Editor’s note: Tom Snyder, executive director of RIoT, the Internet of Things users group based in Raleigh, provides at TechWire’s request a recap of his first South by Southwest experience last week in Austin.

AUSTIN – If you haven’t been to South by Southwest (SXSW) before, it can be hard to describe. Thousands of people converge in Austin to experience the latest in technology, music and film. It is kind of an adult playground for someone like me, who’s into the latest gadgets, business models and entertainment experiences. Add in tacos at every meal and free-flowing drinks at the parties across the city—I was in heaven.

I was fortunate to be asked to lead a discussion on the future of cities at SXSW this year and thought I’d share a few takeaways from my week in Austin.

SXSW Embraced IoT

Leading an IoT organization, I’m familiar with the promise of the “4th Industrial Revolution” and how connected devices and data analytics are the driving force of the next few decades of the economy. Without question the conference embraces IoT. I saw at least 5 electric scooter companies and 4 e-bike companies operating at the show. This was clearly the most popular way of navigating venues across the city.

RIoT photo

Tom Snyder, seated at right, participates in panel discussion at SXSW.

Every venue was outfitted with RFID readers to track movement of attendees across the city. The agenda app showed in real time how each talk, panel, concert and film was filling up—with notifications from “hurry up” or “sorry, too late” if you were moving towards a session that was running out of seats. In past years, speaker selections for the event were largely based on social media presence and fan voting. Going forward, the organizers will have far richer data about what topics and speakers are popular.

Robots were Everywhere

As expected, top tech brands showcased their latest prototypes. There were amazing robots that could walk, climb, spider crawl, and shake hands, all navigated by a simple smart-phone interface. I saw three companies with home robot assistants, to help elderly, for example, to order a rideshare or answer the door for food delivery. Prices are coming down compared to past years.

Your very own “Rosie” assistant can be had for under $1500. Even crazy marketing stunts like the company parachuting tacos down to crowds had robot arms to rescue tacos that got caught in the trees.

Music and Movies are Still Strong at SXSW, but Technology Ruled
RIoT photo

A dance performer in SXSW. Photo courtesy of RIoT)

Undoubtedly due to the economics of corporate sponsorship, SXSW has really transformed into a technology conference with music and film attached, instead of the reverse. That likely was never the intention of the original creators of the music festival. Even some of the music was mostly tech.

I saw one performance where the artist created music entirely by moving her hands and body, which were wired with gesture control sensors. Another performer’s outfit changed colors based on the tapping of her shoes.

Sports has Largely not Made it to SXSW

My phone was buzzing with text updates on the ACC Tournament, but it was hard to find a TV in Austin tuned into any sports at all. [Note: I did finally find a lonely patio to catch a game].  There were a few sessions on esports, and I suspect that sector to grow in coming years.  In the new Call of Duty esports league, franchises have been selling for $25M each.

Tom Snyder: At South by Southwest, Raleigh’s effort stands out

Last year’s League of Legends midseason championship drew 60M unique viewers, which is more than watch an average World Series, Stanley Cup and NBA Finals game combined. RIoT is holding an event on the intersection of Sports and IoT March 26th in Atlanta and I’ll be interested to see how the reception down south compares to Austin.

Politics and Social Justice is on the Rise at SXSW

This year had a significant increase of political engagement at the show. Active and retired politicians from both sides of the aisle gave talks and CNN held a town hall. I skipped those sessions – expecting to hear the normal stump speech rhetoric.

What was more interesting, I think, were the number of sessions that were focused heavily on ethical use of technology and the digital divide. Speakers did not back away from major issues in the US such as lack of broadband in rural and suburban communities. There were more sessions than any one person could attend debating the role of biased data sets in artificial intelligence and machine learning. A particularly interesting session convened notable science fiction authors to discuss the role of storytelling in shaping policy and cultural norms in the real world.

RIoT photo

Tom Snyder takes a selfie of the crowd at SXSW

Universally, people feel these issues must be fixed and that the big technology companies are not doing enough to be the leaders in that effort. Our politicians haven’t shown the will to regulate digital access equality. It is a big question whether the tech giants will realize it is in their best interests to invest in the underserved.

Citizens Want to Learn More About Smart Cities

I led a discussion on the future of cities, and before we started the panel, I polled the audience.  The venue was oversold with people packed shoulder to shoulder. Less than a handful of raised hands indicated they were attending as a municipal government employee, or someone in industry selling smart city solutions.

Essentially the whole crowd were citizens wanting to understand how emerging technologies would change city services, impact their own freedom and privacy and make government more efficient. Communication is critical and there is huge opportunity now for local government to build trust with citizens and include them in the future strategy planning process.

Can’t wait to see what SXSW brings to us next year.

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