SXSW Interactive 2016 gets under way tomorrow and I find myself once again perched on the edge of downtown Austin awaiting the adventures that will unfold over the next few days.
When I left Austin last March the mood was mixed. On the one hand, an entirely new social platform emerged. Meerkat and its Twitter-owned companion Periscope launched here (essentially) and during the past year Periscope (sorry, Meerkat) has emerged as a mature social video environment. Such innovation was a breath of fresh air, reminiscent of SXSW Interactives of years past. On the other hand, a fog from a very heavy-handed SXSW 2014 still hung over Austin with clashes over impending government regulation and the genuine possibility of a less-than-open Internet due to corporate concerns about security. These themes seemed to stifle the spirit of innovation characteristic of SXSW Interactive.
The past year has sustained this mixed mood. The FCC shifted the regulatory environment, placing Internet access under the same rules that have governed telephone lines for decades. This shift promises a future with an open Internet, keeping the spirit of technological discovery and innovation available to more than just corporate interests. Yet, the seemingly endless stream of stories about cyberattacks at the federal level and a rash of information breaches throughout the year that exposed the personal information of government employees, taxpayers and consumers present a continuing threat to the Internet environment that has inspired creativity and economic opportunity.
How will SXSW Interactive 2016 speak the continuing tension between innovation and regulation? I find the inclusion of Barack Obama as a keynote speaker on the opening day of interest. The first sitting President to address the SXSW Interactive crowd will talk about technology and innovation. Will his mood be balanced? Will he spur on the innovators? Or will he lean to the side of security and a stronger regulatory climate? We will see. Well, those fortunate enough to be with the President face-to-face in the Long Center will see. I’ll take in the simulcast version in Ballroom D of the Austin Convention Center. Regardless of venue, I’m curious about what he will have to say, particularly as he closes out his time in office.
Perusing the rest of the schedule, there are tracks about regulation, cybersecurity, creating innovative business cultures, developing maker spaces, discerning future tech, social and marketing trends, re-embracing analog, gender equity in the marketplace, big data, visualizing all of that data, and even sports. Yes, SXSW is broad enough to infuse sports into the mix. Seeing all of these threads scrambled across over 900 sessions doesn’t help me see the way clear through to how SXSW Interactive 2016 will address any of these concerns, but it does bring back that deep sense of anticipation that seems to greet me in Austin each year.
So, here we go, Austin. Let’s do this. Take us all once again to the bleeding edge where technology, marketing, media and the culture at large meet and let’s see what possibilities we can imagine and how far we can take them!
If you are here for SXSW Interactive 2016, what are you most looking forward to seeing and learning? If you cannot be here, what is your take on the tension between an open Internet versus the imposition of regulations designed to restrict access for the sake of security?