Next week, many of us will be heading over to Austin for SXSW – the Interactive and Film crowds will start the gatherings to all intents around lunchtime on Thursday 8th March, and while the Music crowds will take a bit longer to drift to the Texan Capital, the SXSW 2012 clock will have started.

Just time for some last-minute thoughts and things to do in our “Weeks to Go” series.

What I’d suggest now is you take a calm ten minutes, and quietly go through your preparations. Plane tickets, hotel reservations, AirBNB arrangements, all of the stuff that needs to be done… is it done? Have you copies of the information you’ll need? Will you print them out because you know your smartphone will go flat if you rely on it in Austin? I know I said cover the basics at six weeks to go, but let’s check them once more (and that includes Visa or ETSA applications that those Southbyers outside of the US will need to apply for before you fly).

Do it now, and you have just enough time to do a panic order on whatever it is you have.

Everyone has a story to tell at SXSW, and many of you are going to be looking at media outlets, bloggers, websites, newspapers, radio, and anyone else you can find to get the message out. Now is the time to reach out to them, with a short, succinct message, and a clear request of what you’d like (come to our show, are you doing interviews, would you download the application please).

Build up the intrigue on the social networks as well if you are doing a launch, tease a track from a new album, release a new film trailer… SXSW is close enough now that the PR legwork you do now will be remembered next week as it all starts. And for us in the media who are booking interviews with interesting people, great musicians, and amazing films, this is week we want to lock down or diary of appointments. So let’s have both sides help each other out!

Not long now till we all descend on Austin, and hopefully you’ve got your head around planning for SXSW through the last few weeks. So what would we suggest this week? Forget about SXSW as a place to meet new people, find exciting ideas, and decide on a new career direction, just think of it as a way to be around your online friends for a week.

How many people have you got in your social networks that you don’t see on a day-to-day basis? Given that you are off to SXSW, there’s every chance that people in your circles are heading there as well. Do you know who they are? It’s time to ask around, and make sure that everyone who is going knows you’re going as well. Blog posts, Twitter messages, Facebook status, go and get them updated!

Very soon you’ll find a little group who are heading to Austin, and it’s likely to have a mix of newcomers, old hands, and people in between. Perfect.

Now, you’re not going to with the group the whole time, but I’d suggest you have a time that everyone can get together and talk about their time in Austin. There’s always a lot going on, and trying to make sense of it on your own can overwhelm you. So help each other in your crew – I’d suggest you all make a point of having breakfast together before you all go your separate ways. It’s a great time to think about the previous day, and plan the next twenty-four hours.

And if it does get a bit too much, a quick text or DM with “I need coffee” should be a bat signal for everyone else!

It’s all about meeting people.

Strip away the music showcases, the packed panels, the photo walks, the parties, and the Alamo’s mozzarella dippers at midnight, and the core of SXSW is two people making a connection… hundreds of thousands of times over. Sure you might only remember half of the people, follow-up with a handful of them, and go on to do business with one or two, but those connections are why we haul our collective butts to Austin every March.

So how are you going to make the most of the ten seconds or so you’ll get with the people you bump into?

You;re going to cope brilliantly, because you’re going to ask yourself two questions now so you’ll have a clear idea of your goals at SXSW. Ask yourself “why am I going to SXSW?” and “what am I up to just now that I want people to know about?”

That gives you time to sit down and think about your goal (remember you wrote this in your notebook last week … you didn’t? That’s why you’re getting a nudge just now). Part of that goal is going to involve other people, even if it’s just to tell them about the new URL of a website.

Last year I suggested thinking about three ‘stump’ speeches for the eternal SXSW question “how are you doing?” The one for your close friends online; one for the moments you bump into the press and your spidey sense says “now is the time to tell a story”; and a final one for people you have never met before.

If you know how you want to start the conversation with these groups, then all will be well in your SXSW world and you can take that second step with them and find out together what happens next.

You’ve got your tickets and accommodation sorted (six weeks to go), stuff like visas and printing with a strict deadline has been orders (five weeks), now with four weeks to go it’s time to sort out your own SXSW timetable.

Hold on a moment, I hear you digitally thinking, the timetables and schedules aren’t complete, and I thought SXSW Baby! always said go with the flow? That’s true, but even if you are floating around Austin like a leaf in the wind, it’s a nice idea to know what sort of shape you’d like the destination to be. Which is what this week’s get ready is all about.

In my summer break I went to Southby and I got…

Get a blank sheet of paper and grab your sharpie. Write down, in one sentence, your goal for attending South by Southwest, your mission statement, your reason for going. Is it to promote your start-up? …to learn about directing music videos? …to get noticed by the US music press? …to get your mojo back?

Everyone going to SXSW will have a different goal, do you know yours? In a single sentence, sum up how you want you Southby story to end.

Things to get

I’d also suggest you grab yourself a notebook. The hipsters in you can have a dedicated Moleskine book for SXSW, the smarter readers will go for some Field Notes, and no matter how many times I suggest it, the only Filofax at Interactive will be mine. Still, all the agents and promoters at Music will join me with the ring binders, so I’ll keep the powder dry. No matter what you use, keep this close to hand over the next few weeks.

Anyway, note machine in hand (with that mission statement printed in large friendly letters on the front page perhaps?) I’m going to suggest two sections. The first is things to get. Be it medication and pills (Tylenol, paracetamol, ibuprofen, etc), a new hands-free cable for your iPhone, a US to European plug adaptor, you’ll have moments when you remember there is something you want to bring to Austin. Always write it down.

By the time you get ready to leave, you know you’ll have everything you want and need.

People to see

SXSW is all about the moments of meeting people in a corridor, over barbecue, or in line for a secret gig by Stan Bush. Some of those will be happenstance, but others, where you ping someone in a Twitter conversation and say “we have to meet at SXSW!”, you can work on to make happen. In the whirlwind of the Convention Center, you’re not going to be able to remember all those notes, nudges, and status updates. You will miss someone. Again, write it down, and give yourself some targets and goals of people to meet outside of your big statement. It’s unlikely you’ll get the full set, but you’ll get far more than you miss. And what is SXSW if not the connections you can make.

Stuff to do

And finally, how are you going to answer the external question “where’s the party?” once March is here? If you’re me, I flip open my Filofax, and can rattle off to or three for most times of each evening. You can do the same. Whenever you see a link to a party or event, follow it, RSVP, and write it down. Same for your must-see sessions, bands, and films.

Yes, all three of these elements are the same idea – when you have a spark or idea about SXSW, if you can’t act on it at that very moment, then capture it so it’s not lost. A simple idea to improving your time in Austin, but one that’s incredibly powerful. Because when you get to SXSW and there’s no time to think, all you need to do is look at your secret weapon notebook for the next play.

Continuing on from last week’s post covering the basics (in summary, get a ticket, get a travel, pray for a hotel, and break in your boots), let’s look at the other major preparations that have a lead time. If you don’t get these bits sorted in the next seven days, you’re leaving an awful lot to chance – or a pricey next-day rush job.

ETSAs and Visas

Actually, there’s no real way to rush your paperwork if you are travelling across the border into the USA. Make sure you’ve got a valid passport, and even if you’re from a Visa waiver country, you’ll need to apply online for an ETSA. If you’re outside the Visa Waiver, or you are travelling to Southby to do something that’s not covered by the waiver (such as putting on a musical performance or showcase), you’ll need the full Visa – if so start here.

Business cards

Yes we all have snazzy smartphones (at least at Interactive) but there’s nothing simpler than a business card you can swap in a dingy bar, dark BBQ, or the middle of the Austin Convention Center corridor as two of you are pulled in different directions. Leave a bit of white space to scrawl a note and you’re all set. My favourite trick is to do one ‘tag’ on a card about the person who gave it to me, be it #Follow, #Avoid, or #LooksLikeBradMajors.

If you’re looking for some card ideas, can we point out the Moo.com special offer in your SXswag bag? You can pick up 50 cards for P&P only, or if you have a bigger order to put in, there’s a 20% discount code you can use. Naturally other business card printing services are available.

Stickers

Laptop stickers, thumbnails, big circles, cheeky name badges with space beside you company name for people to write their own name… same drill as the business cards, but for some reason flight cases, bags, and laptop lids love stickers at SXSW. The investment will be worth it, and stickers tend to stay on display as people travel the halls of Austin, PR and a walking advert? Simples!

Badges

More one for Music than Interactive,although the geeks love them too, but the inch and two-inch button badges go down wonderfully well. I’ve a little shop in Glasgow (www.weebadgers.com) that put together The Baby! Badges – ask me nicely in Austin for one – but hit up Bing Local or Google and you’ll be fine.

Other stuff… like chalk

There is always something wacky in the back of your mind to do for SXSW. Foursquare bought a box of chalk so they could play foursquare on the pavement; the Secret History of Eurovision brought hundreds of flags on cocktail sticks, every band needs a box of CD’s to give away at a gig, heck I once asked my wife if she could whip up a five foot high Cthulhu arm-puppet so I could stand out.

If you have a crazy idea, now is the time to commit and get it sorted. The clock is ticking…

You got the Austin buzz yet?

With six weeks to go until we all start packing bags and heading to Texas for the absolute brain-smash that makes up Southby, whether you are doing Interactive, Film, Music, or the whole eleven day marathon, we’ll count down to the departure every Monday here on The Baby to keep you pointed (roughly) in the right direction.

This week, how to suck eggs.

Sort out your badge

Look I know it’s pricey, and you might have problems getting it past whoever oversees your finances (be it the VC, the accounts department, or your partner), but it’s not going to get any cheaper. And last year Interactive sold out before March so the safety net of a walk-up badge was simply not there. Make the decision. Go or no-go. Buy the badge, or walk away.

You’ll need the official site to do this bit… sxsw.com/attend.

Where are you crashing?

Hotels are in short supply this year, in fact the official Austin hotels are sold out for Interactive (Fri 9 – Wed 14) so you’ll need to look somewhere else. AirBNB might be an option, as are the Austin Craigslist classified. We’ve got a Room Share Forum that might be able to help as well. Ask around your friends on Facebook, Twitter, etc, and see if you can find a room buddy for the event – that cuts the cost down as well.

Transport Sorted?

Austin is not in the floo network (I think the clean air act had a huge impact on routes) so you can either road-trip yourself to Austin – in which case get the vehicles booked in for a service before you leave – or you’ll be flying in. Flying in with everyone else to Austin-Bergstrom International. Which means flights will fill up and get more expensive. If you’ve made the call to get here, you do have the flight tickets sorted, booked, and locked down. Right?

Break in the footwear.

I’ll make a prediction right now about your time at SXSW that is 100% going to come true. You will be walking for miles. Every day. Without fail. Put aside the dainty ballet shoes with a sole, forget the fantastically strappy sandals with the kitten heels, or the cool trendy canvas loafers. You need something that supports the ankle, that cushions the impact, that’s comfortable and are broken in!

Simply put, you need a pair of boots made for walking.

You either have them in your closet, or you need to buy them now and start wearing them round the house so your feet won’t get cut to ribbons by the time you to Austin