All of our materials, both printed and on the web, clearly state in multiple places that all purchases are non-refundable and cannot be transferred to future events—see our refund policy below. If you cannot attend the conference this year, you can transfer your registration to another person for SXSW 2013 only.

To transfer a registration, please log into the shopping cart used to originally purchase the registration. Click on 'Transaction History' on the right side of the screen. All registrations purchased using this shopping cart will appear. Click on 'SXSW Registration Transfers' at the bottom. You'll be prompted to log into the transfer application. Use the same username and password used for access to your shopping cart. Choose the registration to be transferred. Enter the new registrant's contact information. You'll have the opportunity to either cancel or transfer the original registrant's housing accommodations, should they have one. Enter payment information for the $125 transfer fee and hit submit. Once the transfer has been processed, the new registrant will receive a registration confirmation email.

There is a $125 non-refundable transfer fee. For any registrant whose registration has already been transferred, for any subsequent transfers, please email reg@sxsw.com.

SXSW, Inc. may, in its sole discretion and at any time, cancel or refuse from any individual or company the following: registrations, applications, purchases, and/or hotel reservations made through SXSW Housing. SXSW will not be responsible for any penalty, fee, loss, or expense that might result from such action.

1. Payments are not refundable for any reason including, but not limited to, failure to use SXSW credentials due to illness, acts of God, travel-related problems, loss of employment and duplicate purchase.
2. Discounted prices are based on the date payment is received in the SXSW office.
3. Unused registrations/applications have no monetary value and cannot be credited to future years or events. Be aware no refunds or credits are allowed due to failure to redeem a discount coupon during the registration process.
4. Badges are issued to individuals and can be picked up and used only by the individual named.
5. A $125 processing fee will be assessed to change the name on a registration.
6. SXSW Registration Badges may not be used as a prize in any form of contest, game, or sweepstakes without written pre-approval from SXSW.
7. SXSW Platinum, Gold, Film, Music and Interactive Conference registrations include a one-year subscription to SXSWorld Magazine valued at $20.
8. For our privacy policy please refer to our Terms of Use.

The quickest and easiest way is to register online and pay by credit card. You will also be able to book hotel accommodations through the Hotel Requester after registering. If you must pay by check or PO, the form is available here. To pay by wire transfer, you must be a publicly held international corporation, government agency, state agency, or educational institution. Due to long transaction times, SXSW will no longer be accepting wire transfers after March 1st. Your registration must be paid to take advantage of the discounted rates. You may also register onsite at the Austin Convention Center the week of SXSW.

You should register to attend SXSW as soon as you have made a definite decision to attend. Those participants who are able to make a commitment to attend at an early date will receive discounted registration fees and have the best chance of securing their preferred hotel accommodations. Please make sure that you have made the necessary agreements required to attend prior to purchasing a registration since registration fees are non-refundable. For the undecided, SXSW does offer walk-up registration at the Austin Convention Center during the event.

If you've registered online, you will receive a purchase receipt immediately after finalizing the transaction. You can expect to receive a detailed registration confirmation email within one business day. If you mail in your registration and payment, please allow for appropriate mailing time. The confirmation is sent by email to the address provided on the registration form and will show that we have received your payment and will include a receipt. During the registration process, you will have the opportunity to enter a cc email, in case your confirmation needs to be sent to your travel coordinator, supervisor, assistant, colleagues, or travel companions.

To register a group for SXSW, you'll need to use the appropriate registration process followed in FAQ #3. You'll need to fill out each individual's registration, providing their contact information. If purchasing online, fill out each individual's registration and click the Continue Shopping button provided on the checkout page. (TIP: If one person is registering a group, use each individual registrant’s email address as the primary email and the group moderator use the cc email field). Depending on the number registering as well as your credit card transaction limits, it might be best to register and pay for a portion of your group at a time.

There are special registration procedures and rates for Trade Show Exhibitors. You should email your questions to sales@sxsw.com.

To register for SXSW today and to reserve housing accommodations and discounted registration rates, you can assign the registration to a placeholder (example: use your company name in the first name field followed by a number in the last name field — SXSW Inc 1, SXSW Inc 2, SXSW Inc 3, or Company Name 1, Company Name 2, Company Name 3, etc.). Please Note: If you register using the placeholder method, you will need to transfer that registration to the appropriate individual in order for the registration to be valid. Any and all registration transfers are subject to the $125 registration transfer processing fee.

The last day to be included in any of the SXSW directories is February 8th, 2013.

Check out the SXSW Schedule to see when activities kick off. Many registrants arrive the first day of registration (Thursday, March 7th, 2013 for Film & Interactive or Tuesday, March 12th, 2013 for Music). Interactive panels and Film Festival screenings begin Friday, March 8th, 2013. Music Fest showcases begin on Tuesday, March 12th, 2013. Music Panels begin on Wednesday, March 13th, 2013. Some attendees arrive earlier to enjoy Austin during the springtime.

You can pick up your badge at the Austin Convention Center in Exhibit Hall 1. SXSW 2013 registration will open on Thursday, March 7th, starting at 10 AM. NEW FOR SXSW 2013!!! A satellite registration area will be located at the Palmer Events Center (900 Barton Springs Rd, Austin), open on Thursday, March 7, 10 am to 10 pm and Friday, March 8th, 9 am to 11 pm.

SXSW Platinum, Film, Interactive, and Gold registration is open:
Thursday, March 7th | 10 am to 10 pm***
Friday, March 8th | 9 am to 11 pm***
Saturday, March 9th | 9 am to 6 pm
Sunday, March 10th | 9 am to 6 pm
Monday, March 11th | 9 am to 6 pm
Tuesday, March 12th | 9 am to 10 pm

SXSW Platinum, Film, Music and Gold Registrants can begin picking up their registrations starting:
Monday, March 11th | 9 am to 6 pm
Tuesday, March 12th | 9 am to 10 pm
Wednesday, March 13th | 9 am to 10 pm
Thursday, March 14th | 9 am to 10 pm
Friday, March 15th | 10 am to 7 pm
Saturday, March 16th | 11 am to 4 pm

***SXSW 2013 Satellite Registration is located at the Palmer Events Center (900 Barton Springs Rd in Austin), open on Thursday, March 7th from 10 am to 10 pm, and Friday, March 8th from 9 am to 11 pm***

***Please note the busiest registration day for SXSW is Friday, March 8th. Due to a variety of reasons, you may encounter a wait if picking up on our peak day. You can beat the registration lines by taking advantage of our early registration on Thursday, March 7th, from 10am-10pm.

To receive your SXSW 2013 badge, you will be asked to wait in line, and if you're over the age of 15, present a government issued ID. To expedite the badge pickup process, bring a copy of your QuickCode on your smartphone or in a printed version. Feel free to ask any volunteers or visit a Connection Center should you need assistance. While in line, keep an eye out for signage to ensure you're in the correct line and also to guide you to the registration area.

We will make scheduling information available closer to SXSW. Keep checking the official SXSW website for the latest information regarding scheduled events. It's the best source of information for all your planning needs. You may also access a scheduling app via SXsocial.

No, once a badge has been issued to you, we cannot reissue the badge to a different person.

After registering you will gain access to a searchable directory via SXsocial. You will pick up a printed directory at SXSW, along with your registrant bag.

You can obtain your SXSW 2013 receipt by logging into the Shopping Cart used to purchase your registration. Click on Transaction History for access to printable receipts. If you need a receipt from a previous SXSW, please email reg@sxsw.com.

If you haven't received your SXsocial log in, please email sxsocial@sxsw.com .

Some spam filters and gray list may filter out automated communications. Please add the following email addresses to your spam filter's list of approved senders: reg@sxsw.com, webmaster@sxsw.com, housing@sxsw.com, sxsw@sxsw.com.

To upgrade your badge type, please contact SXSW Registration at 512.467.7979. We will need your credit card information (credit card number, expiration date, and CVV number) to charge the upgrade. Please DO NOT upgrade yourself by purchasing additional registrations for yourself via the SXSW shopping cart.

You can find information on all of SXSW's accommodations for the disabled here.

The 26th annual South By Southwest Barbecue and Softball tournament is the traditional closing social event of SXSW. Games run from 12:30-5:30 Sunday March 17th at Monroe "Lefty" Kreig softball complex, about ten minutes from downtown. The BBQ and Softball game is included in the cost of your Platinum or Music registration. Registrants can sign up to play in the SXSW Softball Tournament in advance by email, or on Thursday or Friday at the Austin Convention Center. You can also just show up with your badge on Sunday for free beer and BBQ. You can find full information on the event here.

The SXSW Golf Tournament takes place on Wednesday, March 13th at the Roy Kiser Golf Course. Under the direction of SXSW co-founder Louis Jay Meyers, the SXSW Golf Tournament has raised over $75,000 for various charities including the SIMS Foundation, AIDS Services of Austin, East Austin Optimist Club, Lone Star Musicians Foundation and others. The 2013 tournament is in its 23nd year and has had over 2100 golfers participate. The SXSW Golf Tournament is open to all musicians and music and media professionals. Click here to download the SXSW Golf Entry Form. Do you still have questions? E-mail fa@folk.org or reg@sxsw.com.