A Young Professional’s Guide to SXSW: Official Events Day to Night

For young professionals, SXSW is a chance to expand your network, discover new opportunities, and create lasting memories. So how can you make the most of your experience? Official events are a great way to network and connect with like-minded creatives in your industry from daytime Conference programming to nighttime Festival events around the city.

Official Events By Day

While SXSW attracts thousands of attendees from all walks of life, we try to make it easy to find events that are specific enough to accommodate every unique interest. The Conference is divided into 25 programming tracks across the world's of tech, film, music, culture, and more. From panels to book signings, there are numerous formats to explore.

Official daytime events can be anything from a room-sized, physical interpretation of the Blockchain to a simple coffee break. These can be great places to meet someone, make a connection, and — of course — grab some free swag.

Pro Tip: Be sure to also check out our various networking opportunities for 30 and unders, which will be released later in the season on the official schedule.

Official Events By Night

After a full day of walking around downtown Austin, you might be feeling worn out. You could hop right into bed and start scrolling through your camera roll to relive all of your #SXMems from the day...but then you’d be missing out on all the fun events that happen after dark - where the party really starts!

During SXSW, the Austin nightlife is more alive than any other time of year. As a young professional, this is a great opportunity to meet up with some of your connections that you made earlier in the day and bond over a cocktail, mocktail or (our personal favorite) tacos.

You never know what sort of unique nighttime event you might run into. Perhaps a concert performance from your favorite up-and-coming artist like at last season's 2022 Porsche Unseen Activation. Or Visit Fort Worth's 2022 journey into the Modern West complete with whiskey tastings, BBQ, and live music.

Pro Tip: Be sure to check if there’s a separate line for SXSW Badges. Just because the first line you see is the one wrapping around the building, that doesn’t mean there’s not a much shorter badge-only line calling your name!

SXSW 2023 will be packed with official events, so stay tuned for announcements throughout the season, build your own SXSW Schedule, and plan to keep your nights open to expect the unexpected.

For a look at SXSW Exhibitions, check out A Young Professional’s Guide to SXSW: Creative Industries Expo.

Host a SXSW Official Event

Interested in hosting your own SXSW Official Event? Official events have the unique capability to not only draw in your target audience, but also leave them with an unforgettable SXSW experience that will have them tagging, sharing, and remembering your brand for years to come. Want to learn more? Explore Sales Marketing Opportunities for SXSW 2023 and contact us to get started.

Join Us

Register to attend the 2023 SXSW Conference & Festivals in Austin, TX from March 10-19. Explore our Group Registration rates for teams of 10 or more. Plus, currently enrolled students can apply for a special badge discount.

Keep up with us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.

Teaser Image: SXSW 2022 Blockchain Creative Labs Trinity Hall