From March 8th to the 12th, the Buckeye Interactive team will once again take Austin, Texas, by storm to learn, network, and bond at South by Southwest Interactive! SXSW is an interactive festival for creative professionals from all around the country. It’s filled with everything imaginable! From innovative sessions to different festivals to the exhibitions, there’s truly something for everybody and for all sorts of interests. We love innovation, and SXSW is all about it.

We’re so excited to embark on another SXSW adventure. Here’s what we’re looking forward to this year!

Brad Griffith

Sessions from industry visionaries are usually my favorite part of SXSW. Browsing the SXSW schedule is an arduous process that always results in a “shortlist” of way too many sessions to actually attend. While I learn a ton from developer and UX sessions, this year I’ll be focused more on business management and community/economic development sessions. Along with our diversity initiative, I’m hoping to catch some sessions like Diversity in Tech and the Future of Black Communities.

I’m also excited about continuing to close the women in tech gap and ensuring a better future for my daughters–sessions like Rising Fundamentalisms and Women’s Rights will be enlightening. I always look for some Columbus startup folks presenting, and this year I’m excited to attend Jay Clouse’s Geography vs. Investing: Should Location Matter? Panel! And finally, I’m looking forward to building more memories with my team. We’ve had so many memorable trips to SXSW. This will surely be one of the greatest with the team we have now!


Paul Tela

Every year at SXSW, I get the opportunity to hear from experts on a variety of topics.  Whether it is technology trends, public policy, or community building, the breadth of content available is what I look forward to the most. In the past, I’ve enjoyed hearing from politicians, artists, and astronauts–to name a few. I believe that to be the most trusted innovation partners for growing businesses and organizations, we have to constantly expose ourselves to new ideas and ways of thinking. SXSW provides ample opportunity to do this, while at the same time, allows us to enjoy great BBQ!


Lorraine Shill

It is my first time attending SXSW. I’ve heard many good things from co-workers who have attended in the past, so I’m really looking forward to it. I’ve read about some interesting sessions I would like to attend. I’m excited to see what SXSW is all about!


Taylor Cochran

This year will be my first time attending SXSW. I am very excited to experience the festival firsthand! One of the parts I am most looking forward to are some of the keynote speakers who are lined up as well as the variety of sessions!


Tony Todoroff

This will be my sixth time attending SXSW, and I am just as excited as the first five times! It’s always sensory overload in the best way possible. Droves of people descend upon Austin, Texas, each March, and with them come hundreds of speakers, business leaders, creatives, educators, and people passionate about their industries and fields. Personally, I love to attend as many design-focused sessions as possible! This year, specifically, I’m really looking forward to Design for Inclusivity: How and Why to Get Started, Design Thinking in Practice, Achieving Gender Equity in Design Leadership, Designing For the Next 30 Years of the Web, Building an In-House Design Powerhouse, How to Tell Your Startup Story, and Variable Fonts: The New Frontier. 

I also plan on spending my time dipping into sessions that tingle other parts of my brain (Next-Gen Technology Ignites Healthier Lifestyles, Rotten Tomatoes ‘Your Opinion Sucks’, A Call to Arms: Solving Loneliness via Human Touch, A Conversation About Movie Posters, Create a 90-day Action Plan to Achieve Your Goals, and Upgrade Your Experiential Storytelling with D&D). I’m really interested in so many other sessions as well! It’s amazing and incredible that all of this talent and knowledge will be in one place for me to absorb and experience. I’m deeply grateful for this opportunity Buckeye Interactive gives me to grow and continue learning! And the BBQ as well, of course.


Scott Brady

This will be my first time attending SXSW. Every year, I read articles about all the cool things that happened at SXSW that year, so I can’t wait to experience it firsthand! I’m really excited to see all the cool new technology and learn from all of the innovative people there. I’m especially interested to attend sessions that focus on startup founders and what they overcame to achieve their goals.

Our team is clearly ready. If you see any of us down there, be sure to stop us and say hi! We’d also love to hear what sessions you’re planning on attending. If you aren’t going, let us know if you have anything you’d like for us to check out! Comment below, or follow us on Facebook and Twitter to stay updated on our adventure.

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