Students from the Media and Entertainment department presented their findings from the recent South by Southwest Conference they attended earlier this year at the Spring Research Symposium, which was held on April 4. 

They learned from professionals and celebrities throughout the world, including Michelle Obama, ESPN hosts, the CEO of the X Games, among others from within the NFL and NASA.  

South by Southwest is a conglomeration of conferences and various creative festivals taking place in Austin, Texas. Students and faculty attend the event each year as part of the Media and Entertainment offerings each spring. 

The festival attracts students, artists, musicians and other media professionals from across the world to create unique experiences, learn from one another and provide a great networking opportunity for students.  

Students enrolled in the course during the spring semester have utilized class time to prepare for their trip by conducting research about the event, such as the professionals attending, the layout of the stages, and the roles that will be expected of them while volunteering at the event.  

Alorah Saldana-Vigil is a recent graduate of CSU Pueblo and attended the event with the department this March for her third consecutive year. 

“We also have a map of Austin that we learn, so then we know where we’re going and what we’re getting ourselves into,” she said.

With locations spread across the city of Austin, this year’s South by Southwest Conference took place March 7-15 and offered a wide range of opportunities for students.  

Ashlyn Drury is a senior in the Media and Entertainment department, majoring in Strategic Communications, and she attended the festival for the second time this year.  

“When you’re coming into the class as a first-time student, there’s nothing that can really prepare you for what the experience is going to be like,” Drury said.  

Students also can choose their level of engagement and networking within the event depending on what kind of experiences they’d like to get out of it.  

“I prepped by creating a portfolio, creating a resume and having business cards ready, so that if I were to network with people, I could pull up my LinkedIn and have that connection with them. Whereas other students may have just been finding topics that they’re interested in learning more about,” she said.  

Students recall meeting others from across the globe, including some coming from Japan, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Germany and France. 

“There were athletes such as Cam Jordan, Cam Heyward, Tim Howard and Chris Paul,” Drury explained.

She said she has a special interest in sports, benefiting greatly from the opportunities to meet and interact with sports professionals, and especially women in her industry of choice.  

Several students presented what they learned as women in the Media and Entertainment department and the common themes that came from the convention, ranging from beauty influencers and products to topics of interest from health professionals specializing in women’s care.  

Other notable experiences from students included topics on space pollution, the use of AI, how to improve inclusivity in the world of media and entertainment, the reality of what it is to be an influencer, and what it looks like for that work to be authentic.  

In exchange for their passes to attend events at the festival, students worked 32 hours with hands-on experience in the production of the festivals and conferences on stage or line crew. This gave them the opportunity to practice the skills they have learned in the Media and Entertainment department on campus.  

“I basically got a lot of festival like inquiries and logistics, including the line crew, trying to set up lines, following city code, the fire marshal code, and just learning those little quirks and things that you wouldn’t even think about when you’re going to an event,” Saldanas-Vigil said, explaining her role the past two years she attended.  

“There were a lot of fights that broke out; it was super interesting to see how people reacted to line management … and very scary, but good preparation to know what goes on in the real world.”  

Stage crew offers its own unique experiences.

“It’s really a lot of customer service as well … customer service is something you need to know in every industry, especially if you’re wanting to work in music with celebrities or people who have high value to their name,” Drury said. 

These experiences are where students learn the minor details in the production of large events, with responsibilities ranging from managing the green room to correctly wrapping and labeling chords for individual performances.  

“Artists don’t always want you touching their equipment, so you have to ask them what they would like you to help with,” Drury said. 

Artists such as Benson Boone, Megan Maroney and DJ John Summit were fresh in the minds of students as they recounted some of the most exciting events.  

“We went to movie premieres with Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick, and then some others went to ones with Matthew McConaughey,” Drury said.  

 “And Seth Rogan, too,” Saldanas-Vigil added.  

The ability to reach a diverse range of celebrities and professionals allows students to take advantage of networking in a setting where they are welcomed by other professionals before entering the competitiveness of the industry post-graduation.  

“Almost everywhere you turn, you’re connected to someone in some way there and they can help you with your future career,” Drury said.  

While the music and celebrities provide ample excitement that engage students, both Drury and Saldanas-Vigil report their personal experiences with getting to know those who they encounter on a more personal level as some of the most memorable and valuable. 

Saldanas-Vigil recalls a man she met casually hanging around the hotel after the event one evening who was the sound manager of one of the stages.  

“He was an older gentleman, and he was really thrilled to see students coming into South by … I asked him a lot about his career, and he seemed very cheesed about that.”  

Overall, the students presented their shared experiences that they learned during their time at SXSW and that cannot be taught in a classroom environment. The personal connections they made will enable them to have support when transitioning from an academic to a professional career.