Dave Peck’s Top Four #SXSW16 Event Highlights
The smell of BBQ, the sounds of bands I’ve never heard of and the buzz of trending technology - these are just some of the things I love about Austin, Texas in March. I’ve recently returned from
South by Southwest Interactive and as much I as I would love to keep talking baby back ribs (and burnt ends, and brisket, and pulled pork..), I’ll take this time to share my picks for top trends coming out of SXSW. So away we go:
Virtual Reality
Hands down, this is the biggest trend coming out of SXSW 2016. We saw it in pockets last year, but you couldn’t walk through the festival without seeing it this time around (even
McDonald’s had a VR experience!). I tried out a few experiences, but the
Samsung Gear VR Lounge topped all the others. The experience simulated a
Six Flags roller coaster and I felt all the feels – nervous laughter, terror, is it over yet..? - without ever leaving my spot. So.Cool.
Artificial Intelligence
Ai has made some serious advances in the last year and is becoming more main stream. Panels on the future of Ai were standing room only – we’re talking wall-to-wall – and speakers raved about how much this technology has evolved. Of particular interest was emotive computing, a system’s ability to recognize and simulate human behavior. Check out this video for the world’s first social robot for the home:
Financial Health
Financial Innovation was a big player at this year’s SXSW, with scores of startups onsite to pitch their mobile services at FinTech events for entrepreneurs looking to enter the space. Our team at
PayPal teamed up with
Village Capital to host a FinTech Entrepreneur Showcase where a group of judges selected 10 leading candidates to present their solutions to an invitation-only group of investors, community leaders and potential partners, including PayPal,
The Case Foundation,
Kapor Center for Social Impact and
Student Loan Genius, a Village Capital graduate and portfolio company. The event was hugely inspiring and we’re eager to continue supporting these efforts.
Trending with Spending
SXSW never disappoints and this year was no different. I’ve shared my picks for top trends, but if that doesn’t do it for you, there’s always this:
*The opinions expressed are my own, and do not represent PayPal, Inc.
Dave Peck, Global Head of Social Media and Influencer Marketing, PayPal