SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST ANNOUNCES INITIAL KEYNOTES AND FEATURED SPEAKERS FOR 2020 CONFERENCE

Former President and COO of Nintendo of America Reggie Fils-Aimé and Musician and Visual Artist Kim Gordon Announced as KeynoteFeatured Speakers Announced Include Chip & Joanna Gaines, Benny Blanco, Robert Rodriguez, Shoshana Zuboff, Chris Hughes, Cheech Marin, Roxane Gay, Yo-Yo Ma, Steve DeAngelo, Guy Laliberté, Tressie McMillan Cottom, Nile Rodgers, Camille François, John Maeda, Col Needham, Kwame Onwuachi, Amy Webb, and More

Austin, Texas — September 10, 2019 — South by Southwest® (SXSW®) Conference and Festivals (March 13–22, 2020) has announced the initial Keynote and Featured Speakers for the 34th edition of its annual Conference, which celebrates the convergence of technology, film, and music industries. 

“We’re kicking off the 2020 season with a captivating group of speakers. From Keynotes Reggie Fils-Aimé, who oversaw Nintendo of America during its most successful era, and Kim Gordon, a creative virtuoso whose passion and achievements have paved the way for others, to our diverse range of expert Featured Speakers, these talents prove that SXSW is the premier destination for innovation and creative discovery,” said Hugh Forrest, Chief Programming Officer.

“We’ve also added new tracks and more programming to the second half of the week, as our event evolves to reflect the continued convergence of the industries who gather here.“

The SXSW Conference is organized into 22 programming tracks, divided between Interactive, Film, Music, and Convergence themes and presented in a variety of session formats. The 2020 Conference will present several new and updated tracks, including Climate & Social Action, Connection & Culture, Game Industry, and Professional Development. Once again, SXSW is offering expanded access to events for all registrants. Attendees will receive primary access to programming associated with their badge type but now also enjoy secondary entry to most other SXSW events. Newly-announced SXSW 2020 Keynotes include:

• Managing Partner at Brentwood Growth Partners and former President and COO of Nintendo of America Reggie Fils-Aimé (Convergence)
• Musician, singer, songwriter, visual artist, and actress Kim Gordon (Music)

Newly-announced Featured Speakers include:

• Founder and Chief Trend Curator of the Non-Obvious Company Rohit Bhargava
• Producer, songwriter, artist Benny Blanco
• Cannabis rights activist Steve DeAngelo
• Starburst Accelerator co-founder & Managing Partner Van Espahbodi
• Graphika Chief Innovation Officer Camille François
• Entrepreneurs and Magnolia founders Chip and Joanna Gaines
• Entrepreneur and Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes in conversation with TechCrunch’s Josh Constine
• Author and co-founder and CEO of Affectiva Dr. Rana el Kaliouby
• Cirque du Soleil, One Drop Foundation and Lune Rouge founder Guy Laliberté
• Designer, author and technologist John Maeda
• Actor and comedian Cheech Marin in conversation with Filmmaker Robert Rodriguez
• IMDB Founder and CEO Col Needham
• James Beard Award-winning chef and author Kwame Onwuachi
• Executive Director of Los Angeles Department of Cannabis Regulation Cat Packer 
• C3 Presents concert and festival promoter Huston Powell 
• Musician, producer and songwriter Nile Rodgers in conversation with music industry executive and entrepreneur Merck Mercuriadis 
• Quantitative futurist, author and founder and CEO of the Future Today Institute Amy Webb 
• Author and scholar Shoshana Zuboff

Newly-announced Featured Sessions Include: 

• Activating Change with a Cello and a Shovel: an exploration of how to use culture to transform social problems that create division and uncertainty into moments that confirm community and activate change, featuring musician Yo-Yo Ma and artist Pedro Reyes. Moderated by NPR’s Peter Sagal.
• Changing the Immersive Storytelling Wild West: a conversation about how to collaborate to create sustainable, transformative and inclusive work in immersive storytelling, between Royal Shakespeare Company Director of Digital Development Sarah Ellis; anthropologist, technologist, professor and Intel senior fellow Genevieve Bell; and Guild of Future Architects Executive Director Kamal Sinclair. Moderated by Watershed CEO Clare Reddington.
• Hear to Slay: a live podcast recording offering compelling conversations and uncommonly incisive reads of the politics and pop culture that shape the world we live in, featuring writer, editor and podcaster Roxane Gay; award-winning professor and author Tressie McMillan Cottom; and Special Guest.

SXSW dedicates itself to helping creative people achieve their goals. Founded in 1987 in Austin, Texas, SXSW is best known for its conference and festivals that celebrate the convergence of the interactive, film, and music industries. An essential destination for global professionals, the event features sessions, showcases, screenings, exhibitions, and a variety of networking opportunities. SXSW proves that the most unexpected discoveries happen when diverse topics and people come together. SXSW 2020 will take place March 13 – 22, 2020. For more information, please visit sxsw.com. To register for the event, please visit sxsw.com/attend.