It's That Time of Year Again...

South by Southwest is coming to Austin!

Well... not quite yet, but everyone college student I know is definitely ready for it to be Spring Break.

While it may not be time for interactive, film, and music industry professionals to begin their annual descent upon our city, the folks running the SXSW Festival are full swing into preparation, and have been for some time now. Subscribers to the SXSW Twitter feed have been constantly been receiving updates about the 2011conference, and today it was announced that the initial batches of discussion panels for the music portion of the festival have been released.

As a festival volunteer last year, I was kept busy during SXSW Music with working the showcases at night, and trying to catch as many free shows during the day. However, I was lucky to be able to sit in on one of the music panels (on the future of PR in music, what else?!) at the conference center. As a student hoping to work in the industry, it was a great opportunity to hear professionals speak on the issues facing music PR and take questions.

After browsing the initial list of panels, I'm happy to say that there are already quite a few that will appeal to PR and advertising enthusiasts:

• Branded: Label Identity and the Music Marketplace-- Stephen Bower of Vanguard Records
• Brands as the New Labels-- Mike Boris of McCann Erickson
• Critics vs. Publicists: Why Must Things Be Contentious-- Heather West, Western Publicity
• Direction of the Touring Industry-- Jeffrey Chabon of AEG Facilities at the AT&T Center
• Marketing Your Music in an Overloaded World-- Carmen Rizzo of Electrofone Music
• What it Takes to Get and Promote Gigs-- Lou Plaia of ReverbNation.com

These panels are just a few of the topics covering all aspects of the music industry. Not only do these panels provide a greater understanding of how the industry operates, they provide many students a networking opportunity with professionals.

However, the panels are only open to SXSW badge holders, and those are not extremely accessible on a student's budget. But have no fear! Many volunteers get the opportunity to earn badges by working a certain number of shifts at the festival. SXSW began taking volunteer sign-ups on Nov. 1, so make sure to visit their website for more info!