Earlier this week, we told you about the thriving startup scene in Austin, TX, which is home to South By Southwest (SXSW), one of the largest events of the year for the startup community. Many startups have used the Interactive portion of SXSW to launch their new product, including Twitter and Foursquare, and now the organizers of the event are offering special package for companies that can help with that process.
Announced yesterday, The aptly named “Launch Package” provides companies with floor space at March’s Film and Interactive Trade Show, as well as advertisements in the event program, inclusion at an invite-only press event, and the opportunity to get their “creative swag” in gift bags to be distributed at the event.
Priced at $5000, the Launch Package also includes two sponsored posts on both the SXSW Facebook page and on the event’s Twitter account. Combined with the other offers, companies can save over $2000 by purchasing the package.
“This turn-key solution includes assets to maximize your footprint at the festival, as well
as outreach through the SXSW social networking channels and direct access to key media
at a private meet the press event,” says Katie King, who manages sales for SXSW Interactive.
Exposure is great for any small business hoping to gain traction and there is no better place to be seen than at SXSW. Last year’s SXSW event saw over 31,000 attendees with over 24,000 visiting the Film and Interactive trade show, making the Launch Package a highly valuable opportunity for startups.
Pricing for vendors at SXSW can get fairly expensive depending on the size of the display and when it is ordered. The last chance to save any money on a display was back in November, and now business looking to set up shop on the trade show floor are looking at prices ranging from $1560 for a single stand to $4446 for a large end cap. Bundling the floor display with print advertisements and “swag bag” inserts could be an excellent way to save some money with the event just two months away.
Photo by Flickr user Matthew Simantov.
