Magnus Brøyn on the main trends from SXSW

Hi, I'm Magnus Brøyn. I'm the Managing partner of Coxit, which is a PR and communications agency based in Oslo, Norway. Sao Pai is of course a really cool place to be. And there's a lot of things happening on the dance floor at night, but also on the conference floor during the day where the combination of interactive technology, digital, social media, trends and people get together with creative people and creative ideas and rock stars and true movie stars on the dance floor at night. So the mix here in Austin is really what makes Sao Pai stand out as I would say the place to be. And it's also become exactly the unique mix of creativity and technology and fun, entertainment. What life is all about these days. It's really interesting to see that. For instance, over the past three, four years there has been a true development from a lot of the focus was back then on apps and social media, social buzz and buzzwords. For instance, a couple of years ago we got a lot of attention here at Sao Pai on Meerkat and Periscope, the new video sharing apps. And video has always been a part of true communication and the way you need to engage. But what happened was that not necessarily you do that through a third party app. You do that more integrated as a part of the services and the websites you visit and Facebook which turned on live or other kinds of social experiences. So I would say that this year we have a lot of buzzwords like chatbots. You want to build a chatbot, how to build it, artificial intelligence, what's it all about. Just before coming to Sao Pai I spent a few days in San Francisco this year at Google's Next Conference at Moscone Center. Basically everything was about AI and machine learning. And that's also something which I would say is a part of the buzzwords here at Sao Pai this year. But at the same time potentially even more so at Google's conference in San Fran. So that's a few of them. In addition of course we have AR, VR which is something that really was highlighted last year here in Austin. And there's quite a bit of focus on that as well. In addition to that I think what's really important to realize is that this conference is getting more mature. Now it's the 31st year and now a lot of the big questions are given focus. Not just about sharing economy or just about smart cities or politics or ethics. Because one of the things I find really interesting is what happens with the ethics when the machines start figuring out what you and I are really interested about and what engages us. And how do you deal with that from the inside and out in the large tech companies that really need to take a stand when it comes to the ethics. How to really put an effort into understanding and prioritizing both the ability to utilize this great opportunity that technology gives us but at the same time making sure that we stay on the right playing field and that we are in a way dealing with the rapid revolution I would say it is within at least that kind of space. In addition to that of course there's a lot of people here and a buzz word is I would say have fun. Engage socially. Meet people because if you come to Austin and you really don't meet people you go to bed at 7.30 you know what you're missing out on something which is really a part of being here. So it's possible to get a lot of insight into the business and have a lot of fun and in addition potentially also get to know a few people that could turn out to be really interesting to pick up the dialogue with also in the business related context following the conference. What's really important this year and I think also we saw it a bit last year is that now it's not all about the buzz words anymore to be honest. So to be really clear about the buzz words this conference is not all about the buzz words anymore. It used to be but now it's about what you're asking me. It's about the fact that we have to put the buzz words and the technology and the digital social possibilities into a context where it provides true value as a part of the life we are living but also as a part of the business environment that we're a part of. And that's the main thing I would say this year is that we are more into the whole ecosystem. We're more into making sure that there's created business true business value and that there are also created true value for the users on I would say a lot of levels and a lot of different ways that earlier wasn't mainly in focus. And one of the things that makes this you know drives this development I think is also that the social landscape is much more mature now. I mean just go back three four years now we have like a more established social landscape with social media players you know we know who they are and it's not really that easy to break it anymore. And we also get familiar with video and we get familiar with other kinds of content and what it really matters what what what what is it all about. What's the new age of digital media for instance. Of course it's all about making sure to utilize how media is consumed not today but tomorrow and for sure not how it was consumed 10 20 50 100 years ago which sorry to say is is what the media industry is is not really able to deal with. There is not really one huge buzzword. I would say one of them could be health and health care and health tech and but that's also because they they have put a lot of effort the last few years into building the health care tracks. And since we also had the pleasure I must say of of having Obama's wingman here. This year Joe Biden following up on Obama's presence last year. Of course just those two guys in addition to Michelle Obama also makes you know this conference move in the direction of the more complex and the more overall questions that needs to be solved or at least needs to be addressed. So that's what also has been happening with this conference during the last couple of years is that we still need to have fun but but it's become a much more integrated and politically driven and ethically based platform for discussion and interaction related to what kind of role does technology play today and what kind of what kind of future do we want to foresee within digital and social media. And given that what kind of content you need to engage in producing and consuming. It's not just a question of fake news. It's not it's not just a question of a precedent or a presidency or presidential acts. It's a question of what you and I and everyone else that comes together and engage in this landscape is really able to put put an effort into. And that's what this conference has become. So I must say to be quite honest perhaps it's also becoming a bit more boring. But at the same time I think that's what happens you know when you grow out of your teenage you know and start you know the adult life and that's what is doing. And for sure if you're thinking of the interactive part of the conference which you know wasn't established until a bit later. So now we're in the process of becoming adults and you know what I think I like it. But at the same time we need to have fun. True Salpa lover and by being a Salpa lover I mean that I would like to see this conference live for at least 30 or 31 years going forward. But I have to you know share a few reflections and one of them is that this conference has over the past couple of years become a conference where it's been more politically driven. It's been also a strategic shift for the conference. You know what is Salpa really. You know it's it's it's I would say the woodstock for digital and social and technology driven enthusiasts people I want to come together and share knowledge and insights and discuss and socially engage with each other. And as as a contextual framework around that you have the rock stars the musicians you have a lot of things going on on that scene. And on the other side you have the true movie stars that you know are present launching movies and doing interviews. So that's really the DNA of Salpa. And what I've seen at least from my point of view over the past few years is that this conference is trying to become you know it's it's moving out of its teenage years and it's becoming you know a more mature line of set up also when it comes to the social parts but also when it comes to how we interact as as you know the sessions and what they plan for us. What's on the program. So I think that they're changing the way this conference is put together and I think that's strategically potentially smart. But what we're seeing this year which is the first year is that they're adding a few aspects now. Everyone can join more or less every session film and movie badges can join the interactive sessions etc. And the other way around and they're trying to really go into the core the DNA of the conference of of Salpa. But I think anyway still it's a bit hard to do that. And we need a few more years to see whether that strategy is really executed in the way that makes this conference stand out in the way it has done throughout the last five years at least. The other part they're trying to do is that they're trying to at least as I see it is that they're trying to make the program expand it and make it more wide. They're adding like they've done a couple of years now comedy. They're adding health care or adding a few different tracks which is really good and it's potentially also a way of making sure that recruiting and education is also other examples. It's a way of making sure that they grasp more interest probably. But at the same time it's a question of whether it's too much or whether the audience which you know know this conference quite well is moving in the same direction. So I think that what we'll see throughout the next couple of years is that OK it's been great to have Obama and Obama's here. They literally more or less moved the White House down for a week last year and this year Barack Obama has sent his wingman and we got today a true moment of bromance from Joe Biden. There's a lot of good things about the development and I really really support that. On the other hand perhaps we're missing out on a bit of what really was the core of South by which was that you never knew what to get. You never knew where this session would end or where it would take you and also in a more concrete manner. So when we're not so focused I would say on buzzwords anymore it's also because you know the world the social digital world is is is evolving and is getting more mature. And that's also what what's so high is trying to do. And let's see whether so high is able to keep up with the pace and and and deliver and execute on its own strategy which for me is quite clear. It's to expand the footprint footprint while at the same time integrate what they already have as the core of this conference. And I think it's it's difficult to do that two things at the same time. But I think also if they succeed on doing that they are you know they have a great future ahead and they will become a 60 60 year old Woodstock experience that we can enjoy for many many more years to come.