We’re here in Austin blogging our first day of SXSW Interactive festival. And what a whirlwind it has been! As soon as we arrived at the Convention Center, we could feel the energy and electricity pulsating through the entire space. (Either that or it was the actual cords we had to navigate between to find our ultimate destination). Nevertheless, it’s obvious that everyone here means serious business and has some serious business to conduct. (Below: no SXSW trip would be complete without a selfie!)
Another noted point is that no one here is in a hurry. Between picking up badges and heading to the official Agency Entourage #DallasOnTheMap happy hour, Hayley and I gave ourselves enough time to explore W 2nd St and mosey in and out of shops. Part of Austin is the culture, so you would be doing yourself a disservice if you don’t build some exploration time into your days here.
This brings me to the AE Happy Hour at La Condesa. Happy it was. After settling in and ordering some of their famous margaritas, Jennifer and Ashley from Canonball Creative, AE members and some of our new friends shared in the excitement and anticipation of the festival and days to come. Our principal, Ben Randolph, met some friends hailing all the way from the UK and Ireland which really added to the mix. It was the perfect way to put #DallasOnTheMap from the get go.
What do they say? Plan your days rigorously and leave nights open to chance? That we did. Like I said, Austin is one of the friendliest cities I have ever been to and after the happy hour we made our way to a late dinner. The waiters so graciously seated our large party outside as to accomodate us and we indulged in some crafty and creative hot dogs at the aptly named restaurant, Frank. It was more of a blessing in disguise that we were seated outdoors because it gave us the benefit of conversing with other conference attendees who passed our table – including some familiar faces from Dallas and one aspiring film producer! Everyone here truly has a story to share.
This is only the beginning, though, and if yesterday is any indication – there’s a lot more in store where that came from.
Share this blog and join me in putting #DallasOnTheMap!
