WDCEP wants you to ‘vote up’ DC-focused panels at SXSW 2019

Earlier this year we highlighted five D.C. tech leaders seen at SXSW 2018 and now WDCEP and the mayor’s office are teaming up again to make sure the local tech scene has a prominent presence at the 2019 innovation festival in Austin, Texas.

As the lineup of events for SXSW 2019 are being solidified, WDCEP is asking the D.C. community to “vote up” D.C.-focused panels in the running for next year’s conference.

In partnership with the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED), the two companies have made six trips to SXSW together to promote the District.

“Garnering the support of residents and businesses throughout the District of Columbia is pivotal to positioning Washington, D.C. as a premier city at the forefront of innovation,” WDCEP CEO Keith Sellars said in a press release. “Their support is crucial to our ability to continually showcase our many talents, especially during highly visible events like SXSW.”

There are four panels in the running that will feature panelists from the D.C. tech community:

• Driving the Autonomous Vehicle Revolution​
• The Future of Funding is Female
• Dockless: The First and Final Mile​
• The Capital of Smart Cities​

The SXSW panel selection committee will weigh 30 percent of its decision on community voting and commentary, and 70 percent on evaluations and input from the SXSW selection committee, staff and the advisory board.

Panel finalists will be announced the week of Oct. 15, and will hit the main stage at SXSW 2019 March 8–17.