How to Make a Splash at SXSW

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If you're an avid Tweeter, come to sessions armed with their individual hash-tags. Incorporating them can make others in the room – or at the festival – aware of your presence, and what you're thinking, and thus establish instant connections.

Finally, Gowalla and Foursquare are great ways to spread information as to your present location. Both online services are widely embraced by the the throngs at SXSW.

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Making a Splash at SXSW: Reaching Beyond Austin

SXSW can be a good place to try out small partnerships with an eye toward something larger. This year, for example, Gowalla has arranged a partnership with Chevy to put on promotions and host games throughout SXSW. And Foursquare is including partnership promos with companies such as SPIN, Pepsi and PayPal. Look for more collaboration between these brands going forward.

Amid the partying and the panel discussions, real work can also get done. For instance, Brian Dresher writes at USA Today's social media lounge that he arranged last year to meet up with Fark founder Drew Curtis to discuss how new media and traditional media might collaborate. "During this in-person get together, we were able to knock out several key details and develop a solid foundation for building a strong working relationship," Dresher writes. A partnership launched several months later.

Keep this anecdote in mind as you are racing around Austin. The point of the trip is not networking for networking's sake. Your ultimate goal is to channel the energy and activity you experience in Austin into tangible business results.

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Christine Lagorio is a writer, editor, and reporter whose work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Village Voice, and The Believer, among other publications. She is executive editor of Inc.com. @Lagorio