Top 5 SXSW Events for Techies & Iphone App Developers

Some of the crew here at Dogtown Media is headed to SXSW this weekend, and heads up: we aren’t just in it for the bands. (In case you’re unfamiliar, South by Southwest is an annual festival in Austin, Texas featuring music, art, film, and tech events from around the world.)

The tech lineup is incredible this year, with speakers ranging from President Obama to Anthony Bourdain. It promises to be a priceless chance to meet with some of the hottest startups and mobile app development companies in the US.

Here are the top-five must-see SXSW events for techies, startup founders, and iPhone app developers:

1. SXSW Interactive keynote speaker: President Barack Obama

President Obama will participate in a public discussion about civic engagement, early adapters, and entrepreneurship with The Texas Tribune CEO Evan Smith. Topics on the table include tech solutions to climate change, increasing voter turnout, and much more.

Access to this event is somewhat limited for interested app developers, and will be available via random drawing to Interactive, Gold, and Platinum badgeholders.

When: Friday, March 11 at 2:30pm.

Where: Dell Hall at The Long Center.

2. Accelerator pitch competition

Brush up on your pitching skills at the eighth annual SXSW Accelerator pitch competition, where 48 early-stage startups selected from around the world will compete for funding (and glory) before a committee of seasoned mobile app development experts.

Besides the pure entertainment value, this is a great chance to learn what’s hot with investors straight from some of the most ambitious minds in tech.

When: Saturday, March 12 and Sunday, March 13.

Where: Startup Village.

3. Startup Spotlight

An early adaptor and Houston iPhone app developer’s dream — free demos and free drinks during this reception for a hand-picked selection of emerging startups.

When: Friday, March 11 and Monday, March 14 from 4:00pm–6:00pm.

Where: Hilton Austin Downtown.

4. Music Startup Village

Music and tech overlap in this series of music-related startup sessions. Not skippable for any iPhone app developer with an arts passion.

When: Tuesday, March 15 from 9:30am–6:00pm.

Where: Hilton Austin Downtown.

5. Anthony Bourdain speaking on digital disruption of print

Well known as a writer and CNN travel host, Bourdain recently joined forces with Roads & Kingdoms, a compelling tech venture aiming to bridge the gap between deep-hitting travel journalism and the sound-bite world of digital media.

Can travel media move beyond “gauzy food porn” of Instagram? Not if Bourdain and the team at Roads & Kingdoms have anything to say about it.

When: Sunday, March 13 from 3:30pm–4:30pm.

Where: Austin Convention Center, Ballroom D.

Disclaimer: dates and locations are subject to change. Refer to the SXSW website for event confirmation and ticket information.