DDB Sydney duo Shaun O’Connor and David Clarke to bring CB the highlights from SXSW

Each year, the creative industry (spanning interactive technology, music and film) descends on Austin Texas for what has been described as ‘the most qualified focus group on the Planet’ – the SXSW festival and this year, DDB Sydney’s Creative Technology Director Shaun O’Connor (left) and Digital Creative Director David Clarke (right) will be bringing you all you need to know straight from the heart of Austin.

Shaun O’Connor and David Clarke will be covering SXSW exclusively for Campaign Brief from the 13th until the 17th March.

O’Connor is a seasoned professional with this year being his third visit to the festival whilst Clarke will be experiencing the bright lights of SXSW for the first time, each providing a unique perspective on the world’s biggest interactive festival.

Speaking on what they hope to bring to you, O’Connor notes  “Blogging at SXSW is something that I’ve never really succeeded at. This being my third time, I think I can do it. I’m committed to sharing what gets me thinking and promise to keep my coverage real (you won’t find any ‘game changers’, marketing jargon or futurist reporting here), whilst providing some insight into the technology, the people, the BBQ and the festival itself.”

Clarke is looking forward to joining the ranks on his first SXSW pilgrimage. He says, “it’s one of the great annual ad-land migrations. It’s a rite of passage for tech lovers, and chance to rub shoulders with influencers from all corners. I’ve read second-hand accounts for years, and am excited to get on the ground and tell a few stories of my own.”

“I’ve always championed travel as part of the creative learning process, and SXSW brings it all under one roof – it’ll be a five-day fire hose of ideas and inspiration from across the globe.” adds Clarke.

Reflecting on previous visits, O’Connor is looking to learn from past mistakes and find the real nuggets and gems outside of planned schedules to really get to the core of the SXSW festival.

“From my SXSW experience, I have found some of the most interesting things aren’t the most hyped or the ones with the biggest lineups or the most instagram photos. You can organise your every minute with meet-ups, talks, demonstrations, free BBQ and beer, however some of the best things I’ve seen in past years have been the ones I stumbled upon by chance, when big sessions have filled up and you have been held up at said free beer and BBQ ‘meet-ups’.”

Each year regardless however, I’ve managed to take learnings and apply them to what we do and hopefully I can share a few this year,” concludes O’Connor.

The team will be providing daily alert roundups of their activity in an ongoing feed (and linking across tumblr, Instagram and Twitter), sharing inspiration and gems from all aspects of the festival. In addition, they will highlight what key trends to watch out for in a SXSW festival wrap up.