5 Things To Do if You’re Not at #SXSW

By Jenna Lebel

I’m not at SXSW. Four members of the Likeable team are in attendance and while they and thousands of other social media geeks and digital creatives are enjoying five days of compelling sessions conducted by the brightest minds in emerging technology and attending an unbeatable lineup of networking events hosted by industry leaders, I’ll be living vicariously through them by way of Twitter. If you’re like me and not in Austin, Texas for the next few days, here are some things you can do that might ease the pain of missing the conference.

Buy the iPad 2

Get a head start on the lighter, faster and thinner iPad2. Starting at just $499, the iPad 2 is available in two colors (black and white) and features an all-new design that’s 33% thinner and up to 15% lighter. Its dual-core A5 chip makes the device two times as fast which means better surfing, watching, gaming, everything. And if that doesn’t make you smile, this sure will, the new iPad features 2 cameras allowing for FaceTime and HD video. Order yours here.

Explore Foursquare 3.0

Don’t kid yourself, you’re excited about the Foursquare update. Foursquare V3 was released this week and if you’re the social media geek I think you are, you’ll love it. Between the new recommendation engine, leaderboard redesign and merchant offer options, Foursquare’s 3.0 version is better than ever. So if you won’t be letting Foursquare be your guide to all the fun stuff happening at SXSW, at least you’ll have a nice new interface to play with when you check-in at your regular spots.

Coordinate a Tweet-up

I’m sure there are a few social media and digital gurus out there who couldn’t make the trip out to Austin. Create your own mini-conference with a tweetup! Or better yet, just have a tweetup to discuss what’s happening at SXSW and how bummed you are not to be there. Check out these tips for organizing a successful tweetup to get you started.

Join the Conversation

Just because you won’t be discussing the best new digital works, video games and innovative ideas with the SXSW attendees in-person it doesn’t mean you can’t weigh in on the conversation. Use TweetChat, Monitter or other tools to stay on top of all of the action and follow all of the relevant hashtags.

Start Planning for Next Year’s Conference

At some point you will have to get over the fact that you’re missing the conference this year. To ensure you don’t miss it two years in a row, get planning now. And pull out all the stops. Start dropping hints to your boss. Start a fan page to make a case for why your presence is needed at the conference. Start raising funds to foot the bill. Don’t get left behind again. Jealousy doesn’t look good on anyone.

Are you at SXSW this year? If not, any advice for others not in attendance? Share in the comments below!