South by Southwest 2019 begins tomorrow. Bill and I picked up our badges at the Austin Convention Center yesterday. We each received a bag with a colorful logo and a slim Interactive guide inside. That was all—the Film and Music guides weren’t ready yet. In past years, SXSW bags (one each for Film, Interactive AND Music) contained lots of conference information and freebies. Now all SXSW information is online, and freebies can be collected at the Trade Show and various venues.

SXSW preparations were underway at the Convention Center: signage was already posted, badge distribution had started, merchandise booths were being set up, and food venues were receiving deliveries.

Film posters were being hung in a corner of the Convention Center. Looks like an interesting selection of movies this year, including a ton of documentaries.

All garbage cans, poles, pillars, bike racks, and utility boxes near the Convention Center have been wrapped in plastic wrap. These will be completely covered with posters and stickers by the end of SXSW.

Various buildings around town were being converted into SXSW venues. This complex on Third Street will become the Dell Experience. Most of the Rainey Street bars will be taken over by various businesses. Temporary buildings were being constructed on the few surface parking lots that remain in downtown Austin.

The Mexic-Arte Museum on Congress Avenue is appropriately becoming Casa Mexico for the coming week. [WARNING TO BILL] I have marked the following potential travel destinations on my SXSW online calendar: The New Japan Islands, Canada House, House of Scandinavia, Fort Worth on Rainey, Michigan House, British Music Embassy, #WeDC House, AUSTRALIAHOUSE, and Cheeselandia Wisconsin. That last one is supposed to feature a 5-foot ferris wheel made out of cheese.

This will be the first SXSW since Austin was overrun with dockless scooters and bikes. The city has already announced that these vehicles will be banned on some streets, including Sixth and Rainey Streets. We’ll see how this all works out over the next ten days…

© Austin Downtown Diary, 2019. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Austin Downtown Diary with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.