Global Community Meets in Austin to Exploit Convergence Opportunities at SXSW 2010

AUSTIN, Texas, Nov. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- The South by Southwest (SXSW) Conferences & Festivals offer a unique convergence of original music, independent films, and emerging technologies. Fostering creative and professional growth alike, SXSW is known as the place where "tomorrow happens here." Hosting visionary thinkers from around the globe, SXSW has become the premier annual destination for discovery in the worlds of music, film and interactive media. SXSW 2010 will run March 12 through March 21 in Austin, Texas.

Clearly, this message has gotten out to the international community for whom developing the artistic and commercial opportunities of digital media are paramount. Internationals participate in SXSW to network, to raise the profile of the organizations they represent with influential people in the US and to use SXSW to publicize and market their work. The number of trade show stands booked to date has already increased over 2009. Confirmed European stands for the SXSW Music and Media Conference include Berlin, Catalonia, the City of the Hague (Den Haag), Hamburg, Ireland, Spain and the UK.

The UK will be represented across all three festivals with a Platinum trade stand presence and an unprecedented participation of creative industry creators and business people. "The UK has a great tradition of collaboration between its creative industries, generating a wide range of commercial and creative opportunities worldwide," says Phil Patterson, International Business Specialist for Music, UK Trade & Investment. " March 2010 will see an innovative, high quality UK contingent attending all three SXSW events. We have exciting plans to bring these three together to present a strong and cohesive presence with convergence activity and coordinated marketing of the UK creative industries."

While SXSW Music is already well known as the premier US launching pad for international discoveries, the global reach of all three conferences continues to expand with an exciting line-up of speakers from around the world. On Tuesday, March 16, SXSW Interactive will feature a keynote conversation with Swedish native Daniel Ek, co-founder and CEO of Spotify. With offices in London, Stockholm, Paris and Madrid, this legal online music service has dramatically changed the way consumers access and enjoy music. Keynote speakers for Sunday, March 14 and Monday, March 15 will be announced shortly.

SXSW Interactive will also feature a host of international entrepreneurs and innovators such as Creative Commons CEO, activist, entrepreneur, and Dubai-based venture capitalist Joi Ito; Clare Reddington, UK creative technology research expert and director of iShed and the Pervasive Media Studio; and Alex Will, co-CEO of Spoonfed, the "smart, definitive guide to what's on in London".

SXSW Film, which brings together a unique mix of talent, smart audiences and industry heavyweights, will show more than 300 films at the 2010 event. Academy Award-winning Argentine composer, solo artist and producer Gustavo Santaolalla, who has scored films as diverse as Babel and Brokeback Mountain, is confirmed to appear at SXSW Film in a featured conversation with BMI's Doreen Ringer Ross.

New for 2010, SXSW Film has created the "Excellence in Title Design" competition as a special contest to discover the best in contemporary title sequence design. Eligibility is open internationally to all title sequences that exist as part of a completed film finished in 2009 or later. SXSW will showcase accepted Title Sequences at a dedicated screening during the event, and entries will be eligible for both a Special Jury Award and an Audience Award. The deadline to submit is December 4.

SXSW Music will welcome Feargal Sharkey, the former lead singer in The Undertones who, as Chief Executive of UK Music - the umbrella organization that brings together the collective interests of the UK's commercial music industry - will argue that tech businesses, ISPs and music companies must urgently establish new partnerships to unlock digital's true potential. Alongside his views on the future of music, Sharkey will also work in tales of his rock 'n roll days with the Undertones.

SXSW Music Festival, which presents bands from as many as 50 countries each year, is accepting showcase applications for music acts to perform at the 2010 music festival. Applications must be submitted no later than November 6, 2009. Sonicbids is the exclusive online musical event submission platform of the 2010 SXSW Music Festival. To apply, go to http://www.sxsw.com/music/shows/apply .

For more information on South by Southwest, visit http://sxsw.com.

South by Southwest Conferences and Festivals are sponsored by Miller Lite, Sonicbids, Microsoft Silverlight and The Austin Chronicle.

For more information about SXSW International, please contact Tracy Mann at tmann@mglimited.com or +1-212-532-3184. For more information about SXSW, please contact Elizabeth Derczo at elizabeth@sxsw.com or 512/467-7979 ext. 209.