SXSW, SXSW, SXSW!!!

Here we go.

Less than a month away and SXSW will be knocking at my door. This year I'm really excited because I have a pretty good chance of getting a press pass for the Interactive session as I've requested to do some SXSW feature stories for KTSW...cross your fingers!

For now, it's hard to pick just three panels. In all fairness, all of the discussion topics are interesting and approach their specific audience in creative ways.

However, I do admit that for a tech amateur like myself, many of the topics are harder to soak up then others. But with so many options to choose from I was able to find some panels that stood out more than others.

The first one that really caught my eye was ironically at the top of the list: The 100 Thing Challenge. I like this panel because it approaches an idea/challenge that seems feasible; it consists of helping all of us explore our own personal spending habits. The concept behind this panel is to analyze what you NEED to spend and what you WANT to spend. This panel is current, relevant, and fits appropriately at a time when everyone is spending just to spend. Right now, I'm at a point where I'm looking to spend less and challenge myself so for me, this is a great "life lesson" type panel.

As an Electronic Media major with a background in News Reporting, the discussion panel, begging the question of: "Will News Apps Re-invent Journalism?" hits close to home. As a frequent "Twitterer", I've been asking myself the same question. I, like many, utilize my news from news sources that I follow on Twitter and frankly, Twitter itself. By providing a timeliness that's never been seen before, news apps have re-invented Journalism in such a positive way. Not only do we get our news at an incredibly quicker rate, now all of us with our fancy smart phones, have become journalists. I'm intrigued as to where the discussion would unfold at this panel.

Finally,as a strong advocate of entrepreneurship, being that I somewhat consider myself an entrepreneur, (part-time nanny for 10 years now) I like the idea of setting my own work schedule, making the money that I want and choosing the people I want to work with. The whole idea behind being a successful entrepreneur is making sure it works for you. That's why the Ditch the Book: Running a Business Your Way panel strikes a cord for me. For me, the idea of having a business degree or following guidelines out of a how-to book is a thing of the past. It's about your ideas, your network and using your noggin' effectively. I strive to be an entrepreneur so this panel seemed suiting for me.

With that in mind, let's hope I actually get to see some of these panels!