sxsw

A few years ago, I would have chatted up SXSW and suggested that you and others come, if at all possible. Times have changed and now I find myself telling people NOT to come. I am warning people about SXSW. It has become so popular and so "in", that it has become an out of control situation. We had fights and stampedes this last time. The crowds became out of control. You could not get close to a lot of events. People were injured and some were arrested. Hundreds of famous people come into town and once your rubbed shoulders with them. They were out and about just like ordinary folks. Now, there is a division between who can afford to buy a badge and who can not or will not. A registrant for the conference receives a badge. There are different badges and they begin at about $400, not cheap. There is now a division and elitism about who has a badge, what type of badge and who is not badged. It's almost caste like.

He was there. So were hundreds to thousands of other very famous people. There are three festivals that make up SXSW: film, interactive and music. Unfortunately, SXSW has become a victim of its own success. It was thoroughly an out of control situation which is too bad because it was once a lot of fun. It is now too big and too expensive. In order to participate in any of the festivals, you have to buy a badge which costs between $400 and $1,200. There are still many free activities but the crowds are out of control. 200,000 people came in for SXSW. The city could not hold or handle them.