Official SXSW app offers schedules, networking opportunities

Austin American-Statesman - By Gary Dinges - Published: 7:43 p.m. Wednesday, March 14, 2012

If you see visitors checking their smartphones while wandering downtown Austin this week, odds are that many are using the South by Southwest mobile app.

The app, developed by Xomo, a Vancouver, British Columbia, company, has interactive, film and music schedules and allows users to post photos and connect with fellow attendees. It works online or offline.

Social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter are integrated as well.

"South by Southwest is the perfect storm of events, and when you walk out of one event, you want to know what's next," said Jeff Sinclair, the company's co-founder.

This is Xomo's second year to provide the official SXSW app for mobile devices. It also has a contract to provide the 2013 app.

"The usage is astronomical," he said. "We've been told it's been generating more traffic than Facebook at the convention center."

The 3-year-old company brought about 20 employees to SXSW this year, bunking at three houses just south of downtown. They've spent a considerable amount of time surveying festival-goers, getting feedback on the app.

"It's such a critical audience, and it's really important for us to connect with them," Sinclair said. "We've been getting absolutely amazing feedback."

Contact Gary Dinges at 912-5987

Source: statesman.com