SXSW (South by Southwest) 2011

The SXSW Music and Media Conference is now officially as old as  the perfect bottle of Chivas Regal (that's right the big 2 - 5)! And, like every other 25 year old, SXSW is already gearing up for a great party. If you weren't invited this is definitely the one to crash.

Like a considerable chunk of the population you might be thinking, what is S.X.S.W.? Some kind of leather and bondage convention? No, no, nothing that kinky (usually). SXSW (South by Southwest) is a  series of conferences, concerts and festivals where eclectic music, independent film and new technologies converge over the course of over a week (March 11-20 2011) in sunny Austin, Texas. It is THE place to be on the cutting edge of...everything.

SXSW Music (March 16-20): Hundreds, literally hundreds, of artists in over 80 venues all over and around Austin, Texas. Some past South by Southwest bands include R.E.M., Lou Reed, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The White Stripes, The Black Keys, Kings of Leon, Public Enemy, Ingrid Michaelson, Fleet Foxes, Ghostface, Smokey Robinson, Cheap Trick, MGMT, the Dixie Chicks and Vampire Weekend. There is no way you won't find something you like. To see this last year's South by Southwest 2010 lineup go to www.sxsw.com. South by Southwest 2010 music featured some of the most unique and up and coming artists around and South by Southwest 2011 will be no exception.

SXSW Film (March 11-19): More than 250 films playing in 6 venues. Comedies, indies, and documentaries by all kinds of filmmakers. Some films from the South by Southwest lineup 2010 (SXSW line  2010) include: Academy Award winner for Best Picture ‘The Hurt Locker', Seth Rogen's ‘Observe and Report', foreign film ‘Sin Nombre' and, of course, the unforgettable ‘Lesbian Vampire Killers'. And this event is wide open. Independent documentaries, music videos, animated movies and shorts are welcome to submit a film.

SXSW Interactive (March 11-15): An interactive festival with more than 200 sessions with ScreenBurn Arcade, great networking events and SXSW awards. Twitter? Foursquare? WhoLinksToMePro? All debuted at past SXSW festivals and conferences. Whether you are a business or tech enthusiast SXSW has what's coming next for you.

Most of the action centers around the Austin Convention Center where attendees can get their badges and participate in many of the talks, conferences trade shows and panels. The off-premises events such as music performances and film screenings are almost all within walking distance.

Now, obviously, SXSW is a big event and it is, of course, not easy to find close by places to stay. MetroFlats still has rooms available at it's vacation rentals in Austin. It's a super-convenient way to get amazing rooms for big groups at low prices. Click here for a list of available vacation rentals.

Another way to stay under budget is to get your tickets early. The South by South West website has a chart with all the deadlines.

Movies and tech toys by day, great music and one of the biggest cities in Texas by night. Spending a week in the Lone Star State this year is a must.