I was pretty disappointed when SXSW2020 was canceled. I was scheduled to present for the first time. I had never even been to Austin before. I had practiced my talk again and again, had a killer slide deck, a great dress and shoes, and dreams of late-night tacos and music–then got word that due to the global pandemic, the event would not go forward. Organizers struggled to put together an online experience last-minute, but as SXSW itself let go a third of its workforce in the days after the cancellation, it was difficult to transform the event quickly into an entirely different type of conference.
For 2021, organizers decided on an online-event from the beginning. The conference will be held March 16-20, 2021, and for a fraction of the cost (now $149). Learn more and register here.
I’ve applied to speak again! My session is called The Empathetic Workplace. Check it out here and please give it an upvote! Voting is open until November 20, 2020.