RALEIGH – RIoT. PrecisionHawk. Pinkubator. Infinia ML. Bandwidth.

These are among the cluster of Triangle companies that are getting ready to descend into Austin, Texas this weekend, promoting Raleigh as the greatest place to live and work at the South by Southwest Interactive Trade Show (SXSW).

The four-day summit attracts business leaders and entrepreneurs from around the world, with more than 250 exhibitors from across a slew of industries, ranging from startups to established leaders in their space.

“This is RIoT’s first time attending,” said RioT’s executive director Tom Snyder, who will also be leading a panel discussion at the event titled, “How the Internet of Things (IoT) is Shaping the Future Cities,” on Saturday.

Tom Snyder: Taking North Carolina’s message of tech, diversity and vision to South by Southwest

“We are showcasing how North Carolina is the IoT center of excellence, and also supporting Wake County efforts, [which also have a booth].”

While there, Snyder also plans to schmooze with a number of sponsor companies, as well as local incubators and accelerators.

“We hope to recruit additional partners into the RIoT ecosystem,” he said, adding: “And work aside, I’m looking forward to good food and live music too!”

Picture Yourself in Raleigh

Also flying in for the seventh year in a row will be execs and staff from Wake County Economic Development, the City of Raleigh and the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau.

They will set up an interactive booth themed “Picture Yourself in Raleigh”, pitching the Oak City as a top destination spot to visit, live and do business.

The exhibit will include a 12-foot-tall mural showcasing the depth of the Triangle’s ecosystem and culture — created in partnership with the Raleigh Murals Project and Gino Reyes, and the team at The Assembly – as a backdrop for selfies.

Raleigh organizations, entrepreneurs team up for South by Southwest showcase

Plus, a 10-foot “Raleigh” neon sign created by local artist Nate Sheaffer will also hang overhead. Passers-by will also get the chance to stop at the stall and sample local beer from Trophy Brewing Co. and coffee from Slingshot Coffee.

“This is a way to connect on a totally different level—fun, informative and impactful,” said Wake County Economic Development executive director Michael Haley.

“Our key goal at SXSW is to continue to raise the brand awareness of Raleigh and the region to tech-enabled talent from around the world,” he added.

“We’re going to showcase Raleigh as the open, inclusive, diverse, amazing place that we all love.”

With the city’s population growing by 63 people every day, “Raleigh is truly a global community,” he said.