How will AI change the way humans communicate with each other in the next decade -- and who will the winners and losers in that be?
Mobility futility: Why American cities struggle to keep up with ever-changing mobility technology -- from scooters to autonomous cars -- and how we can prep for the next wave of innovation.
Austin's Innovation Gaps: 5 things that everyone's favorite city must do to avoid tech monoculture and the wealth gap.
Those are just three hypothetical pitches we quickly spun together this morning while dreaming up ideas for South By Southwest 2020.
Yes, March 13, 2020, sounds like a long ways off as we prepare for the Fourth of July this week. But Monday marked the opening of SXSW's panel selection process. That means the organization's PanelPicker is now open for proposals of all kinds -- as well as submissions for the film and music portions of the festival.
PanelPicker proposals must be submitted by Friday, July 19. So, there's not a ton of time to spin the wheels. After submissions are in, SXSW will open its community voting process Aug. 5 through Aug. 23.
The idea pool is deep, covering 20 themed tracks, and SXSW is among the most competitive conferences in the country. There are also open calls for awards, digital creative work and art programming.
Among the SXSW 2020 tracks are: Advertising and Brand Experience; Cannabusiness; Climate and Social Action; Connection and Culture; Creating and Monetizing Music; Design; Experiential Storytelling; Fantastic Future, Film and TV Industry; Future of Music; Gaming Industry; Government and Politics; Health and MedTech; Making Film and Episodics; Media and Journalism; Sports; Startups; Tech Industry and Enterprise; Workplace; and XR.
SXSW has recently put an emphasis on diversity, requiring sessions involving three to four people to include diversity in gender, race, location and types of employment.
Organizers encourage folks to submit future-focused discussion topics, and they invite folks to send videos that show off their speaking skills. And, they note one other important tip: "Proofread, proofread, proofread."
Happy pitching!
