Day 5: SXSW - Accessible Tourism, Song Stock Exchanges, Rolling Stone Opening Party

Day 5!

Made it to 4 today, Missed 3 I wanted to see.

Recaps below + some shots of things I saw in the EXPO + Party Night.

Session 1: New Economies for the Future Consumers

The key points were

1. Aging Population Growth: The population over 60 is the fastest growing demographic, expanding six times quicker than those under 60. By 2050, it's expected to reach 2 billion people, significantly impacting the workforce, with over 25% being over 55 by 2030.

2. Life Stage Evolution: Traditional life stages are evolving due to increased health and life spans. This has led to the segmentation of senior age into "gold" (active and healthy older adults) and those requiring more care, affecting family dynamics and caregiving responsibilities.

3. Economic and Social Implications: The aging population demands tailored services and products, necessitating age-inclusive policies and practices in society and workplaces to combat age discrimination and stereotypes.

4. Shift in Consumption Models: There's a call to redefine success metrics beyond financial gains, focusing on time-saving and meaningful activities, propelled by the desire to automate mundane tasks and reduce technology addiction.

5. Technology as a Partner: The text envisions a future where technology and humans collaborate, enhancing daily life and freeing up time for more significant activities. This is exemplified by AI home assistants and administrative automation tools, suggesting a move towards a balanced, tech-integrated lifestyle.

These points reflect societal, demographic, and technological shifts, emphasizing the need for adaptive strategies in business, government, and personal life management to cater to an aging population while leveraging technology for improved life quality.

Session 2:

Lauren Zima, Jyoti Chand, and Maya Allen discussed their experiences at the intersection of entrepreneurship and digital communities. Zima, a journalist and producer, highlighted her career's evolution with digital media's rise. Chand, an author and influencer, shared her journey from building an audience to securing a book deal. Allen, a culinary entrepreneur, talked about leveraging her reality TV exposure to grow her e-commerce cookie business. They discussed the challenges of maintaining authenticity, balancing personal and professional life, and navigating social media's impact on their work and personal lives. They emphasized authenticity, the evolving nature of careers, and the importance of embracing multiple roles and interests in one's life and career.

1. Career Evolution in the Digital Age: Lauren Zima shared her journey from traditional journalism to navigating the digital landscape, emphasizing the continuous evolution of her career with changes in media, like online video, social media, and streaming.

2. Entrepreneurship Journey: Jyoti Chand transitioned from building a social media audience to becoming an author and entrepreneur, highlighting the importance of audience engagement in her entrepreneurial journey.

3. Blending Personal and Professional Life: Maya Allen discussed how her appearance on reality TV helped grow her e-commerce cookie business, The Knead, and the complexities of managing public and private personas.

4. Authenticity and Personal Branding: All speakers emphasized the importance of authenticity in building and maintaining their brands and connecting with their audience.

5. Navigating Social Media and Public Scrutiny: They discussed the challenges of managing personal exposure and professional demands in the age of social media, including the balance between sharing personal life and preserving privacy.

6. Diverse Career Paths and Identities: The conversation highlighted the multifaceted nature of modern careers, where individuals often wear multiple hats and continuously evolve their roles and skills.

7. Impact of Digital Communities: The discussion underscored the role of digital platforms in shaping their careers, enabling direct engagement with audiences, and facilitating entrepreneurial ventures.

Session 3: Song Stock Exchanges…Should you buy in?

The session "Song Stock Exchanges: Should you buy?" discussed the concept of buying shares in songs, where fans and investors can buy fractional ownership of music rights. Here are the key points:

1. Fractional Ownership and Rights Holders: Investors can buy small fractions of songs, engaging directly with the music's financial success. The transactions usually involve dealing with large rights holders rather than artists, who often do not hold the copyrights.

2. Creator Compensation: Even though the platform might not have direct obligations to songwriters and artists who have sold their rights, they have established a creator program to ensure these creators still receive a payout from the sales of their music shares.

3. Investment and Fan Engagement: The platform offers various ways for fans to engage and invest, including reverse auction models for pricing and exclusive experiences for large volume buyers, like private concerts. This model aims to benefit both fans and artists financially and in terms of engagement.

4. Ethical Considerations and Artist Consent: The company commits to ethical practices by requiring the consent of the rights holders, including the artists, before listing their songs for trading.

5. Market Dynamics and Secondary Trading: The potential for secondary trading could increase market dynamics, allowing investors to buy and sell shares, similar to stock trading.

6. Innovative Engagement Models: The platform is exploring creative ways for fans to engage with music investment, likening it to fantasy sports, where fans can build portfolios of songs and artists and trade based on their performance.

7. Investment Appeal of Older Songs: Older songs are seen as stable investments due to their proven track record of generating income over time, contrasting with newer, potentially higher-risk investments.

8. Regulatory Compliance and Insider Trading: The platform emphasizes compliance with financial regulations, including warnings against insider trading among its users.

9. Technology and Future Outlook: There is a recognition of the evolving nature of the technology and its potential future integration, with a focus on the benefits rather than the technology itself.

Dylan Alcott's session on Accessibility in Tourism emphasized the importance of inclusion and the need to challenge societal expectations about people with disabilities. Key points included:

1. Inclusion as a Priority: Inclusion should be a fundamental aspect of society, not just an afterthought. It's about making efforts to understand and accommodate the needs of people with disabilities, even in simple interactions.

2. Economic Participation: People with disabilities should be viewed as economic contributors who can work, travel, and participate in social activities like anyone else.

3. Challenging Stereotypes: Alcott highlighted the common misconceptions and low expectations society often holds for people with disabilities, advocating for a change in perspective to see them as capable individuals.

4. Investment in Accessibility: While physical accessibility improvements can be costly, investing in inclusivity and accessibility is crucial for enabling people with disabilities to lead full and active lives.

5. Consultation and Co-design: Engaging directly with people with disabilities to understand their needs and preferences is crucial for effective inclusivity.

6. Action Over Talk: Emphasizing the importance of taking concrete actions to improve accessibility rather than just discussing it.

7. Representation Matters: Alcott discussed the significance of having high-profile individuals with disabilities in media and public life to challenge stereotypes and inspire change.

8. Global Influence and Learning: He expressed a desire for the successful accessibility initiatives in Australia to serve as a model for other countries, including the United States.

9. Digital Accessibility: Highlighted the role of digital technology in enhancing accessibility and the need for continued investment and innovation in this area.

10. Community and Support: The importance of community support, networking, and advocacy in promoting accessibility and inclusion for people with disabilities was emphasized.

Alcott's message was one of optimism and action, urging individuals and organizations to actively participate in creating a more inclusive society for people with disabilities.

Then we partied….

Shots from the SXSW Expo Center 2024