How do you reimagine a city-wide icon when its central venue is gone? In this Convene Talk, the team unpacks SXSW 2026 and its pivot to badge-specific neighborhoods across Austin. We dig into why constraints spark creativity, what “villages” mean for brand activations and attendee flow, how to balance strategy vs. serendipity, and whether asking attendees to set goals up front is fair.

Links:

· Four Insights on SXSW’s Evolving Brand Activation Landscape for 2026: https://www.eventmarketer.com/article/insights-sxsw-evolving-brand-landscape-2026/

· Designing a More Natural Convention Center for Austin: https://www.pcma.org/natural-convention-center-austin/

· Will This Be the Greenest Convention Center on the Planet?: https://www.pcma.org/greenest-convention-center-2/

· PCMA EduCon Speaker Andrew Davis on Innovating for the Future of Events: https://www.pcma.org/andrew-davis-pcma-educon-speaker-innovating-future-events/

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Meet the Convene Editors: https://www.pcma.org/contact/

· Michelle Russell, Editor in Chief

· Barbara Palmer, Deputy Editor

· Jennifer N. Dienst, Senior Editor

· Kate Mulcrone, Managing Digital Editor

· Magdalina Atanassova, Digital Media Editor

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Contact Information: For any questions, reach out to Magdalina Atanassova, matanassova(at)pcma(dot)org.

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Music: Inspirational Cinematic Piano with Orchestra