words and pictures by Brian Solis

When we peer into the looking glass into what truly made SXSW Interactive a unique and successful culmination of culture and real life networking, we see something very different and exceptional.

The real story is the human network and the Social Economy that fosters the conversations that serve as its currency – on and offline.

SXSW is about the emotional and psychological connection between people and our investment in the personal traits that others find irresistible.

Relationships….RELATIONSHIPS…count for everything here, and they’re measured by the mutually beneficial rewards that all parties experience over time. We invest in each other and harvest the fruits of our collaboration and interconnection.

Nothing was more evident of this than the Flashmob party that stormed the Driskill, forever becoming a part of the SXSW legacy.

After the Diggnation party, Erica O’Grady, Jeremiah Owyang, Charlene Li, Chad Catacchio, Francisco Dao, and I opted for the the elegant and stylish decor that adorned the Driskill lobby bar to regroup and plan our next adventure. What we had yet to realize, was that the evening at the Driskill would unfold into our next adventure.

Overcome with contentment and the prompt attention for service, we decided to Tweet our location while also personally texting some of our close friends to join  us.  Almost immediately, tweets were flying, “headed to the Driskill.” As each person arrived, they too would tweet, “At the Driskill, it’s incredible.” They cycle continued for the duration of the evening.

Soon, hundreds of people crowded the spacious lounge, the staff called for reinforcements, and we celebrated friendship and The Human Network together, creating one of the most memorable nights in SXSW history.

I’ll let the pictures tell the rest of the story…

Jolie O’Dell

Francine Hardaway

Justin Levy

Heather Meeker

Jessica Berlin

Laura Fitton aka Pistachio

Brian Solis

Shira Lazar

Brett Petersel and Rebecca Corliss

Randi Zuckerberg and Michelle Deforest

Leora Israel

Jessica Alter and Frank Gruber

Halcyon

Melody McCloskey

Andrew Mager

@NikoleZ

Megan McCarthy

Pete Cashmore

Jeff Dowd (The Dude) and Brian Solis

Cal Henderson

Tessa and Gregarious

Steve Garfield

Alexia Tsotsis and Kevin Rose

Lala, Lara Doucette and Brian Solis

Vanessa Camones

Chris Heuer and Leora Israel

Gary Vaynerchuk and Jen Consalvo

Michael Gruen Ilana Arazie

More on Flickr.

Please read:

The Human Network: The Social Economy is Influenced by How We Communicate Online & Offline (My philosophical analysis of what makes SXSW so special)

Which parties did you hit or miss?

Check em off at Diddit: SXSW Interactive Festival 2009 Party List

Pictures:

SXSW – The Calm Before the Storm

SXSW Day One

TechSet + Windows Mobile Rat Pack 2.0 Party

SXSW Day Two

Diggnation Party at Stubbs

We Flashmob the Driskill

AllHat @Allens Boots

Brian Solis Book Signing @SXSW

Are PR Agencies a Dying Breed: Brian Solis joins the panel

Kirtsy, AllTop Party @Allens Boots

Pool 2.0 – SocialMediaClub

SXSW Day Four

Paul Nelson Performs in the TechSet + Windows Mobile Blogger Lounge

Dell Adamo Premiers at SXSW

Power Geek Girl Tweetup in the TechSet + Windows Mobile Blogger Lounge

Rackspace + Scoble Party

Blurb + Mashable Party

SXSW Day Five

WorldSings.com

Connect with me on:
Twitter, FriendFeed, LinkedIn, Tumblr, Plaxo, Plurk, Identi.ca, BackType, or Facebook

words and pictures by Brian Solis

The TechSet and Windows Mobile hosted very special event at the classic Belmont Lounge on Friday March 13th during SXSW Interactive 2009.

Guests relived the unique and stylish genre that conjured scenes from Las Vegas and Palm Springs during the Sinatra era. We were surrounded by incredible and pioneering entrepreneurs and influencers as we created our own Rat Pack rich with relationships that will propel us long after the curtain closed on SXSW.

In the end, 1,015 guests helped create one of the most exciting after dark events during SXSW.

Stephanie Agresta, the team at Windows Mobile, and I thank you for spending part of your evening with us!

I’ll let the pictures tell the rest of the story…

The line before the party

“Our” Frank Sinatra

Hugh MacLeod with Miiko Mentz and Alison McNeill of FutureWorks PR

Pete Cashmore and Michelle DeForest

John Erik Metcalf

Valeria Maltoni

MG Siegler and Maya Baratz

Larry Chiang

Who doesn’t love Stormhoek?

Gaia Borgias Brown and Drew Olanoff

Liz Strauss Wearing Joe’s Jeans

Gary Vaynerchuk and @geekmommy Lucretia Pruitt

Jeff Dowd, “The Dude”

Dan Patterson and Brian Solis

Leora Israel and Dave Mathews

Saul Colt

Jeff Pulver

Efren Toscano

Vanessa Camones

AJ Vaynerchuk

Charlene Li and Jeremiah Owyang

Hugh MacLeod and Deb Schultz

Francisco Dao

Hastags

Jacob Mullins and Kristen Nicole

Aaron Brazell

Gary Vaynerchuk and Sean Percival

Jake Dilley & The Color Pharmacy

For more pictures from the TechSet + Windows Mobile Rat Park party as well as the after party, please see my album on Flickr. For additional pictures from SXSW, please see below.

Please read:

The Human Network: The Social Economy is Influenced by How We Communicate Online & Offline (My philosophical analysis of what makes SXSW so special)

Which parties did you hit or miss?

Check em off at Diddit: SXSW Interactive Festival 2009 Party List

Pictures:

SXSW – The Calm Before the Storm

SXSW Day One

TechSet + Windows Mobile Rat Pack 2.0 Party

SXSW Day Two

Diggnation Party at Stubbs

We Flashmob the Driskill

AllHat @Allens Boots

Brian Solis Book Signing @SXSW

Are PR Agencies a Dying Breed: Brian Solis joins the panel

Kirtsy, AllTop Party @Allens Boots

Pool 2.0 – SocialMediaClub

SXSW Day Four

Paul Nelson Performs in the TechSet + Windows Mobile Blogger Lounge

Dell Adamo Premiers at SXSW

Power Geek Girl Tweetup in the TechSet + Windows Mobile Blogger Lounge

Rackspace + Scoble Party

Blurb + Mashable Party

SXSW Day Five

WorldSings.com

Connect with me on:
Twitter, FriendFeed, LinkedIn, Tumblr, Plaxo, Plurk, Identi.ca, BackType, or Facebook

words and pictures by Brian Solis

SXSW Interactive is powered by the one thing that binds us together, you.  It is a congregation of wisdom, artistry, and poetry and it is the foundation for why we each make this annual migration to Austin, Texas.

This year we lined up something special for SXSW and you helped it reach epic status. The TechSet Blogger Lounge sponsored by Windows Mobile was the hub for collaboration, networking, and celebration each and everyday during the conference.

The agenda was rich with activities, entertainment, tweetups, and resources, but you made it unforgettable, fun, and also productive.

I’ll let the pictures tell the rest of the story…

Miiko Mentz and Alexandra Mokh

Chris Heuer, Jen Myronuk, Stephanie Agresta

Sean McCullough, CEO and Founder of Ping.fm

Kristen Nicole and…

Tara Hunt

Loic Le Meur

Stephanie Agresta

Adam Jackson

Paige Craige

@gapingvoid’s Blue Monster on Windows Mobile

Paul Chaney

Chris Brogan and Corvida

Louis Gray

Ben Metcalfe throwing up the Hashtag sign

Scott Brave, CTO of Baynote

Wesley Faulkner of AMD

Loren Feldman

Meghan Asha

Peter Kim and Jeremiah Owyang

Ilana Arazie

Shannon Paul

Guy Kawasaki

David Karp of Tumblr

Lee Odden

Tony Hsieh of Zappos

Kevin Marks

Sarah Austin

Ziv Gillat of Eye-Fi

Zach Luye and Shira Lazar

Shira Lazar and Julia Allison

Andrew Baron of RocketBoom

Sanford Barr

Laura Fitton @pistachio wins the LOLCat

Sylvie Barak throws up the Hashtag sign

Ben Huh and Brian Solis

Krista Neher

Kurt Daradics

Sarah Townsend @theoneinpink

Paula Nelson performs

Paula Nelson

Jeffrey Kalmikoff of Threadless

Your hosts, TechSet + Microsoft Windows Mobile

Please read:

The Human Network: The Social Economy is Influenced by How We Communicate Online & Offline (My philosophical analysis of what makes SXSW so special)

Which parties did you hit or miss?

Check em off at Diddit: SXSW Interactive Festival 2009 Party List

Pictures:

SXSW – The Calm Before the Storm

SXSW Day One

TechSet + Windows Mobile Rat Pack 2.0 Party

SXSW Day Two

Diggnation Party at Stubbs

We Flashmob the Driskill

AllHat @Allens Boots

Brian Solis Book Signing @SXSW

Are PR Agencies a Dying Breed: Brian Solis joins the panel

Kirtsy, AllTop Party @Allens Boots

Pool 2.0 – SocialMediaClub

SXSW Day Four

Paul Nelson Performs in the TechSet + Windows Mobile Blogger Lounge

Dell Adamo Premiers at SXSW

Power Geek Girl Tweetup in the TechSet + Windows Mobile Blogger Lounge

Rackspace + Scoble Party

Blurb + Mashable Party

SXSW Day Five

WorldSings.com

Connect with me on:
Twitter, FriendFeed, LinkedIn, Tumblr, Plaxo, Plurk, Identi.ca, BackType, or Facebook

by Brian Solis

Rounding out the Forbes recent reports, we’ve already reviewed the top Twitterers. Now, let’s review the Web Celeb 25.

At number one, we have “The Queen of Mean” himself herself, Perez Hilton.

Let’s run through the rest of the list…

#1 Perez Hilton

#2 Michael Arrington

#3 Kevin Rose

#4 Frank Warren

#5 Cory Doctorow

#6 Pete Cashmore

#7 Beppe Grillo

#8 Heather Armstrong

#9 Guy Kawasaki

#10 Jason Calacanis

#11 Robert Scoble

#12 Will Leitch

#13 Jeff Jarvis

#14 Wil Wheaton

#15 Nate Silver

#16 Om Malik

#17 Matt Drudge

#18 Owen Thomas

#19 Dave Winer

#20 Seth Godin

#21 Brian Lam

#22 Mark Frauenfelder

#23 Steve Rubel

#24 John Dvorak

#25 Leo Laporte

Connect with me on:
Twitter, FriendFeed, LinkedIn, Tumblr, Pownce, Plaxo, Plurk, Identi.ca, BackType, Jaiku or Facebook

by Brian Solis

I <3 Los Angeles and the people who are defining the social economy and expanding the mainstream pervasiveness of the new Web.

This consequential, yet humble group of digital influencers is investing in not only their own ideas, but actively collaborating around the vision of others – literally putting the “social” in the Social Web. It’s an incredible movement that is growing in LA as well as other cities around the world, creating a network of connected beacons that unite to create a global community while defining the next tech economy.

The TechSet convened in Los Angeles at the ultra-stylish Luxe Hotel last night as part of a “mini” Internet Week that is storming Southern California and hosting the digerati every night this week.

The TechSet represented a new era of celebrity, bringing together emerging, successful and popular personalities, artists, entrepreneurs, bloggers, and connectors. The night was beautiful, warm, and more importantly, the perfect place to meet those rich in intellect and forge new relationships that serve as catalysts to future projects and engagements.

It was unpretentious and inviting and we look forward to hosting the next TechSet in Los Angeles very soon. Thank you for being part of it and for making it such a special, productive, and memorable evening.

I’ll let the pictures tell the rest of the story:

Becky Ryan and Heather Meeker

Sean Percival

Melodi Cowan and Dave Mathews

Julian Brass

Oren Michels of Mashery

TechZulu

Jennifer Fader

Jullianna Raye

Harry Gantz and Tim Street

Dave Mathews and Stephanie Agresta

Valerie Cunningham and Aaron Strout of Mzinga

Becky Ryan, Brian Solis, Heather Meeker

Todd Cohen and Ian Kilpatrick

Greg Narain and Jackie Peters

Heather Lipner

Liz Federowicz

Wm. Marc Salsbury, Melodi Cowan, Michael Pilla, Alicia Lin

Damon Alexander Young

?, Kurt Dardics, Yvonne Randolph

Michael Terpin

Seth Shapiro

Brooks Bayne and Alicia Lin

Andrew Justin, Greg Narain, Jackie Peters, and Brian Solis

THE AFTER PARTY

The view

Brian Solis

Sean Percival

For more pictures from the TechSet @Luxe party, visit my album on flickr.

Connect with me on Twitter, Jaiku, LinkedIn, Tumblr, Pownce, Plaxo, FriendFeed, or Facebook