Most years, South by Southwest is an opportunity to meet strangers, wander through crowds – and for startups, it's a chance to network and make the connections that could get your company off the ground.
This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the conference will be a one-week, all-virtual event. That means it simply won't be the same experience for startups looking to get their names and products in front of potential customers and investors.
In some ways, last year's cancelation of SXSW – the first time that's happened in the event's history – was a foreshadowing of the year ahead, as every industry has had to pivot to adjust to the new normal created by the pandemic.