I’m Going to Austin for SxSW!

I was under the impression that I wasn’t going to the South by Southwest Interactive festival this year, but it turns out that I’m going after all. Better still, I’m speaking as part of a panel talking about our experiences as part of the BarCamp Tour in a session titled Five Brands Journey Across the Country to Inspire Entrepreneurship. I’ll also be there as a representative of Shopify.

I’ve had some wonderful times on my two previous visits to SxSW, and I’m very much looking forward to my third. I thought I’d share my blog entries from those earlier visits…

Entries from the 2011 Trip

• I was still working for Microsoft at that point and I was travelling to Austin to be the Canadian representative for the launch of Internet Explorer 9.
• While there, I met up with Lee Dale, Matt Rintoul and Gabe Mansour, and we went shopping at Allen’s Boots, where I shot an amusing video.
• I also shot some video of Austin’s phallic hotel…
• …but that’s not where I stayed. I stayed at the Staats house and shot a video tour and interview with my friend Jodi Brown.
• I got to break out the accordion in lots of ways. First, I caught the all-girl band Guilty Pleasures at the Chugging Monkey, who invited me to play with them…
• …then after enjoying some enchiladas and hanging out with my filmmakers friends Kate and David looking for a deal, I played accordion at a karaoke contest an won an iPad.
• And finally, I got to use the accordion to soothe an angry line who were waiting for hours just to get past customs.
• And a little later, a photo by Kris Krug.

Entries from the 2008 Trip

• A long line at Pearson airport
• Cleveland airport
• You know you’re in a “Red State” when…
• The rules of the ranch
• Flight summary
• The ranch
• Playing accordion at the “How to Rawk SxSW” panel
• Feelin’ the love from Jeremy Wright and David Crow
• Sharin’ the accordion love
• Hangin’ with Master Chief
• Annoying the A-list bloggers so you don’t have to!
• Sarah Lacy’s Zuckerberg interview train wreck
• Getting’ my drink on with Scoble
• Meeting up with Tony Pierce and Merlin Mann
• Tara Hunt and a unicorn
• 6th Street at night
• Make up your own caption!
• Annoying Stowe Boyd
• The Salt Lick’s delicious barbecue
• Continental Airlines’ oddball snack
• I walk the line
• I beat SxSARS!
• Pokin’ a dead goat with a stick