Tomorrow I leave for SXSW Interactive with a whole bus load of the tech community folks from New Orleans.
I’m exceptionally excited, this will be my second conference/networking event in the tech / startup community and I’m actually skipping out on a really killer dance event in Houston which is happening at the same time. All in the name of breaking out and doing something new and life changing.
The real kicker, I don’t even have a badge (yet) for SXSWi.
I’ve heard a lot about SXSWi, so much in fact, that I’m eager at the possibility of just hanging out and not even attending the slew of conferences and panels and trade show booths there. Austin is a great city and as it becomes engulfed with thousands of startup and tech geeks from all over the world I’m sure there will be no shortage of amazing things to do.
Why didn’t I plan for this and buy a badge in advance? Or save up enough money to go?
I can hear the personal finance geeks deriding me now for my ill planned adventure, but naysayers aside, it will be worth it cause I’m going to make the trip worth it.
I didn’t plan or buy a badge because I hadn’t planned on going until a couple weeks ago at most, and after vagabonding for a year and now settling in to New Orleans, my wallet is tight. I’ve just started teaching dance locally and I’m still working on getting new clients for my other work.
What I’ll Do There
So I’m going to go to SXSWi and meet up with cool people like Cath Duncan , Jenny Blake, hopefully (my man crush) Hugh MacLeod and a ton of people I don’t even know yet. If you’re going and I didn’t mention you, please, contact me and let me know and we’ll meetup.
I’m going to strengthen my connections with my local New Orleans tech community on the 9 hour bus ride there and back, in the shared condo we’re all staying in, and throughout the weekend.
I’m going to bicycle around Austin, so if you have your bike or can get one, and want to join me for a ride, please do.
I’m going to try to go dancing Monday night at Quality Seafoods with some of the local Austin dancers (yes, dancing at a seafood market). I’m also going to try to do a tweetup/meetup style impromptu dance class for SXSWi-ers who are interested.
I will also attempt to hangout with the Bonobos crew at The Power Up Lounge for a bit; one of my favorite makers of mens pants. They do a fantastic job and I can’t but give them a shout out now that I know they’ll be at SXSWi.
What I’m Going To Do About It
It begins tomorrow, however, despite how much fun I’m going to have outside of the panels, trade show and badge only parties, I’d really love to get in on the actual SXSWi shindig.
So, in that vein, and since I can’t afford it on my own, I’m reaching out to you, my readers, to send me. I know it’s asking a lot but if 1 in 5 of you chipped in 5$ or even more, I’d be there in no time.
I’m using ChipIn as a tool to raise the funds, so if I don’t make my goal, you haven’t paid for me to drink myself silly, because the money goes back to you.
So if you feel like you’ve gotten something useful, insightful, or meaningful out of reading here or in the past on Slacker Reform; or if you would buy me a coffee or a drink if we ever met up in person; or just put me up on your couch for a night, toss $5 into the ChipIn.
I’ve got the deadline set for Saturday, so this is either going to work or it’s going to fail pretty fast.
What do you get out of it?
Anyone who chips in gets their name, Twitter name and website shouted out (if they want) on my SXSWi wrap-up post I’ll write next week. Even if I don’t make the goal and you keep your money, you still get your name on there for showing your support.
Apart from that, you get some perpetual gratitude and if we ever meet up I’ll buy you a drink and show you a dance step or two if you’re inclined.
