Convince Your Boss to Send You to SXSW 2025

South by Southwest is widely recognized as an early career hot spot for professional development. Don't miss your chance to develop a network that spans across the globe.

Need assistance making the case to your boss to send you to SXSW this March? We've put together a few tips and an email template to help you convince your boss to fund your SXSW journey.

Step 1: Choose Your Badge

Not sure which badge is right for you, or when to arrive? We’ve got your back. Use our SXSW Badge Quiz as your guide to the best badge and dates for you and your company’s needs. Review the SXSW Timeline for a visual overview of event programming dates.

Step 2: Add It Up

Once you know your badge type and dates, it’s time to crunch the numbers. Current badge prices can be found here, and your team can save even more with our group rates. Use your arrival date to find out an estimate for hotels using our SXSW hotel availability page. Check out our transportation options, and remember most SXSW venues are a short walk or ride from one another.

Step 3: Send The Email

Now to tie it all together. We’ve created a pre-filled email for you. Make sure to fill out the empty fields, and give it a close read before sending it off.

Hi [insert name here],

I’d like to discuss attending the 2025 SXSW Conference and Festivals from March [enter dates here] in Austin, Texas. Thousands of global creatives come together at SXSW for discovery, learning, and networking across the tech, film & tv, and music industries. A SXSW [Platinum, Interactive, Film & TV, Music] Badge will give me access to [remove those which don’t apply]:

- Insightful Keynotes and Featured Sessions from industry experts
- In-depth panels covering a wide range of topics across 24 tracks
- Mentor Sessions offering one-on-one coaching by industry professionals
- Networking opportunities to establish meaningful and lasting connections
- Workshops aimed at fostering professional skill enhancement
- Countless opportunities to discover “what’s next”

Attending SXSW will aid my professional growth, and I will be able to share valuable takeaways and insights with our entire team. The Conference tracks that I’m specifically interested in are:

- [Track 1]
- [Track 2]
- [Track 3]

I have estimated how much attendance costs:

- Travel: [Cost of Airfare/Travel]
- Lodging: [Cost of Hotel]
- Event Registration: [Cost for Badge]

If I register now, I can save the company money off the walk-up rate and have access to the best available hotel rates. SXSW also offers Group Registration rates for teams of 10 or more if we send a larger team. Thank you for considering my request. I look forward to discussing this further.

Sincerely,
[insert name here]

Download Template

Need more help convincing? Hear what others have to say about SXSW.

Good luck and we hope to see you at SXSW 2025!

Discover Additional Discounts

Recent college graduates can unlock the Early Career discount - access 40% off your badge during your first year out of school, and 30% off throughout your second year in the professional world.

Plus, attend as a group to access exclusive group rates for each badge!

See You at SXSW 2025

Register today to lock in the lowest badge rates and best hotel options for March 7-15, 2025 in downtown Austin.

Sign up for SXSW email updates, check out the News feed, watch videos, and follow us on Bluesky, LinkedIn, X, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and TikTok to get the most up-to-date information.

Register Now

SXSW Attendees – Photo by Keira Lindgren