📍 October 13–19 | ICC Sydney & surrounds
1. Why SXSW matters more than ever (and why you should be there)
There are few places where founders, marketers, artists, and AI researchers share the same coffee queue, and that’s what makes SXSW Sydney magic. It’s not just another conference; it’s the collision point of culture, commerce, and creativity. If last year was about discovery, this year is about deployment - how ideas move from panels to prototypes, from podcasts to real-world impact.
🧠 Agentic AI goes hands-on. Fewer “what is AI?” panels, more live demos, workflows, and results.
💬 Marketing gets practical. Expect sessions that show process, not just inspiration - prompts, pipelines, and proof.
🎧 Media keeps evolving. With Reddit & TikTok in the mix and a buzzing podcast stage, distribution meeting the message is the meta-conversation.
🇦🇺 Australia’s moment. Founders here are building for scale with clear eyes — watch the collisions between fintech, retail, health, and creative tech.
This year I’ll be on the ground across AWS activations and Hot Smart Rich community moments, catching the best sessions, side events, and people to watch.
2. How to SXSW like a pro (Brooke’s Playbook)
I was on the founding event team for Years 1 & 2 - so I’ve learnt a thing or two about how to actually do SXSW Sydney right. It’s equal parts tech, culture, and good timing - plan your week and then throw it out the window when the vibes take you down the SXSW vortex!
☕Anchor your day at the Exec Lounge: coffee, ignore emails, take quick resets between sessions.
⚡Follow the sparks: it’s okay to bail on a panel if the hallway conversation is better.
💬Say hello to people you don’t know - SXSW works when you engage with people outside your usual circle.
💻Talk to the demo teams: ask “show me what’s under the hood.”
👜Pack your kit: portable battery, water, charlotte tilbury lip oil & tote for the merch haul.
🧭Bookends > marathons: 2–3 great blocks beat 10 mediocre ones. Save energy for night events.
🥗Eat real food: grab coffee and bites in the Tumbalong precinct, book dinners early.
🎶Don’t be a square - and don’t skip the music: by Thursday, the tech crowd thins and the rhythm kicks in. Go support Aussie up-and-coming musicians — they’re often the best part of the week.
🧭 Use the SXSW Sydney app: for live updates, room numbers, and add-to-calendar links. Then close the app and look up - half the magic happens in the halls.
Saying hello to new people was how I ended up on the Primeville carpet with the Real Housewives of Salt Lake City last year.
3. Your Insider Base: The Executive Lounge (Publicis × AWS)
📍 Le Checkpoint, high-traffic area near the Podcast Stage (ICC precinct) 🕓 Open all week
Your SXSW base — part workspace, part idea lab, part cocktail bar. In partnership with Publicis Groupe, AWS will host three speaker sessions and a two-hour evening cocktail event.
✨ Don’t miss: The Game — Agentic AI for Executives — a two-hour leadership cocktail experience exploring how Agentic AI will reshape industries. Think less PowerPoint, more power plays. Register here > 💻 Le Checkpoint: lecheckpointsxsw.com.au
✨Step inside the future of fashion: SmartStyle by AWS uses generative AI and real-time rendering to show how clothes look on you — instantly. Snap a photo, choose an outfit, and watch as the system builds a digital twin and short fashion video in seconds. A crowd favourite at AWS Summit Sydney and Gartner Symposium, SmartStyle returns to SXSW to showcase what’s next for retail, personalization, and customer experience.
4. Hot Smart Rich Aussie Angels at SXSW — Dinner with the girls who get it
HSR Aussie Angels: Rooftop Dinner & Drinks 📅 Wednesday 15 Oct | 🕡 6:30 pm | 📍 Jimmy’s Rooftop
A moment to debrief the panels, the big ideas, and the SXSW vibes — falafels, drinks, city views, and the girls who get it. Spots are limited → RSVP here. Bring your notes, your questions, and your best hot-take from the day. No SXSW ticket necessary.
5. Your weekly rhythm (Suggested)
Mon/Tue: Big keynotes + first-look demos. Walk the precinct. Wed: Deep-dives on the expo floor + HSR Rooftop Dinner. Thu: Customer experience + Agentic AI day + The Game cocktail event. Fri: Follow-ups, intros, and the meetings you promised yourself you’d book. Then a night out at Sydney’s best live music venues.
6. One last thing
SXSW isn’t about collecting lanyards — it’s about collecting momentum. Go where you feel curious, take notes, make one brave introduction a day, and don’t forget to look out over the view of Tumbalong park.
See you out there - I’ll be bouncing between sessions with an oat flat white and a tiny mic glued to my hand.
— Brooke
🔗 Follow: linkedin.com/in/brookemoody/ | @brookekm_
7. Session Guide
Your SXSW Sydney 2025 insider schedule - equal parts culture, chaos, and caffeine should give you the perfect SXSW experience!
Monday 13 October
🎤 11:00 AM — SXSW Sydney Opening Ceremony Culture & Lifestyle | Smoke, song, and the collective inhale that marks the start of the week. Tumbalong Park sets the tone.
🎧 1:00 PM — From Passion to Paycheck: Cracking the Creator Economy Media & Creator Culture | Creators, platforms, and paydays — the evolution from side hustle to full-stack brand.
💅 2:30 PM — The Future of Style in Motion (Hosted by Marie Claire) Fashion & Culture | The gloss and grit of the new fashion economy — AI stylists, digital runways, and a generation remixing identity.
🧠 3:15 PM — Navigating the New Age of E-Commerce AI & Retail | How automation, attention, and authenticity can coexist in the algorithmic mall.
🤖 4:30 PM — How AI Agents Are Changing the Creator Game AI & Innovation | Meet your new creative partner: a bot that brainstorms faster than your team — and maybe better.
🍸 5:00 PM — Tech & Innovation Opening Party (Presented by Accenture) Networking & Innovation | The unofficial first toast. Ideas get louder after dark.
Tuesday 14 October
🧠 8:30 AM — Hallucinate to Innovate AI & Innovation | Ben Moir (AWS) on turning generative chaos into tangible creation. AI as muse and maker.
🎭 10:00 AM — Main Character Energy Culture & Identity | When everyone’s the protagonist — the psychology of self-branding meets the algorithm.
💬 11:30 AM — The Cost of Customer Lies Marketing & Behaviour | Decoding the gap between what audiences say vs do — and the price of believing them.
⚙️ 1:45 PM — Operating as an AI-Native Business: Inside the Future of Work Future of Work | Daniel Palmer (Relevance AI) on re-architecting orgs around automation — not fear.
🎬 3:00 PM — Beyond Reality Live: Behind TV’s Most Addictive Shows Media & Storytelling | Streaming as sociology — what our binge habits reveal about us.
💅 5:00 PM — AWS SmartStyle Demo Launch @ Le Checkpoint Fashion Tech | AI mirrors, digital twins, and instant runways. Fashion gets its neural-network moment.
🍸 6:30 PM — Evening Drinks @ Le Checkpoint Networking & Ideas | Where execs, creatives, and founders swap notes before day two resets the pace.
Wednesday 15 October
⚙️ 9:00 AM — Work in 2035: Moving from Zoo to Jungle Future of Work | The survival guide for hybrid workers — less control, more curiosity.
💬 11:00 AM — The AI Revolution in Marketing Ethics Marketing & AI | Automation meets morality — who’s accountable when the algorithm writes the brief?
⚡ 1:45 PM — Leadership in the New Era of (AI) Marketing Leadership & AI | Jackie Hill (Canva) on creative courage — how to lead when machines can brainstorm.
⚡ 3:30 PM — How to Be a Manager People Want to Work For Leadership & Culture | Less LinkedIn-speak, more human. Practical empathy as competitive edge.
💅 5:00 PM — Fabrics of Modern Australia Runway Show Fashion & Design | The country’s creative identity on display — threads of heritage and futurism.
🍸 6:30 PM — Hot Smart Rich Aussie Angels Dinner & Drinks Community & Connection | Rooftop air, falafels, and big-idea debriefs with the girls who get it. Jimmy’s Rooftop.
Thursday 16 October
🧠 8:45 AM — The Future of Agentic AI AI & Automation | Machines that act on intention, not instruction — frontier thinking for founders and operators.
🤖 11:00 AM — Inventing Tomorrow’s Customer Experience with Agentic AI Tech & Customer Experience | David Hyman (Lendi) on AI that listens, learns, and leads.
🌍 1:00 PM — Ethical Tech and the New Normal Sustainability & Society | Innovation without exploitation — tech’s conscience check.
🛍️ 2:15 PM — AI in Retail: From Personalisation to Prediction Retail & AI | How data turns into desire — and where to draw the creepy line.
💬 4:00 PM — Stories Beat Data — Every Single Time Marketing & Storytelling | Why gut still wins over graphs — a love letter to intuition.
🍸 5:30 PM — The Game (Agentic AI for Executives Cocktail Event) Leadership & Innovation | AWS’s signature night — Agentic AI meets strategy (and champagne).
🎧 8:00 PM — SXSW After Dark @ The Checkpoint Sessions Music & Culture | Live sets, late debates, and the kind of networking that only happens after 8 PM.
Friday 17 October
⚙️ 9:00 AM — The Future of Australian Innovation: Next Gen Builders Entrepreneurship & Policy | Start-up stamina and sovereign tech — what building locally really looks like.
💬 11:00 AM — Women Redefining Work Leadership & Equality | A sharp conversation on ambition, burnout, and designing balance on your own terms.
🎧 1:00 PM — The Creator Economy — Act II Media & Monetisation | Algorithms evolve, audiences fragment — the next playbook for sustainable creativity.
🎤 3:00 PM — Closing Reflections: Building What Lasts Culture & Purpose | Final wisdom before the espresso martinis — ideas that stick beyond the week.
🍸 5:00 PM — SXSW Sydney Wrap Drinks @ Le Checkpoint Community & Wind-Down | One last toast to ideas that deserve to live past the lanyard.