SXSW

SXSWi 2011: My Topics of Interest

Springbox is sending a dozen employees to this year’s SXSW Interactive festival. So we asked them: “What topics are you interested in learning more about at SXSW Interactive?” Here are Senior Developer Grant Norwood’s topics of interest.

I’m going to take the non-profit route at this year’s SXSWi. I volunteer my time and talents to several non-profit organizations because I share a belief in their causes and I support the ways in which each execute upon their respective missions. But more than that, during SXSWi, I want to narrow my focus within the almost overwhelming choices of panels offered.

I’ve spent much of my career in the enterprise and product development worlds and I’m programmed to keep an eye on increasing revenue and reducing costs within any business environment.  By eliminating the distractions of my natural interests with my non-profit strategy at SXSWi, I’ll have a comfortable and comprehensive list of panels I can attend without feeling spread too thin. Here are my overall areas of interest:

Non-Profit Branding

It’s no surprise that every non-profit needs to market itself in order to be successful. I’m looking for answers to these questions:

  • How does one take their charitable organization from a moderately successful size with loyal users to one with exceptionally rapid growth and a fully mainstream presence?
  • How does a non-profit organization build and leverage public partnerships with other successful brands and personalities to better achieve its mission?
  • How does partnering with other for-profit organizations benefit the partner, and how does one best approach those partners for their support?

Attracting Talent and Growing a Team

Whether you’re building the next great product or saving the whales, a talented team of individuals can make or break your organization and its endeavors, and how are teams of volunteers are managed differently than those made up of paid employees.

Measuring Success

How does one know when their efforts are paying off, when their message has been received and where they can improve? I’m not just talking donations and ROI here; I want to know more.

Article originally published by Springbox at http://www.springbox.com/insight/post/SXSWi-2011-Grant-Norwoods-Topics-of-Interest.aspx.