South by Southwest to Come to Kona

The world’s largest interactive, music and film conference and festivals, South by Southwest (SXSW), is holding a free meet-and-greet event in Kona on Thursday, July 21, to attract creative professionals to its 31st event to be held in Austin, Texas, March 10 to 19, 2017.

Over the past few years, more than 80,000 delegates have come from more than 50 countries and Hawaii sent over 40 in 2016.

Australian-based Pacific representative Phil Tripp has made annual treks to the islands.

“Hawaiian artists have featured in the past few years—Anuhea, HAPA, Irie Love, Jake Shimabukuro, John Cruz, Mike Love, Mr. Carmack, One Right Turn, Pimpbot, David Tamaoko and The Green as examples,” Tripp said. “And leading companies have attended as delegates—Occupop, Hawaiian Intl. Film Festival, POW! WOW!, Lux, Wremix, eHawaii.gov, Maui County Film Office, Makaha Studios and WorldSound—are among a hundred others. But we want to open SXSW more to the rich variety of talent from the islands—musical and digital and film/TV—hence these meetings including both invited veterans and potential first-timers.”

There is no charge but attendees must RSVP as space is limited. You can do this by email at [email protected] or (512) 669 3321.

Hawai‘i Island participants will congregate at the Ulu Lounge in the Sheraton Keahou Kona Resort & Spa on Ehukai Street within Ray’s On The Bay restaurant.

A highly detailed website now contains totally new information on SXSW 2017 events, as well as applications for music artist showcases, film screening submissions and topic or speaker proposals in our unique Panel Picker section.

SXSW dedicates itself to helping creative people achieve their goals. Founded in 1987 in Austin, Texas, SXSW is best known for its conference and festivals that celebrate the convergence of the interactive, film, and music industries.

The event, a destination for global professionals, features sessions, showcases, screenings, exhibitions, and a variety of networking opportunities.

SXSW proves that the most unexpected discoveries happen when diverse topics and people come together.

• SXSW identifies talent and helps launch careers.
• SXSW connects people who get business done at the event.
• SXSW allows for connections between artists and creatives of every stripe with industry leaders.