SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST ANNOUNCES SELECT SPEAKERS AND EXPANDED ACCESS FOR ALL BADGE TYPES FOR 2017

Keynotes Include Jennifer Doudna and Jill Soloway

Featured Speakers Mary Lou Jepsen, Dan Lyons,
Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Candice Morgan, Adam Savage, Nadya Tolokonnikova,
Ingrid Vanderveldt and Amber Venz Box set to speak

Registration Opens August 1st

Austin, Texas, July 25, 2016 – South by Southwest® (SXSW®) Conference and Festivals (March 10-19, 2017) announced its first wave of speakers for the 2017 event. While the speakers cut a wide swath across the tech, film, music, television, business, sports and journalism fields, most reflect the cross-collaboration SXSW is known for: multi-hyphenate luminaries and emerging talent working across industries and platforms. Speakers include Keynotes Jennifer Doudna, Jill Soloway, and Featured Speakers Dan Lyons, Mary Lou Jepsen, Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Candice Morgan, Adam Savage, Nadya Tolokonnikova, Ingrid Vanderveldt, Gary Vaynerchuk and Amber Venz Box.

New for 2017, the Interactive, Film and Music badges will now include expanded access to more of the SXSW Conference & Festivals experience. Attendees will still receive primary entry to programming associated with their badge-type, but can now enjoy secondary access to most other SXSW events.

“When SXSW Music added Film, and Interactive, it was relatively easy to understand and differentiate between the three components of music, film, and technology,” said Roland Swenson, SXSW Co-founder. “Today, these elements are very much intertwined and the lines that once separated them have become blurred. The popularity of our convergence programming, and the increasingly cross-industry nature of our SXSW speakers and registrants make this a natural progression as we look to the future. Next March, SXSW provides a unique environment to explore where all three intersect, while providing maximum flexibility for all, with access to even more engaging and diverse programming.”

2017 Speakers include:

Keynotes

Jennifer Doudna (Interactive) – Geneticist and pioneer co-inventor of CRISPR-Cas9, a groundbreaking new technology for editing genes; and

Jill Soloway (Film) – Creator of Transparent, which has won two Golden Globes and five Emmys, including one for her directing. Jill’s first feature, Afternoon Delight, won the 2013 Directing Award at Sundance.

Featured Speakers

Mary Lou Jepsen – Founder and Chairman of Openwater, whose goal is MRI resolution imaging in a wearable, previously held executive roles at Facebook, Oculus, Intel, and Google [x];

Dan Lyons – Author of the New York Times best-seller, “Disrupted: My Misadventure in the Start-Up Bubble,” and a former writer on HBO’s Silicon Valley, which had its world premiere at SXSW;

Earvin “Magic” Johnson – NBA legend, professional sports team owner, entrepreneur, philanthropist, motivational speaker and Chairman and CEO of Magic Johnson Enterprises;

Candice Morgan – Head of Diversity at Pinterest, leading strategy and programs to enhance diversity and inclusion;

Adam Savage – internationally renowned television producer, host (formerly MythBusters and Unchained Reaction), maker and public speaker;

Nadya Tolokonnikova – Russian conceptual artist, political activist and member of punk rock group Pussy Riot;

Ingrid Vanderveldt – Self-made businesswoman, investor and media personality, Founder & CEO of Empowering a Billion Women by 2020;

Gary Vaynerchuk – Entrepreneur, four-time New York Times best-selling author and CEO of VaynerMedia. Gary is also a prolific angel investor and co-founded VaynerRSE, a $25M investment fund; and

Amber Venz Box – Co-Founder and President of rewardStyle and the cross-channel consumer shopping service, LiketoKNOW.it.

SXSW will open for registration and press accreditation on August 1st at sxsw.com.

SXSW is accepting entries for the best digital creative work for the Interactive Innovation Awards, video game projects for the SXSW Gaming Awards, inventive startups for the SXSW Accelerator competition and a special pitch competition in Startup Village called ReleaseIt at SXSW.

SXSW Film Festival is accepting Feature Film, Short Film & Music Video submissions from June 28 – October 20, 2016. Submit now for the early bird rate.

SXSW Music Festival is accepting Artist Applications through Sonicbids from June 28 – October 21, 2016. Apply early for a discounted rate.

SXSW dedicates itself to helping creative people achieve their goals. Founded in 1987 in Austin, Texas, SXSW is best known for its conference and festivals that celebrate the convergence of the interactive, film and music industries. The event, an essential destination for global professionals, features sessions, showcases, screenings, exhibitions, and a variety of networking opportunities. SXSW proves that the most unexpected discoveries happen when diverse topics and people come together. SXSW 2017 will take place March 10-19, 2017.

SXSW 2017 is sponsored by Esurance, Mazda, Monster Energy, Anheuser-Busch, The Austin Chronicle, Sonicbids and Capital One.