SXSW

The SXSW (“South by Southwest”) is really three festivals in one—interactive, film and music. The Austin-based festival began in 1987.
   
 
SXSW History
History of SXSW
South by Southwest (SXSW, Inc.) is a private company based in Austin, Texas, with a year-round staff of professionals dedicated to building and delivering conference and festival events for entertainment and related media industry professionals. Since 1987, SXSW has produced the internationally recognized Music and Media Conference & Festival.

As the entertainment business adjusted to issues of future growth and development, in 1994, SXSW added conferences and festivals for the film industry (SXSW Film) as well as for the blossoming interactive media (SXSW Interactive Festival). Now three industry events converge in Austin during a Texas-sized week, mirroring the ever increasing convergence of entertainment/media outlets.

In addition to the SXSWeek events, SXSW is also involved in North by Northeast (NXNE), held in Toronto, Canada in late Spring, in association with NOW, an alternative newsweekly in Toronto.
 
Why Austin?
The first South by Southwest Music Conference and Festival (SXSW) was held in 1987 in Austin, Texas. Despite the fact that Austin was not a Top 20 major market at the time, the background and character of the city made it a perfect location for the conference. Austin was considered a fairly cosmopolitan town for its size because of the University of Texas, which draws people from all over the world. As home to the state government and Texas Legislature it has also always been a popular party town, with a reputation that goes back to the 19th century when numerous nightspots and bars were populated by General Custer’s troops after the Civil War. These nightspots are located in the same areas where the 6th Street and 4th Street club and bar scenes now exist.
 
Austin’s eclectic music scene goes back to early in the city’s history (from Mexican, German and colonial origins) and encompasses a wide variety of music including country, folk, jazz, blues and rock. Central Austin boasts more original music nightclubs in a concentrated area than any other city in the world.
 
The classic problem facing Austin musicians was being isolated from the rest of the world here in the middle of Texas. SXSW was a way to reach out to the rest of the world, and bring them here to do business. To do that successfully, SXSW needed to appeal to people other than local artists whether they were from Austin, Ft. Worth, Chicago, Toronto, Munich or Tokyo.
 
National interest in SXSW was immediate. For years, music businesses on both coasts had been intrigued by what was going on in Austin. The cosmic cowboy, blues, punk and other scenes had already proven that Austin was a receptive place for bands to be creative. With SXSW, music industry executives gained a good excuse to visit.
 
International interest in SXSW began the second year due to many Austin and American bands finding their first success in Europe. Conversely, there was a lot of interest from SXSW registrants in the international bands who came to perform. SXSW now has offices in Ireland, Germany, Australia and Japan who help bring SXSW registrants to Austin.
 
The music event has grown from 700 people in 1987 to nearly 10,000 people. As Austin has grown and diversified, film companies and high-tech companies have played a major role in the Austin and the Texas economy. In 1994, SXSW added a film and interactive component to accommodate these growth industries. SXSW Film and SXSW Interactive events attract approximately 7000 people to Austin every March.
 
SXSW’s original goal was to create an event that would act as a tool for creative people and the companies they work with to develop their careers, to bring together people from a wide area to meet and share ideas. That continues to be the goal today whether it is music, film or the internet. And Austin continues to be the perfect location. 
 
(Trademark)
Word Mark SXSW
Goods and Services IC 041. US 100 101 107. G & S: educational and entertainment services, namely conducting conferences, festivals and seminars in the fields of music, film, video, computer and multimedia. FIRST USE: 19870130. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 19870130
Mark Drawing Code (1) TYPED DRAWING
Design Search Code
Serial Number 75090634
Filing Date April 18, 1996
Current Filing Basis 1A
Original Filing Basis 1A
Published for Opposition December 17, 1996
Registration Number 2043596
Registration Date March 11, 1997
Owner (REGISTRANT) SXSW, Inc. CORPORATION TEXAS P.O. Box 4999 Austin TEXAS 78765
Attorney of Record Shannon T. Vale
Type of Mark SERVICE MARK
Register PRINCIPAL
Affidavit Text SECT 15. SECT 8 (6-YR).
Live/Dead Indicator LIVE
 
(Trademark)
Word Mark SXSW
Goods and Services IC 018. US 001 002 003 022 041. G & S: All purpose sports bags. FIRST USE: 19990201. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 19990201
IC 025. US 022 039. G & S: T-shirts, tank tops, and hats. FIRST USE: 19870315. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 19870315
Mark Drawing Code (1) TYPED DRAWING
Design Search Code
Serial Number 76102572
Filing Date August 2, 2000
Current Filing Basis 1A
Original Filing Basis 1A
Published for Opposition August 28, 2001
Registration Number 2509383
Registration Date November 20, 2001
Owner (REGISTRANT) SXSW, INC. CORPORATION TEXAS P.O. Box 4999 Austin TEXAS 78765
Attorney of Record Shannon T. Vale
Prior Registrations 2043596;2313345
Type of Mark TRADEMARK
Register PRINCIPAL
Live/Dead Indicator LIVE