The atmosphere was different at this year’s SXSW, the annual March festival where technology and pop culture meet in Austin. It reminded me of SXSW in 2019, when people packed downtown and snaked lines from local ventures.
Participants said it was the same this year, but a friend who lives locally and has attended many times agreed that something had changed. For example, the festival is now two days shorter than before. It was also “decentralized” as events and panels were scattered throughout downtown venues, primarily due to the demolition of the Austin Convention Center. As a result, the conference as a whole felt less pressured, but it also weakened the sense of connection.
While the event is still recovering from the pandemic, it has laid off staff and hasn’t had much income in two years. Since then, the company has changed its management and adopted a new strategy this year.
Greg Rosenbaum, SXSW’s SVP of programming, said this year, the conference’s 40th anniversary, was its most “ambitious reinvention” to date. He cited changes like a new clubhouse for recharging, networking and special programs that attracts 5,000 people each day. He noted that attendees were “enjoying even more of Austin and the downtown community.”
The conference was still very valuable, at least for the tech founders I spoke to, and everyone had the same advice. “At conferences like this, you get what you give.”
After all, I had people to meet and a panel to speak on. Grammy nominee Laura Young performed, Vox threw a hot party, Boots Riley’s new movie premiered, and Serena Williams and Steven Spielberg gave keynote speeches. (I also moderated panels on AI and other taboo topics like relationships and money, which was pretty good if you ask me.)
Investor and founder Ashley Tryner Dolce said the conference remained an “incredible collection of ideas.” But like many festivals, she finds that the most “meaningful moments” happen at side events, events like INC’s Founder House Party where she connects with other founders and CEOs.
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October 13-15, 2026
“It’s more about who’s sitting across from you than it is about the main stage,” she said.
James Norman, managing partner of Black Ops VC, didn’t even have the proper badge for the festival. He held events to provide opportunities for founders and attended movie screenings and dinners.
“If you just show up without the proper connection or proximity to the important rooms and conversations, you’re going to struggle to get the true value out of the event,” he said. This is exactly what founder Jonathan Sperber expressed during the SXSW pitch competition.
“The value tends to be based on how well prepared you are,” Sperber said, adding that his team made sure to schedule meetings and have a clear strategy. He called it “an effective environment for connecting with large corporations and other key stakeholders.”
Talk has been circulating the industry for years that SXSW is over, but it never seems to be the case. For each group of exhausted founders, fresh eyes and ambition emerge ready to take advantage of what lies after the festival.
For example, this was Simon Davis’ first SXSW. The overall impression, he said, was “that it’s a media conference from a technology perspective, not the other way around.” He praised the diversity of the event compared to other technology events (which we won’t discuss).
“SXSW brings together a much wider range of people, backgrounds and experience levels,” he continued. “The live music program enhances that. It’s a completely different energy. It’s not necessarily the place you go to do business as a technology company, but it’s a great place to share and learn.”
This year, SXSW introduced a new badge system. This means that each person will have a different experience, whether it’s movies, music, or technology, depending on the truck badge they purchase. For example, I felt surrounded by conversations about AI and technology, and I overheard other tech people talking about how the festival used to be heavily focused on music (admittedly, this year there seemed to be more panels focused on technology than music showcases or film opportunities).
The conference also eliminated secondary access, which allowed people with music badges to attend movie events, for example. Instead, people had to purchase an all-in-one premium badge for about $2,000. A reservation system was also introduced (to eliminate queues), requiring badge holders to reserve a time to do what they wanted to do. That was true even for those with platinum badges like Sperber.
As a result, the festival isn’t accessible to everyone, he said, noting that some events booked up quickly and were difficult to attend. Also, the decentralized bit made it harder to move around than he would have liked.
“The open atmosphere and meeting people from all walks of life really helped me understand the city. Also, some of the interactive exhibits were very interesting,” he said.
Rosenbaum said the team made the decision to eliminate secondary access after hearing feedback that participants wanted “streamlined access across badges and additional benefits for Platinum Badges.” The price of the Platinum badge has also been reduced to make the all-in-one option more affordable. Meanwhile, he said reservations will return next year due to positive feedback (barring some technical errors and capacity disruptions). “We will definitely make adjustments and improvements as needed,” he said.
Norman described it now as more of a “meeting,” at least from his perspective. He said the event is more flexible and allows people to move around, meet people and then go elsewhere.
Rodney Williams, co-founder of fintech company Solo Funds, has noticed a change as well, and again, it’s not necessarily a bad change. He has been attending SXSW for over 10 years, hosting events and speaking on panels. Normally, he attends the entire festival, but this year he decided to attend just a few days, organize his own event, and avoid the lines.
For tech founders, he said, SXSW is “moving from an intimate, casual discovery zone to a high-cost, competitive venue” focused on investor interaction and experiential marketing. This means companies with big budgets can run big activations and get more attention.
“This event can definitely be difficult if you’re attending for the first time or if you don’t have access to the right events or connections,” Williams said.
Adweek reported that there were fewer glasses overall and ads from big tech companies disappeared. Williams explained that despite the absence of big tech companies, advertising is still a big money game.
“Typically, only companies with large marketing budgets participate, unveiling products or holding expensive events,” he says. “It hasn’t always been that way. That change has taken away opportunities from the emerging technology companies that were once a part of it.”
Williams added, “Nowadays, standing out requires more than just a great product; it requires a significant marketing investment that only companies with huge budgets can make.”
But that didn’t stop him from throwing a party this year. Norman too. In fact, organizers are expecting around 300,000 people to attend this year (final numbers won’t be announced until April), making it clear that the conference hasn’t lost any momentum or magic yet.
“I always enjoy it and make the most of it,” Williams said.
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