itcher's Head of Marketing and SEO master, Patri Hernandez, flew to Austin, Texas for the South by Southwest Festival. In this post, she shares the atmosphere of the event and how it benefitted itcher.

SXSW was incredibly very fast-paced and I packed a lot into the few days I was there. First on the list was tracking down people in similar businesses and sectors to us to start some conversations about partnerships. I managed to secure meetings for Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday. All of which were very succesful!

Austin was... amazing.

As a former Londoner, the best way I can describe Austin is that it's like Camden Town meets Portobello meets Soho. Eclectic but pulsing with energy. Bright ideas and curious minds everywhere you looked. 

Austin was eclectic but pulsing with energy. Bright ideas and curious minds everywhere you looked

Music is very prominent in both Austin and the festival itself. The atmosphere was laid back, friendly and unquestionably cool. It managed to be jam-packed but still have an air of nonchalance. You'd run to a meeting but then just kick back with your acquaintance in a hotel lobby.

The city was packed! Whether you were walking around or inside the hotel, there are people everywhere.  Overall it was a very techie atmosphere. I heard Austin being referred to as Silicon Valley 2.

I heard Austin being referred to as Silicon Valley 2

It was fantastic to contact others in the industry and discuss potential partnerships. There was a lot of interest in itcher, particularly with regard to the possibility of improving the recommendation systems of VoD platforms. The feedback was incredibly helpful in helping us plan our next steps.

Now to turn that feedback into action...