Bing is heading to Austin. Let’s meet up!

SXSW Interactive is quite the experience. If you’ve been there, you know what we’re talking about. If you haven’t been, one way to think about it is like attending a baseball game of a winning team. Crushing crowds, deafening noise, and hype. Lots of it. Die-hards will lament how the experience is no longer about just the game. It’s more of a spectacle than a sport. Too many bobblehead nights and garlic fry hangovers. But herein lies the opportunity. Despite the excesses, the team is winning. Tech is winning. Last year was the first time Interactive attendance overtook Music at SX. Here comes everybody.

Okay, but what does Bing want by torpedoing through the mob? You. We want to connect with you. Learn from you. Be inspired by you. Because there’s a good chance what you do, learn, and share in Austin over the next week will shed light on the path the Web is about to embark on. Search is really a reflection of the Web’s massive collection of people’s intents and desires. For Bing to stay relevant and innovative, we have to be there. Where the Web goes, Bing goes.

To help us understand the diverse set of interests and needs that is the SXSW Interactive community, Bing is descending on Austin in a number of ways. Whether your goal is to learn from experts, meet with innovators, or play with the community, Bing has something for you.

• March 9-12: THE BING LOT – Come hang with Bing and our Bing Booster startup friends in a cool pop-up space! Okay so it’s a converted parking lot, but it’s pretty sweet. Food truck grubs, tasty drinks, and epic announcements await. #binglot

• March 9: NEED TO KNOW – Future-forward panel series presented by PSFK in partnership with Bing (Driskill Hotel, 7-9p) #needtoknow
• March 10: SXSW INTERACTIVE SESSIONS – Come learn from the experts!
  • 9:30-10:30a Mind Reading: Identifying Needs Users Don’t Know They Have - Leslie Feinzaig (Microsoft) #sxsw #userneeds
  • 5:00-6:00p Dear Google & Bing: Help Me Rank Better! - Duane Forrester (Bing), Matt Cutts (Google), Danny Sullivan (CNET) #sxsw #rank

• March 11: KEEP CALM AND INTERNET – An event presented by Bing & I Can Has Cheezburger (219 West, 9-midnight). Special performance by Fun. #funnest

Looking forward to meeting you in Austin. Play ball!

- Aya Zook, Bing Booster, Bing

(@bingbooster)

(@bing)