Ted Rubin said it well, as we sat for a coffee in the Hilton with the buzz of South by Southwest (#SxSW) moved around us. "South-by is like Social Media face to face." Everyone had a twitter handle @ and a hash tag # to find them and what they do. Celebrities and influencers have "followers", "friends" and "connections" visible in their entourages and their VIP access. The refueling stations were gathering spaces for re-caffeinating bodies and charging multiple devices. Contacts shared by the Bump App and new friends were made by bumping as you found space to sit for panels. There was an App for everything, predominantly for iOS and Android (Apple iPhone and Google's development platforms). Those who didn't have one were quick to add "coming soon!" in their pitch. The few lucky/patient who braved the cues at the temporary Apple Store downtown picked up the new iPad2. Those of us willing to wait were mostly from overseas, knowing that it would be a while before they reach our markets.
After nearly a week of intensive panels, networking and checking out what is new and coming in interactive, I am excited about the future. As in any trade conference, it is easy to get myopic. Is everyone as uber-connected as this gathering of industry professionals often referred to as "geek fest"? Essential to remember that in order to rise above the 8% of "active" social media and smart phone users there will need to be continued expansion and development of infrastructure, accessibility, internationalization, aggregation and filtering. Cultural implications for organizations, leadership, and education systems will require greater outreach, training and better user-interfaces for the non-technical. Communications is changing, the tools are developing and I am very optimistic about their direction as long as we improve design for those who are already technically un-inclined. The more social the tools become, the simpler the interfaces, the greater access to tools that work in different environments for wider needs and people the possibilities are boundless.
Here are some of my tweets from during the last few days in Austin at SxSW:
Fellow #sxswi delegates, Don't forget to listen /measure outside of the bubble too, 92 still not active in social media/ smart phones
Don't calculate the ROI of relationships, not rich enough data, use dashboards -@jenvandermeer #mroi #sxswi
Wall street- customer lifetime value is not something the street cares about @janvandermeer #sxswi #mroi
Thanks @jenvandermeer from @dachis for a very entertaining presentation on the ROI of relationships #mroi #sxswi
Great conversation with @globewomen, looking forward to a great #GSW11. Thanks Irene
Confirmed speaking at #GSW11 in Istanbul. Looking forward to more inspiring conversations in May.
Just first did my Skype video meeting on my #iPad2, followed by call with kids, paid for itself already :)
iPad 2 Shortages Hit Web & Retail Stores http://t.co/3H9J5TM via @mashabletech @mashable
Achieving net-neutrality requires consumers raising their voice, speak up! @~BarryDiller #SXSW
The Internet is a miracle @~BarryDiller #SXSW
Make the truth your weapon and your strength @ch3ryl #pplpwr #SXSW
Overcome Fear of showing of your authentic self. What if it freaks out the white people @ch3ryl # #SXSW #pplpwr
Great talking to @michaelblonde of @commondeeds definitely an App to follow! #SXSW
Self-definition: own your space, name it and be proud of it @funkybrownchick #pplpwr #SXSW
CPM should die -@Jasonfalls #smaroi #SXSW
Unless you married your spouse 3 minutes after meeting them, understand relationships take time @Jasonfalls #smaroi
even data that is infinitely measurable isn't infinitely perfect. Must measure over time @Jasonfalls #smaroi #SXSW
Better measurement tools are the next big thing to come @Jasonfalls #smaroi #SXSW #swesxsw
@Jasonfalls monitoring the conversation, consider not everyone is online having conversations, ask your customers #SXSW #smaroi #swesxsw
Getting ready for first panel on measuring social media #sxsw #swesxsw #smaroi
Balance between friend and general recommendation, why of results are key #bettersearch #SXSW #swesxsw
Are we losing serendipity? #bettersearch #SXSW #swesxsw
privacy in social search; consider value-add, but need consent, control @barneyp #bettersearch #sxsw #swesxsw
Mood-based search for things to do. understanding intent for search w/Moodfish #bettersearch #sxsw #swesxsw
Simon alpha recommends, allows customization @barneyp #bettersearch #swesxsw #sxsw
Web-> social -> interest -> inferred interest graph @barneyp (Bing) on #bettersearch #swesxsw #sxsw
Google Hotpot integrating social/location/recommendations #better search #swesxsw #SXSW
@charleneli KLM during volcano, FB direct response realtime
Evolution from information to relationship economy - @debs #behuman #SXSW
Congratulations @pblackshaw ! You are going to love Vevey! Welcome to my side of the pond.
Without new social contract, trust is fragile - @debs #behuman #SXSW
Technology changes, humans don't @debs #behuman #SXSW