Beautiful.

Two things I want to point out:
1. The destination for the day was Round Top, where there is a huge antiques festival twice a year. I have wanted to go there for some time and finally got to go. But, we didn’t do much more than scout out the event. Nope, no treasures brought home. And, there were many fun treasures to be had! Next time, I go without Doug and in the truck! Shhh, don’t tell him, ok?
2. I dragged my Canon 40D DSLR along, but it never got used. Perhaps I was still a bit fried from last weekend’s wildflower shooting festival – I spent hours driving through the Hill Country and shooting every kind of wildflower growing along the road. Most of the pix in this post were taken from the back of the bike as we were cooking along. Love my little Canon point-and-pray for this type of shooting. It sure is handy to have along.

What was the key takeaway from the ride? I miss riding, holding onto my honey, and exploring. It’s been way too long.

Steph

Jimmy Sones

I will add:
-People will be typing, tweeting and texting during sessions. This is no longer considered “rude” or inappropriate behavior while a speaker is speaking. In fact, the speaker(s) will likely encourage it! Share what you’re hearing/seeing/learning!
-Look for the hashtags (#PRESENTATIONNAME) in sessions. Use these tags when Tweeting about what you heard, saw, learned, etc. If you are looking for more Twitter followers, this is one great way to attract people to your Twitter stream. Be sure to add value when possible, rather than just Tweeting out quotes.
-If you have a question to ask of a speaker/panel, then by all means ask it (at the appropriate time, of course). But, if you simply want to make a statement to prove to the world how brilliant you are, save it. There are many brilliant folks at this event and you’ll do more harm than good to your personal brand if you are seen as grandstanding.
-Always focus on adding value, in conversations, in roundtable discussions, etc. Give first, always.
-Wear comfy shoes as you will likely be doing a lot of walking.
-Business dress is, of course, acceptable, but not the norm. Think about the impression you want to make – what’s the “brand” you’re selling, or the goal(s) you’re trying to achieve while at SX – and dress appropriately.
-Food and drink lines can get very long. Bring water and a snack to hold you over.
-A camera is essential. Yes, your phone camera will work just fine.
-Charging your mobile devices is fairly easy in the conference rooms, halls and meeting spaces. There are usually even companies (like AT&T) sponsoring charging stations, complete with cables. But, I recommend bringing your own cables/plugs so you can charge when and where you need to.
-Go pick up your badge early!!! Even in this day of automated everything, the process for badge retrieval at SX is a bit antiquated (or at least it has been – maybe they’ll surprise us this year?) and can take a long time if you wait to pick up your badge until the opening day.
-If you want a piece of SXSW memorabilia to take home with you, be sure to buy it asap. The best stuff (2012 t-shirts, bags, etc.) is likely to sell out early.
-And I would be remiss as a mom if I didn’t add this last one: don’t drink and drive. It’s just not worth it.