South by Southwest (SXSW) 2013 was by no means any less international than the previous year. (see our international / global presence SXSW 2012 write up). As always, God Bless the Irish. This year, Enterprise Ireland brought more companies together under one roof (or was it booth) than last year. Kudos to Simone Boswell and her team.
South Africa showed up but rather than tout their interactive startup energy, which is growing in Joburg and Cape Town, they were pimping their music scene and what a great scene it is. Meet IMEXSA (Indie Music Exporters) out of South Africa and check out their music.
Yeah, well foodie and foodie apps showed up and one from Korea even added a bit of music to the energy at their booth.
The Argentinians had a fabulous booth and even fed us. Did I mentioned they even poured Argentinian wine one late afternoon? Germany had a booth too, but no business cards, no Twitter handle, no pitch really, so not much to report there. I was surprised. And oh btw, I forgot to take a shot of Argentina in action though it’s in my top 3 MUST VISIT COUNTRIES in the next 12 months. Go Argentina.
I’ll move back to South America in a minute but before I do, join me in America’s deep south – Mississippi style, another place I’ve never been. They had a drawing for a guitar giveaway. How cool is that?
@MissHoneyMarie of Mississippi Tourism and the sistah of all hats was fabulous. I so now want to go to Mississippi – loved the photos she bestowed upon me. Canon 7D in hand and ready to head south Marie.
And now we have Memphis. Of course, you can imagine that their booth has nothing to do with Interactive but everything to do with music. I still haven’t been to Memphis nor to Tennessee, so I have to say, I’m more than a little intrigued. Follow @DownTownMempis and @TNVacation to learn more. I just did.
Then, there was Oklahoma, who was touting all things FILM.
LOVE Chile even though I still haven’t been yet. Startup Chile was in full force. I’m a fan and definitely need to get on a plane and head south sometime soon.
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
