[Intergen] January 11th Deadline + Parties + Free Stuff

[SXSW Conferences]

Welcome to the January 2008 edition of the South by Southwest (SXSW) 
Interactive Festival monthly listserve. Read below for more information 
on the January 11 registration deadline as well as the series of 
networking parties SXSW will be hosting this month in various 
tech-entric cities. Additionally, this listserve contains a simple SXSW 
Interactive-related trivia question. Provide the right answer and you 
can win a FREE FREE FREE registration to next year's event. The 2008 
SXSW Interactive Festival happens Friday, March 7 through Tuesday, March 
11 in Austin, Texas, home of creative thinking and a great place to get 
a hearty plate of migas.

In the January 2008 installment of the SXSW Interactive Festival e-mail 
update:

1. Friday, January 11 Registration Deadline: Buy Today and Save
2. Smile and Say Cheese: 2008 Badge Photo Uploading Process Now Open
3. January Networking Parties: San Francisco, Chicago, New York and Seattle
4. So Much Daytime Content: More New Speakers, More New Panels
5. LOL: Eugene Mirman to Emcee 2008 Web Awards Ceremony
6. Be a Player: Get Your Gaming Company into the ScreenBurn Arcade
7. SXSW Interactive Advertising Just Got Easier -- And Less Expensive!
8. More SXSW Marketing Opportunities: On the Floor and In the Bag
9. Game Developers Conference Scheduled Feb 18-22 in San Francisco
10. Virtual Worlds 2008 Scheduled April 3-4 in New York City

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1. Friday, January 11 Registration Deadline: Buy Today and Save

Pay just $375 to attend the 2008 SXSW Interactive Festival if you 
register before the January 11 price increase. That's right, just $375 
for five days of keynotes, panels, Trade Show and exciting evening 
events -- such a deal! As an additional incentive to pay your fees 
before January 11, remember that downtown hotel rooms are very hard to 
find during SXSWeek. But, if you purchase your badge now, you still have 
lots of options in terms of high-quality, affordable rooms that are 
within easy walking distance of the Austin Convention Center. Complete 
registration info is available online at 
http://2008.sxsw.com/register_to_attend/
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2. Smile and Say Cheese: 2008 Badge Photo Uploading Process Now Open

Already registered for the 2008 event? Then make the badge-pickup 
process in Austin quick and painless by uploading a passport-style 
headshot for your SXSW badge. Just login to your Online Registrants 
Directory listing at https://regdir.sxsw.com/registrants/login , click 
on 'BADGE' and follow the directions. This interface will also allow you 
to make any necessary corrections to your Badge information. If you 
don't remember your user name and password, use the above link to 
retrieve it. Finally, please remember that badge pick-up hours for this 
year are slightly different than in previous years. For 2008, 
registration opens at 10:00 am on Friday, March 7. See full schedule of 
registration hours at the right nav bar at http://2008.sxsw.com/
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3. January Networking Parties: San Francisco, Chicago, New York and Seattle

Team SXSW Interactive hits the road this month, hosting networking 
receptions in San Francisco (Tuesday evening, January 8); Chicago 
(Monday evening, January 14); New York (Monday evening, January 21) and 
Seattle (Monday evening, January 28). Attend the party in your city for 
a chance to talk more about the event with SXSW organizers as well as 
other area digital creatives who will be coming to Austin in March. 
Also, we will be giving away one FREE registration to the 2008 SXSW 
Interactive Festival at each of these parties -- so there's even more 
incentive for you to attend! E-mail interpress at sxsw.com to RSVP and to 
obtain information on the specific venue in your city.
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4. So Much Daytime Content: More New Speakers, More New Panels

Programming for the 2008 SXSW Interactive Festival continues to grow and 
grow. This year's event will feature more than 150 panel sessions 
covering a wide variety of geek-related topics. Additionally, we have 
added two new elements to the March lineup -- Book Readings and Core 
Conversations. Recently confirmed speakers for include Daniel Pink (who 
will talk about how manga explains everything on Sunday, March 9) and 
Jane McGonigal (who will keynote on Tuesday, March 11). Learn more about 
daytime programming at SXSW Interactive by clicking here: 
http://2008.sxsw.com/interactive/programming/
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5. LOL: Eugene Mirman to Emcee 2008 Web Awards Ceremony

The SXSW Web Awards showcase this industry's most exciting new trends 
and innovators. Finalists for this year's competition will be announced 
on the SXSW Interactive website on Monday, February 4. These finalists 
will be honored at the gala SXSW Web Awards Ceremony, which is presented 
by Adobe Systems. We are happy to announce that this year's ceremony 
will be emceed by comedian, writer, actor, filmmaker and former Web 
Awards finalist Eugene Mirman. Surf to 
http://2008.sxsw.com/interactive/web_awards/ for complete details.
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6. Be a Player: Get Your Gaming Company into the ScreenBurn Arcade

The newest element of the SXSW Interactive Festival is ScreenBurn, which 
covers the coolest new developments in the world of video games. 
ScreenBurn panels focus on current industry trends, while the ScreenBurn 
Arcade provides a hands-on playspace where registrants can interact with 
the hottest new gaming technologies. If your company wants to score 
points with the cutting-edge crowd at SXSW Interactive, then the 
ScreenBurn Arcade is the place to be. Contact Lindsay Muse 
(lindsay at sxsw.com) for complete details. Hurry, space is selling quickly 
and the sooner you purchase, the better placement you will receive. The 
ScreenBurn Arcade takes place on the first floor of the Austin 
Convention Center on Saturday, March 8 and Sunday, March 9. See 
http://screenburnfest.com/2008/ for details.
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7. SXSW Interactive Advertising Just Got Easier -- And Less Expensive!

Ad space is still available in the 2008 SXSW Interactive Program Guide 
and Directory. Don’t miss your chance to secure your spot inside. And 
for a limited time, get a 30% discount on your Directory ad when you 
also advertise in the March and May issues of SXSWorld, the new glossy 
magazine that covers all aspects of the event. Not only are the prices a 
steal, the March issue of SXSWorld is published TWICE during South By 
Southwest -- so your ad will be featured in both editions. Contact Katie 
King (katie at sxsw.com) for rates and deadlines.
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8. More SXSW Marketing Opportunities: On the Floor and In the Bag

Scheduled Sunday, March 9 through Tuesday, March 11, the Interactive + 
Film (iF!) Trade Show and Exhibition is the hub of daytime activities at 
SXSW Interactive. iF! exhibit space is going very fast. Purchase a booth 
before they all sell out so that you can be one of the hundreds of 
companies to gain attention from industry professionals, filmmakers, web 
gurus and media representatives from around the world. But, don't stop 
there. Advertise your stand space and what you're planning at SXSW 
through an insert in our highly collectible Registrant Big Bags. Touch 
base with Katie King (katie at sxsw.com) for complete details.
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9. Game Developers Conference Scheduled Feb 18-22 in San Francisco

If you like the SXSW Interactive Festival, then we think that you will 
also like the Game Developers Conference, which runs February 18-22 in 
San Francisco. GDC is the world's largest industry-only event dedicated 
to the advancement of interactive entertainment. More than 16,000 game 
industry professionals will convene in San Francisco in 2008 for 
learning, networking, and inspiration with their peers, discussing the 
most current and relevant issues facing game development today. Visit 
the GDC website to read about our keynotes and other featured speakers, 
as well as the complete highlights of the conference in our digital 
preview guide. Register before the early-bird rate deadline of January 
16 and save up to 30%! Get more information at 
http://www.gdconf.com/?cid=o GDC08_RVENX1
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10. Virtual Worlds 2008 Scheduled April 3-4 in New York City

If you like the SXSW Interactive Festival, then we think that you will 
also like Virtual Worlds 2008, which runs April 3-4 in New York. Virtual 
worlds are being rapidly adopted by media and entertainment companies to 
extend established brands, engage audiences, and generate new revenue. 
Virtual Worlds 2008 connects content owners, major brands, and 
technology providers for a complete discussion on virtual world 
solutions. Conference details and registration information are available 
online at http://www.virtualworlds2008.com

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BONUS: Answer Trivia and Win FREE 2008 SXSW Interactive Registration

SXSW Interactive will be hosting a series of networking receptions at 
various US cities (Chicago, New York, San Francisco and Seattle) during 
the month of January. For a chance to win a FREE registration to the 
2008 SXSW Interactive Festival, please tell us which of these four 
cities hosted the first such networking reception in January of 2006. 
HINT: The name of the venue where this initial networking party occurred 
is 111 Minna Gallery.

THE FINE PRINT: E-mail your answer to hugh at sxsw.com. Title this e-mail 
"SXSW Interactive January Trivia Question." All answers must be received 
by 5:00 pm CST on Wednesday, January 9 to be eligible. Only one answer / 
entry / e-mail address per person. Winning entry will be selected 
randomly from all the correct answers received. Winner is given a FREE 
badge for the 2008 SXSW Interactive Festival, but this prize does not 
cover any associated travel or lodging expenses.

Person who wins registration will be notified by e-mail. This person's 
name (as well as the correct answer to the December trivia question) 
will be posted on the SXSW Interactive website later this week.