1. How To Have a Free SXSW Interactive Experience
The SXSW Interactive Festival has come and gone for 2012 but it’s
never too early to start thinking about next year. Though many locals
complain about heavier traffic and higher drink prices, SXSW is a
huge money maker for the city of Austin (which just happens to be
where my company is based). The SXSW Interactive portion also
brings a huge tech audience to the city. SXSWi is the birthplace of
Twitter and Foursquare; therefore many tech companies, especially
start-ups, make the trip to Austin hoping to make some great
connections and maybe even get their big break.
Though many Austinites are well versed in SXSW’s free music
opportunities, finding free SXSW Interactive events has still remained
a bit elusive. If you absolutely need to go to keynote sessions and
other panels, then yes, invest in an Interactive badge. But if that’s not
necessary and you want to experience SXSWi for free, then read on.
SXSW.com/free
The first stop to finding free Interactive events is right on the SXSW
site itself. Just press CTRL-F and search for “Interactive” to pinpoint
free Interactive events (the page lumps all free events together). You
can also sign up for the SXSW newsletter which will include free event
information.
Austin360.com
Austin360 has a great resource called the SXSW Side Parties
Database. This service is really useful because you can choose the
category of “Interactive” and check “Yes” for only free events. The
guide also details the RSVP process. If you’re not familiar with the
SXSW RSVP process, know that you do need to plan ahead for RSVP

2. parties. If you don’t RSVP, it’s unlikely you will get in. (Remember,
some of these free parties still have a VIP line.)
Read more: http://technorati.com/technology/article/how-to-have-a-
free-sxsw/#ixzz1r8r4jUcC