Futurescape 2050: Charting the Course for Equity and Justice – SXSW 2024 – Photo by Sabrina Macias

Speak at the 2025 SXSW Conference

Apply to PanelPicker® Through July 21

06/25/2024

Conference
PanelPicker
Apply to Participate

Want to speak at the SXSW Conference this March? 2025 SXSW PanelPicker® applications are now open!

Global professionals at every level come together during the SXSW Conference to participate, learn, and network while exploring what’s next in the worlds of tech, entertainment, culture, and beyond.

The SXSW PanelPicker® platform allows the SXSW community to have a significant voice in what creative and thought-provoking programming is selected for SXSW and SXSW EDU. Through July 21, we encourage the community to enter session ideas for SXSW 2025.

Be part of leading the conversation along with thousands of other creatives at the SXSW Conference from March 7-14, 2025. Visit panelpicker.sxsw.com to login or create a new profile, and then begin your proposal. Session proposals should be specific, well-titled, and illustrative of the impact of your ideas and the depth of research behind them.

All ideas received will be posted online for Community Voting from August 6–18, 2024. Selected sessions for SXSW 2025 will be announced later in the fall.

PanelPicker Webinars & Tips

To kickoff applications, SXSW Programmers will host a special virtual PanelPicker Best Practices & AMA Webinar this Thursday, June 27 from 11am-12pm CT. Be sure to RSVP and fill out the questionnaire in advance with your specific questions. Join the webinar via this Zoom link on June 27.

Mark your calendars for even more insight from the SXSW Programming team with July PanelPicker Office Hours. In the meantime, dive into our quick tips for some proposal inspiration.

PanelPicker Office Hours

Throughout July, gain answers to FAQs about the session proposal process from SXSW Programmers during PanelPicker Office Hours.

Tuesday, July 9 | 11am -12pm
Thursday, July 11 | 6pm-7pm
Monday, July 15 | 3:30pm-4:30pm
Wednesday, July 17 | 9:30am-10:30am
Friday, July 19 | 10am-11am

All listed times in Central Time (CT).

Photo by Roger Tam

Tips for PanelPicker Success

Follow the instructions and read the FAQ. Reading the PanelPicker FAQ will give you important information about SXSW and more valuable application tips.
Create a future-focused, original proposal that shows what you’re passionate about. Often, SXSW previews what you’ll be talking about next year and beyond in tech, culture, music, film, television, and more. Give us your perspective on what lies ahead and why.
Depth and specificity. SXSW attendees want advanced, in-depth information, so be sure to delve into the particulars of a topic. The more specific a proposal is, the better. Drill down to what really matters.
Your title should reflect your description. Your title is going to be fighting for attention with hundreds of other titles. Direct and explanatory titles work best. The community should be able to understand what the proposal will cover without reading your description. Remember: think simple, accurate, and succinct.
Include a neutral moderator. The moderator is a neutral party that helps run the session and leads the panel discussion. Having a neutral moderator will help keep your session focused on the proposed topic and will allow for a more balanced presentation. This is strongly recommended to ensure all points of view on a given panel are equally represented.
Include a video with your proposal. Your speaking abilities matter, and we’d like to see them. No fancy production is required; recording from your webcam or phone works just fine. The supporting material you provide helps viewers understand your proposal and distinguish it from the competition.
Proofread! Once you are done with your proposal and click the "Enter My Proposal" button, you will NOT be able to edit your idea. Be sure you have reviewed your proposal carefully.
Meet the deadline. The final deadline to enter your application is Sunday, July 21 at 11:59pm PT.

Go To PanelPicker

See You at SXSW 2025

Register to attend starting on August 6, 2024 to join us in Austin, TX from March 7-15 for sessions, music showcases, film and tv screenings, exhibitions, networking, and much more.

Stay in the SX know, follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, Threads, TikTok, and X. Subscribe to Conference Community newsletters and check out our News feed for the latest SX coverage.

Futurescape 2050: Charting the Course for Equity and Justice – SXSW 2024 – Photo by Sabrina Macias

MORE NEWS