Innovation Conference
March 15–20, 2027
Access
6
Days
11
Tracks
2,000+
Speakers
500+
Sessions
300+
Mentor & networking events
8
Pitch categories
For visionaries. For curious minds. For creatives.
SXSW Innovation is the only conference where the full business ecosystem of founders, brand leaders, C-suite executives, and investors converge with the cultural forces shaping the next decade. It’s where the deals, unexpected conversations, and partnerships that actually move industries forward happen face-to-face, with guards down.
Featured Speaker Alumni
CEO’s, scientists, founders, policy leaders, journalists, and provocateurs. Side by side on the same stages.
Christina Koch & Reid Wiseman, NASA
“Meet the Astronauts Going to the Moon with NASA’s Artemis II”
Jay Graber, Bluesky
“The Future of Social with Jay Graber, CEO Bluesky”
Alexis Ohanian, Reddit
“Tales of US Entrepreneurship Beyond Silicon Valley”
Johanna Faries, Blizzard Entertainment
“Claiming the Future of Entertainment”
Arvind Krishna, IBM
“From Sci-Fi to Society: The Next Era of AI and Quantum Computing”
Kara Swisher, Pivot
“Pivot Live with Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway”
Keith Lee, Creator & Food Critic
“Last Meals Live with Mythical Chef Josh”
Meredith Whittaker, Signal
“A Conversation About Online Security and Confidentiality with Signal President Meredith Whittaker”
Amy Webb, Future Today Strategy Group
“Emerging Tech Trend Report”
Brands across the years
From Fortune 500s to breakout startups, hundreds of brands have showed up to sponsor, activate, and build alongside the Innovation community.
Innovation Conference
11 Tracks. 1 Conference.
Your roadmap to discovery, curated by themes that spotlight the industries and ideas shaping what’s next.
Innovation Clubhouse
Badge-holder home base. Programming all day, drinks at night. Run-ins you’ll be telling stories about.
Mentor Sessions
Booked 1:1s with sales reps, distributors, financiers, festival programmers, and showrunners.
Meet Ups & Mixers
Nothing beats a creative block quite like bouncing ideas off of others. Meet Up with like-minded pros to connect and find inspiration.
Workshops
By section, by craft, by identity. The most concentrated industry hour you’ll spend all year.
Immerse yourself in the future
450+ brand activations, 3 official expos, and hundreds of pop-ups across Austin. Touch the products, meet the makers and discovery what’s next.
COMPETITIONS
SXSW Pitch
The startup competition everyone’s watching. 40+ startups across 8 categories pitch live in front of investors, press, and an audience that includes nearly every major VC.
74%+
of companies have continued to raise funding after pitching.
Since 2009
Raised in venture capital and exits
$22.5B+
Pitch Finals
40+ startups live on stage
8
Categories
Emerging & Frontier Technologies
Entertainment, Media, Sports & Digital Platforms
Life Sciences, Healthcare & AssistiveTech
Mobility, Manufacturing & Industrial Systems
SaaS, Enterprise & Developer Platforms
Smart Data, Security & FinTech
Student Startups
Sustainability, Energy & AgTech
15
Years running
Since 2009
SXSW Pitch®
Applications open July through November.
Participate
Help shape SXSW 2027
Propose your panel. Pick your startup. Exhibit your product. Activate your brand. Four ways to step from audience to stage.
PanelPicker
VOTING CLOSES AUGUST 23
The official SXSW community voting platform for session proposals.
SXSW Pitch
Closes NOVEMBER 13
SXSW Pitch showcases innovative technologies to a panel of industry experts, high-profile media professionals, venture capital investors, and angel investors.
Apply to Expo
OPEN NOW
SXSW Expo is the convergence of all industries on the cutting edge of technology, design, social good, health + wellness, and more.
Market at SXSW
market with us
SXSW offers a variety of assets to fit your marketing objectives.
Attend
2 badges open Innovation
Registration for SXSW 2027 is open. Innovation badges include Comedy Festival access — buy by the early-bird deadline and save $300.
Platinum
$1,395.00
For professionals who need full access — all conferences, all festivals, all events. The essential badge for marketers, tech leaders, brand builders, and cross-industry collaborators.
Full Access
- All Innovation Conference
- All Film & TV Festival & Conference
- All Music Festival & Conference
- All Clubhouses: Innovation, Film & TV, Music
- All Parties
Elevated Perks
- 10% Select Merch Discount On-Site
3 Reservations per day
Innovation
$895.00
For leaders in Brand & Marketing, Cities & Climate, Creator Economy, Startups, Sports & Gaming, Tech & AI, Workplace, Design, and Health.
Conference & Community
- Innovation Conference Sessions
- Innovation Mentors
- Innovation Workshops
- Innovation Meetups
- Innovation Opening Party
- Innovation Clubhouse Access
- Pitch Events
- Pitch Showcase
- Pitch Awards
2 Reservations per day
Additional Information
What are the SXSW Conferences?
Each year, SXSW brings the best speakers in the world to Austin, TX, to present sessions on what’s next in the worlds of film, culture, music, and technology.
The convergence of first-class talent from so many different disciplines and backgrounds creates a unique environment for attendees to explore.
SXSW Conferences include the Innovation Conference, Music Conference and Film & TV Conference.
Accompanying the SXSW Conference are events including expos, a pitch competition, parties, and more.
How do I, or my company or group, apply to speak at the SXSW Conference?
Speaking applications can be submitted through our PanelPicker platform. For SXSW 2027, PanelPicker will be open for entries from June 23 to July 26, 2026.
For marketing and sponsorship opportunities, please email sales@sxsw.com. Please anticipate a response within 2-3 business days.
More information on application and participation can be found in the Conference Speaker FAQ.
PanelPicker is a session proposal platform that gives the SXSW community a significant voice in programming conference activities (presentations, panels, discussions, demonstrations, etc.) for the SXSW Conference and SXSW EDU. Prospective speakers submit their session ideas to PanelPicker, then the community, SXSW PanelPicker Evaluators / SXSW EDU Advisory Board and SXSW staff choose the best proposals.
PanelPicker proposals for SXSW and SXSW EDU 2027 can be entered from June 23 – July 26, 2026.
For information on the PanelPicker process, please visit the PanelPicker FAQ.
Conference session formats range from presentations and fireside chats to panels, workshops, mentoring, networking and more.
For more information on our Conference Formats, please visit our Conference Format landing page.
SXSW Conference sessions will be divided into multiple tracks across three overarching verticals:
- Innovation Conference Tracks explore technology, marketing, health, the creator economy and more.
- Film & TV Conference covers both the creative and business elements of film and TV production.
- Music Conference features content on the making, marketing, impact and future of music.
Visit the Tracks pages for detailed information on each of the tracks.
Email sessions@sxsw.com ASAP if you need to cancel. The sooner we know the better so we can fill the slot with a session from our wait list.
