ShowMe SXSW Bus: The Ultimate Roadtrip for Midwest Entrepreneurs & Startups

SXSW has long been a mecca for music fans all over the world. In recent years, the festival has evolved into a place not only for music, but as a unique opportunity for startups to network, gain exposure and launch their careers. This all happens at the SXSW Interactive in Austin, TX, March 8-12, 2013. SXSW Interactive has become, in recent years, a premier place for businesses from all over the nation to converge and learn from one another. In keeping with the spirit of collaborative entrepreneurship, multiple Missouri sponsors have worked together to create the ShowMe SXSW bus.

We are excited to announce the ShowMe SXSW initiative. Largely underwritten from major sponsors like The Kauffman Foundation and The St. Louis Regional Chamber, and with additional contributions from Think Big Partners, the KU Center for Technology Commercialization, and the EDC of Kansas City, this endeavor will surely be one to remember.

The ShowMe SXSW bus is important and special for many reasons.  First, ShowMe SXSW provides access to transportation down to SXS—a gigantic community effort to support local startup and the incredible levels of innovation.  But perhaps the most important aspect of ShowMe SXSW provides young startups the chance to connect to a broad, culturally powerful audience, and learn from and bond with each other along the way. This is a collaborative effort aimed at helping innovative startups connect with each other and the world.

Two such startups are Click With Me Now from St. Louis and Phone2Action from Kansas City. Both companies have been nominated as two of the 48 internationally selected finalists for the 2013 SXSW Interactive Accelerator Award, a prestigious award that is often a launchpad for widespread cultural recognition. Receiving the award is akin to receiving an Oscar – a career is forever changed and the sky is the limit from then on out.

The ShowMe SXSW bus will depart from the Kauffman Foundation at 9 PM after a celebratory send-off for the entrepreneurs on March 7.

According to the official press release, other Missouri startups and companies traveling to Austin on the ShowMe SXSW bus include LightBridge, Local Ruckus, Stand Up For Good, Macquarie Energy, Integrated Roadways, Locker Partner, DC Ventures, The Icarus Agency, Clifton Labs, Neighbor.ly, TheHub.fm, Capital Innovators, Cultivation Capital, LockerDome, SNW Research, Crave Coffee House, Think Big Partners, KC Digital Drive, Every Child’s Hope, The App Tribe, JGrill Media, 4 First Names, GS Acoustics, H&R Block, Revvv.It,  Mano’s Gifts, SightDeckKC, RareWire, FoodEssentials, Openly Disruptive, Code for America, Digital Talent Agents and the KC Startup Network.

As you can see, ShowMe SXSW is an enormous opportunity for local startups to expand their reach via the SXSW audience, while simultaneously expanding inward their connection to other local startups. This will be a career-making event for some companies and Think Big Partners is thrilled to be a part of it.

If you’d like to learn more about ShowMe SXSW, follow on Twitter @startupmo or @showmesxsw. Bloggers will be chronicling the adventures on a Tumlbr as well as capturing the event in photos via Instagram.