Destinations Promote Tourism and Tech Culture With Pop-Up ‘Houses’ at SXSW Austin
Photo Credit: Alexander Mankowsky, head of future studies & ideation at Daimler AG, discusses "The Self Driving Car of the Future" at the German Haus at SXSW 2016. Koelnmesse
Skift Take
In a super competitive market to attract high-tech talent, cities are promoting their overall livability and lifestyle attributes as much as their tech economies. At SXSW 2016, they accomplished that with expensive and experiential destination marketing strategies integrating local venues and global panels highlighting the future of business.
Sweden’s tourism and economic development agencies wanted a lively outdoor venue to promote themselves at South By Southwest (SXSW) Interactive in Austin last week, above and beyond the Nordic Europe booth located on the trade show floor.
So the Swedish group, along with a small share of other Scandinavian organizations, took over the Waller Creek Boathouse next to Four Seasons Austin and converted it into the Nordic Lighthouse for the 5-day festival. Sweden then branded its specific programming as the Swedish Affair at SXSW 2016.
From a positioning standpoint, the boathouse aligned with Sweden’s active and outdoorsy destination brand image. Second, it provided a large customizable venue for Sweden’s economic agencies, tech startup companies, tourism officials, and trendy bands to engage with American investors, businesses and academic institutions.
This was the first year that Sweden opened an official offsite “SXSW House.” It joined numerous other destination e
