Technology, art, music, film, and innovation will collide in Austin, Texas this week, overlapping in unusual ways to bring together creatives and thinkers from all walks of life. Welcome to South by Southwest (better known as SXSW), the annual conference that explores what’s around the corner in a wide range of fields.
Running from March 9–18, this year’s conference spans 24 tracks of programming, with speakers ranging from acclaimed director Darren Aronofsky and author Ta-Nehisi Coates to philanthropist Melinda Gates and London mayor Sadiq Khan. Evernote will be there too, and we’re going to be busy.
We’re happy to share that this year Evernote will again serve as the official note-takers of SXSW. We’ll be capturing and sharing the best insights from more than 50 sessions in the Workplace, Intelligent Future, and Brands & Marketing tracks, covering speakers from companies including Facebook, Google, Airbnb, The Wing, Cisco, Pandora and more. You’ll even be hearing from members of the Evernote leadership team—our CEO Chris O’Neill and CTO Anirban Kundu will each be offering their views on the future of the tech industry through sessions in the Workplace track.
Want a sneak peek from Chris and Anirban? Take a listen to our latest podcast episode for a preview of Evernote at SXSW.
So you don’t have to worry about frantically jotting down all the gems of wisdom you hear while you’re there (or grappling with FOMO while you’re sitting on the sidelines at home). Get your hands on all the notes here as they become available.
As we get closer to the conference starting, here’s preview of a handful of can’t-miss sessions we’ll be covering:
Getting to work
The Workplace track sessions span a wide range of topics, such as work-life balance, diversity and inclusion, and the future of work. The common thread? All the sessions focus on what it means to be a human at work in a constantly changing environment.
We may be a little biased, but we think these first two workplace sessions can’t be missed:
- In “B2B and B2C Are Dead: Now What?,” Evernote CEO Chris O’Neill will tackle how the ‘bring your own app’ (BYOA) trend is upending the way we both work and build products for the workplace. He’ll outline a new mental model for thinking about workplace solutions: business to individual to teams.
- Then in “Sci-Fi to Reality: Evolution of AI in the Workplace,” Evernote CTO Anirban Kundu will dive into how artificial intelligence technologies are ushering in a new era of workplace productivity. Ever wanted a workflow that intuitively prioritizes the things you care about? Anirban will talk about how it’s possible.
- In “The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing,” bestselling author Daniel Pink will unpack why timing really is everything, showing that it’s not an art, but a science. By getting into the “when” decisions of life, Pink will give time-based tips to help you work smarter and live better.
A smarter outlook
The Intelligent Future track sessions will explore how technology can be embedded in every aspect of society, from transportation to space exploration to medicine. These speakers will highlight how new possibilities are making just about everything “smarter”.
- In “Hacking the Brain: The Power of Neuroenhancement,” a panel of experts will discuss how advances in electrodes and implants are making the ability to impact neurological functions (such as cognitive skills and motor ability) all the more real. This session will explore the potential of these productivity enhancements, as well as the thorny ethical questions they raise.
- In “The Runaway Species: How Creativity Remakes the World,” a neuroscientist and a composer will explore where humanity’s creativity comes from, diving into what drives it and how we can tap into our creative sides in order to improve our work and life.
Communicating new ideas
The Brands & Marketing track sessions will focus on the new ways entrepreneurs and companies create and communicate ideas. Whether it’s applying neuroscience, mining data, or telling stories, industry experts will share what’s next in these evolving fields.
- Millennials are now spending more than 18 hours a day consuming content. In “The End of Content,” Giphy’s Alex Chung explores whether we’ve reached ‘peak content’ and discusses where we go from here.
- The “Why Your Mom Listens to Podcasts Now” session features a panel that includes Jason Hock from the HowStuffWorks podcast. Years after the medium first emerged, over 67 million Americans of all ages now tune in to their favorites. What sparked this recent resurgence?
Speaking of podcasts, don’t forget to check out “Taking Note: Conversations with Evernote,” available now at iTunes, Overcast, Spotify, or anywhere you like to find podcasts.
Follow along at home
SXSW is huge, and the sessions above just scratch the surface of what’s on offer. Check out the full list of sessions Evernote is covering to make sure you don’t miss a thing. And be sure to follow along with us on Instagram for a behind-the-scenes look at everything going on.
