Can we have a drum roll please -- the selection process for the 2009 SXSW Interactive Festival Programming has begun!
Click here to access the Panel Picker voting application. To comment and to vote, you will need to create an account (a very simple task which takes all of about two minutes). Creating an account does not sign you up for any kind of e-mail list -- it just establishes a unique login ID that lets you experience the full functionality of this remarkable interface.
One of the most amazing aspects of the Panel Picker is that it provides an intriguing snapshot of the current state of the new media industry. Recession, what recession? For 2009, we received 176 submissions in the "Business / Entrepreneurial" category. In fact, the only category which received more submissions was "Advertising / Marketing" at 185. These numbers reaffirm how important a role emerging technology now plays in the commerce of our day-to-day lives.
What is the most common cross-category theme amongst 2009 submissions? That would definitely be "social" -- as is social media and social networks and social software and social systems. The number of proposals that reference this buzzword in one form or another indicate that (for better or for worse) we are still at the tip of the iceberg of this trend.
But, enough of our dime-store analysis of all this data! Much better for you to play with the Panel Picker and come up with your own conclusions about which proposals are hot and what ones are not. Please be sure to leave comments on the ideas you like -- as well as the ones you don't. As always, your opinions are incredibly valuable to the growth and continued improvement of SXSW.
Last but not least, many many thanks to the incredible Lindsey Simon for developing the Panel Picker voting application.
