Ensight – Jeremy Wright

This post is part 6 of a series, head over to the SxSW Interactive Tips page to read all of the posts in this series (in intended order).

From Eric Berto AKA GeekGiant

Right now, a bunch of geeks are packing cords, cables and some extra socks before heading down to Austin for Geek Spring Break, also known as South by Southwest.

But one thing you can’t pack is a way to handle the overload of networking, parties, panels and new people you will encounter once you land. Sure, you can read about how to Hack SXSW or even an article to teach you how to network at SXSW, but you need to find out what will work best for you.

My advice is to treat it like summer camp. When we were kids, we went to summer camp to make new friends and learn stuff. But we didn’t have Twitter, iPhones or “tweetups.” Meet people new every day and cement those relationships while you’re out at night having a great time.

Smile and Say Hi

Treat every day at SXSW as a different adventure. Strive to meet new people each day. Spend the day learning about neat concepts and ideas. Spend the day walking the hallways of the convention center and smiling at people and saying hello. I have a natural advantage when it comes to meeting people since I’m of slightly above average height (OK, I’m 6′8″). So, when I walk down the hallway, people notice. For the rest of the world, a simple smile and hello go a long ways.

Take it Offline

Us über nerds are conditioned to shake hands, introduce ourselves and then ask what the other person’s Twitter handle is. Conversely, we have many relationships with avatars that become real at events such as SXSW. So, spend some time over morning coffee to have a chat with those contacts. Catch up and connect on a different level than a 140-character reply. Mornings are a great time for true, genuine networking. No loud music, smaller groups and fewer distractions. Capitalize on that focus to actually accomplish something.

Rinse, Lather Repeat

Last year’s SXSW was my first. I found out I was going about three weeks before and had no clue what I was getting into. I essentially closed my eyes and started talking to people. But something I learned was that it was OK to start the cycle over each day. Make new friends every day. Attend a party with a different group of people each night. Buy somebody different a coffee every day. Real-world networking is a lot like the online social networks. You only get out of it what you put in.

So, what are you going to put into SXSW this year? What are you going to take away from it? What merit badges will you earn?

For the past few years, Eric has been guiding corporate communications and public relations for a publicly traded company. Eric has guided successful product launches, secured numerous speaking opportunities and created a blogging strategy that was named as one of Inside CRM’s top 25 corporate blogs.

Eric utilizes his background in journalism and sociology to bring a people-powered approach to community engagement. As an award-winning former journalist, he brings an honest and in-depth approach to Public Relations and marketing.