Do you have a great idea for a panel for the the 2008 SXSW Interactive Festival? If so, then please read on.

Next year's event will feature 128 programming slots over the space of five days: Friday, March 7 through Tuesday, March 11. At least 64 of these slots will be filled by programming that comes directly from ideas submitted by the online community.

Programming ideas will be accepted beginning Friday, June 1. The deadline for submitting these ideas is Friday, July 20.

Beginning Monday, August 20, all ideas received via this submission process will be posted on the 2008 SXSW Panel Picker. This web application allows anyone in the online community to vote on the ideas they feel are more appropriate for the 2008 event. Panel Picker voting will continue through Friday, September 7.

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If you are interested in this process, then please e-mail your panel idea(s) to interpanels at sxsw.com. Your e-mail should include the following information. Failure to answer these questions will handicap your chances for being considered to be part of the event.

All information requested below will be posted on the Panel Picker, except for bio and potential other speakers.

If you are submitting multiple panel ideas, please fill out all of this information for each panel idea submitted. Please do NOT submit more than three panel ideas.

1. Do you Have the Time? Do you have sufficient time to prepare for this session and to make sure other speakers on your session have also prepared?

2. Who are You? In 50 words or less, please tell us who you are and why you are qualified to organize this session. Please also give us the best URL for us to link to on the Panel Picker.

3. Tentative Title for the Session. Please limit this title to seven words or less. Catchy titles are always good.

4. 50-Word Description. What is the focus of this session? Please make your description as specific as possible within this 50-word framework.

5. Three Takeaways. In 50 words or less, list three information-points that attendees will learn from your session.

6. Solo Presentation or Panel Format. Is this session a solo presentation (just you) or a panel (three or four speakers, plus a moderator)?

7. Other Speakers for the Session. If this proposal is intended to be a panel, who are other potential speakers you would want to include on the panel? Please try to be realistic with your answer -- although realize this is a blue-sky type question (and you do not need to have formally confirmed these names at this stage of the game).

8. Beginner, Intermediate or Advanced. What level of audience expertise on the given topic is this session geared to? (Submissions that are geared to "all levels" will be marked as "Beginner" on the Panel Picker interface).

9. Technical or Philosophical. Will this session focus on code and other technical matters? Or will it be geared more to philosophical ideas and concepts?

10. Category of the Session. From the list of categories below, please select the one that most closely matches the focus of the session you have proposed. If none match your idea, please categorize as "miscellaneous."

Business
Content
Design
Gaming
Joint Panel (issues applicable to the convergence of Interactive and Film)
Marketing
Mobile / Wireless
Next Generation
Programming
Social
Miscellaneous

For more information on the Panel Submission Process, please read the FAQ below.

Also, if you do not have a fully-developed panel idea (but would like to recommend a speaker for the 2008 event), then e-mail this name to interpanels at sxsw.com. Please include a 50-word description of why you think this person would be a good fit for SXSW. Names received via this process will be placed in available slots as needed. In other words, your chances of being accepted as part of the event are probably higher if you submit a well-developed panel idea.

Please feel free to pass along this URL to friends, associates and colleagues who might also be interested in submitting panel ideas to the 2008 event.

Finally, please note that this information applies only to panels for SXSW Interactive (not for SXSW Film or SXSW Music).

PANEL SUBMISSION FAQ

I. Basic Information
II. Panel Picker
III. Timetable
IV. Tips for Panel Submission
V. Assorted Loose Ends

I. Basic Information

What are the dates for panels for the 2008 event?
The 2008 SXSW Interactive Festival is scheduled from Friday, March 7 through Tuesday March 11 at the Austin Convention Center in Austin, Texas. Panels begin Friday afternoon and run through Tuesday afternoon.

How long are panel sessions?
All panel session are 60 minutes in length. The last 10-15 minutes of this session is typically devoted to questions from the audience.

What is the level of expertise of the SXSW Interactive audience?
While many SXSW Interactive attendees are experts in their fields, others are less advanced. This range of expertise is one of the reasons we ask that you label whether your panel proposal will be beginner, intermediate or advanced in focus.

How many panel proposals do you expect to receive this year?
We expect to receive several hundred panel proposals for the 2008 event. We have room for 128 panel sessions at the SXSW Interactive Festival. At least 64 of these sessions will come directly from the panel submission process. In other words, this is a highly competitive process.

What is the general tone of panels at SXSW?
In 2007, panels ranged from the highly technical ("Unleashing CSS") to the highly philosophical ("Ghost in the Machine: Spirituality Online"). Click here to see complete list of 2007 panels. We are looking to have a similar wide range of panel topics at the 2008 event.

What is the difference between a solo presentation and a panel?
A solo presentation features one speaker, whereas a panel features three or four speakers as well as a moderator.

What kind of technical facilities can I expect at SXSW?
Panel rooms are equipped with a computer, a high-speed fixed Internet connection and a projection system. Additional equipment can possibly be added to the panel room if the panel organizer notifies SXSW of such needs -- notification must be submitted to SXSW by Friday, January 11.

II. Panel Picker

What is the Panel Picker?
The Panel Picker is an online application that allows / encourages anyone in the web community to vote on which panel submissions should be a part of SXSW Interactive. Last year was the first year we used the Panel Picker -- look for the 2008 version of this application to have several improvements.

When does voting for the Panel Picker open?
The 2008 SXSW Interactive Festival Panel Picker will launch on Monday, August 20.

When does voting for the Panel Picker close?
The 2008 SXSW Interactive Festival Panel Picker will close on Friday, September 14.

Doesn't the Panel Picker ultimately reward people with large mailing lists who can generate lots of votes?
Not necessarily. While high vote totals are an important part of the process, they are not the exclusive measure of Panel Picker success. The votes of past attendees and past speakers are given slightly more consideration than the votes of the general web community.

What other factors go into the decision-making process for which panels get accepted into the event?
The results of Panel Picker voting are reviewed by the SXSW Interactive Festival Advisory Board -- and the members of this board are encouraged to recommend sessions that they feel are most relevant for the event. Also, feedback from previous events is important. In other words, if John Smith gained very high ratings as a panelist at the 2007 SXSW Interactive Festival, these ratings will be incorporated into the decision-making process for 2008?

What happens if my panel idea is accepted?
If your panel is accepted, we will touch base with you with lots more information on how to make your panel idea a reality. Also, if your panel is accepted, you will receive a FREE Gold registration for SXSW 2008.

III. Panel Submission Timetable

When does the panel submission process close?
The panel submission process closes on Friday, July 20.

Is there any advantage to submitting my panel idea ASAP?
If your idea is ready to submit now, then please send it over. Otherwise, submitting your panel idea on June 1 is no different than submitting your panel idea on July 19.

What happens if I submit my idea after the July 20 deadline?
Ideas need to be submitted by 11:59 pm on Friday, July 20 to be considered as part of the 2008 event.

When will I learn if my panel has been accepted?
You will be e-mailed no later than Friday, October 19 with information on whether or not your panel has been accepted as part of the 2008 event.

When will the 2008 panel lineup be announced publicly?
An alphabetical list of 2008 panels will be posted on the SXSW Interactive website on Friday, October 26. The tentative day-by-day panel grid will be released on Friday, December 7

If my panel is accepted, when will I need to finalize speakers?
All speakers will need to be finalized by Friday, December 21. After this date, panels with incomplete lineups will be dropped from the schedule.

IV. Tips for Panel Submission

What makes for a strong panel proposal?
Strong panel proposals are very focused and specific. It is better to concentrate on a small aspect of a given topic, as opposed to thinking that you can cover all aspects of the given topic in the 60 minute panel format.

Can you give me more tips on a successful proposal?
Sure. Craft your proposal around a topic on which you are passionate. Don't be afraid to be different -- re-hashing the same topics that are covered in every technology conference can get a little boring. Also, structure your proposal around a topic on which there are dissenting views. As noted below, the most engaging panels at SXSW are those which incorporate well-articulated opinions from a variety of perspective. Put another way, panels that only articulate one viewpoint tend to be dull.

Can you give me any more direction on specific panel topics?
General categories for panel submissions are as follows: Business, Content, Design, Gaming, Joint Panels, Marketing, Mobile / Wireless, Next Generation, Miscellaneous, Programming, and Social. See the 2007 panel page for more information on the kind of content that was featured at last year's event. In terms of 2008 programming, some of the topics that we would like to see more of include:

Alternative Financing
Advanced Programming Tutorials
Content 2.0
Education & Online Technology
Future of the Internet
Internationalization of Content
Maps & Location-Based Services
Non-Traditional Business Models
Technology & the Non-Profit Sector
Women and the Web

What makes for a good panel?
There are three main aspects to a strong panel. First, all speakers have prepared for the session at hand -- the SXSW audience is smart and they are rarely fooled by panelists who have not researched their topic. Second, the panel stays focused on the topic at hand -- if the topic of the session is net neutrality, the audience will be disappointed if the panel ends up discussing Internet radio trends. Third, the session includes one or two dissenting voices -- few things are as boring as a panel in which everyone agrees.

Is the SXSW panel dais an appropriate forum to push my product?
No. Panel programming at SXSW Interactive is about innovative ideas -- not new products. The SXSW audience typically reacts very negatively to programming that they perceive as advetorial. If this is your intention at SXSW, you should consider purchasing a booth at the Trade Show and / or an ad in the Program Book. Please contact Katie King for details on these and other Marketing Opportunities at the 2008 event.

V. Assorted Loose Ends

What are the benefits of organizing a panel?
As a panel organizer, you are given the chance to get your ideas in front of an audience of very influential technology leaders. Additionally, if your panel is accepted, you receive a free Gold registration for the 2008 event.

What are the benefits of submitting a panel proposal?
If you submit a panel proposal and it is NOT accepted, you will be given the option to register for SXSW Interactive at the early-bird discount rate.

Who should I contact if I have questions about this process?
For all questions about the panel submission process, e-mail interpanels at sxsw.com.

How do I submit a speaker idea to the event?
If you do not have a fully-developed panel idea (but would like to recommend a speaker for the 2008 event), then e-mail this name to interpanels at sxsw.com. Please include a 50-word description of why you think this person would be a good fit for SXSW. Names received via this process will be placed in available slots as needed. In other words, your chances of being accepted as part of the event are probably higher if you submit a well-developed panel idea as opposed to submitting yourself (or your client) as a potential speaker.

How do I submit a panel proposal for SXSW Film?
If you are interested in speaking on a panel at the SXSW Film Conference, please contact Matt Dentler.

How do I submit a panel proposal for SXSW Music?
If you are interested in speaking on a panel at the SXSW Music Conference, please contact Andy Flynn

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