marriott.
Those with Android or IOS experience who’d like to put some maps in their apps should check out “Building Location-Aware Apps Using Open Source.” This four-hour workshop promises to highlight “why an ecosystem rich with open development, data, and processes is vital for geo-location to thrive in the mobile age.” You can learn more during the workshop on Saturday, March 14 from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the JW Marriott.
Those are just some of the highlights for what is sure to be an intense SXSW Interactive. We’re excited to see you at the show. And don’t forget, swing by the WP Engine booth (No. 328) and face forward (#faceforward).
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