SXSW

From March 14 through March 17, the immense exhibit halls 3 and 4 of the Austin Convention Center were filled to capacity during the SXSW Trade Show, where attendees experienced the future of entertainment and the newest in technology.

The four day business exhibition spanned the Interactive, Music, and Film conferences, and was the perfect opportunity for exhibitors and attendees to network with leaders of hundreds of creative industries.  

Some of the events of the 2011 SXSW Trade Show included Happy Hour, SXSW Hiring Pub, SX Saloon, and the Block Party.

The SX Saloon located inside the Trade Show was the place to be for resting, chatting, and networking. At the Saloon, registrants could enjoy complimentary drinks during SXSW Happy Hour every day at 5 p.m.

On Tuesday, March 15, attendees were able to mix and mingle inside the exhibit halls beginning at 4 p.m. during the SXSW Block Party.

Monster.com was on hand to sponsor the SXSW Hiring Pub, where job-seeking registrants could search for employment either on-site or through an online portal.

Inside the exhibit halls of the Trade Show, attendees of the SXSW Conference were able to browse through more than 350 industry-related booths covering everything from the newest apps, to wireless innovations, to blogging. Industry giants such as AT&T, Chevrolet, GM, and Google were present in the exhibit halls along with lesser known or emerging industries such as WordPress.com, Iron Mountain, and Le Newz.

Two of the booths within the Trade Show may seem of particular interest to users of Macs, iPhones, and skateboards.

The first booth showcased a new case for the iPhone 3G/3GS, iPhone 4, and the iPad. This new case called LifeProof was created by Gary Rayner for use in any weather and situation. For now, the case is only available for the iPhone 4 at a price of $69.95.

Designed to military specifications, the case was designed to withstand water, snow, mud, sand, dirt, ice, and drops of up to 6.6 ft. The case allows the iPhone to be fully functional even when completely submerged in water.

Quite the opposite of the sturdy LifeProof cases are the skins provided by Karvt. This company is owned by Kurt Barbee, and provides 100% authentic wooden skins for the iPhone 3G, iPhone 4, Mac, iPad, and skateboards.

The skateboards are laser engraved, while the skins for the electronics are hand-crafted from such woods as bamboo, cedar, pine, walnut, and cherry. Prices for the skins range from $15 for the iPhone 3G up to $35 dollars for the Macbooks. The skateboards are available for the higher price of $125.

These are only two of the hundreds of showcased applications, software, and technologies available at SXSW. From distributors to software/hardware manufacturers and social media solutions, the SXSW Trade Show had it all.