The Rebirth of Business – 2021 Themes
As the broken pieces of an unpredictable year continue to find their form again, it's time to consider how we can build back better for the future. 2021 SXSW Online picks up from March 16-20, with our Conference programming that covers over 230 sessions that explore music, film, tech, and much more.
Community-sourced sessions span across seven programming themes for the 2021 event. The Rebirth of Business theme explores capitalism as we look to rebuild the global economy. A potential leveling of the playing field awaits if we seize this opportunity for more equitable systems across race, gender, and class.
Browse Rebirth of Business highlights below and click through to explore the complete list of 2021 SXSW curated sessions.
Disability-Led Innovation in Future Workplaces
Imagine a global economy that actively works to level the playing field across race, gender and class, and which also considers disability, the one dimension of diversity that crosses all others. How can we inclusively design technologies like AR and AI, that will power future augmented workplaces, so we don’t exclude 1.3B people with disabilities (PWDs)? How can we leverage the creativity, skills, and experiences of PWDs to design more usable future workplace tech? What role will disability play in helping businesses gain a competitive advantage? These questions, along with examples of business strategies and inclusive emerging tech, will be explored by a diverse panel: emerging tech accessibility policy consultant, leading futurist, innovative business strategist, and startup founder.
Be a part of this conversation featuring Bill Curtis-Davidson (Partnership on Employment & Accessible Technology), Cathy Hackl (Avatar Dimension), Jonathan David Kaufman (J. Kaufman Consulting), and Zuby Onwuta (Think and Zoom).
Forget Fear: The Tactics Marketers Need Now
For decades, brands have used fear as a motivator – fear quantities would run out, the sale would be over, or you’d be an outcast without a specific product. 2020 introduced a very different, prolonged fear that makes these others seem laughable. Science confirms living with fear saps both a person’s attention and decision-making ability. To succeed in this new era, brands must acknowledge how people will increasingly process their marketing messages – with snap judgements and gut feelings. Understanding how to strategically trigger these instinctive responses will allow businesses to get noticed by their distracted, mentally exhausted targets, and prompt a positive response from them. Discover how brands can tap into the essence of human decision-making. And why they must.
Learn from Nancy Harhut, Chief Creative Officer, HBT Marketing.
Startup Nightmares: Stories From The Dark Side
Startups are the world's most effective value-creation units.They come with their own set of rules, behaviours & expectations. They embody the dream of a democratized economy, where anyone with an idea can change the world, and become wealthy doing so. We've all heard the stories. We've all seen the magazine covers. But how many of us witnessed the collateral damage? How many of us heard of the hidden costs? Translating the good intentions of talented individuals into sustainable frameworks is not an easy thing. So how can investors, founders and startup employees channel their ambition and resources more constructively? This talk offers the stories, lessons and insights to help us do exactly that.
Hear from Tal Shmueli, Founder & Host, Startup Nightmares.
Check out the seven conference themes and browse all The Rebirth of Business sessions.
Join Us for SXSW Online 2021
Register for SXSW Online, a digital experience from March 16-20, 2021. As part of our 2021 offerings, SXSW Online will feature conference keynotes and sessions, film screenings, music showcases, networking, and exhibitions.
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By Luis Seijo
03/4/2021
