Choose San Antonio will showcase the best of the city’s tech, talent, food, music, and growing film industry for the tens of thousands of people who come from all over the world to attend Austin’s annual music and film festival and slate of conferences known as SXSW (South by Southwest).
The nonprofit dedicated to showing off the city announced the lineup for its second annual “Casa San Antonio” SXSW experience Wednesday night at Burleson Yard Beer Garden, 10 days before the Interactive Festival starts on March 10.
Wednesday’s launch, attended by Mayor Ivy Taylor, District 2 City Councilman Alan Warrick, and Centro San Antonio’s Noah Almanza, was Choose San Antonio’s kickoff for its second official appearance at SXSW.
“SXSW at SATX is really about that collaboration that shows [that] Austin is not the only cool city in Texas,” Warrick told the crowd of about 100 locals gathered at Burleson Yard. “San Antonio has so many cool things going on, so many great people moving to our city – 142 people every day – [who are] changing the landscape of our tech community [and] changing the landscape of our social and cultural community.”
Choose San Antonio is the brainchild of Eric Bell and Kevin Peckham. Their goal is to promote the city with the message that San Antonio is a great place to live – and they want to broadcast that in a big way.
“[SXSW] is like a world fair of creative and entrepreneurial talent,” said Peckham, chief brand strategist at Lightning Jar and a transplant to San Antonio. “We had people from 80 countries and 60 cities in the U.S. visit our booth last year. So one of the ways to get the word out is to reach influencers so they then spread your message faster.”
Three years ago, Peckham and Bell noticed San Antonio was conspicuously absent from the event.
“San Antonio was the closest city to Austin not showing up,” Peckham said. “Tyler, Texas was there before us, Denton was there, and they were all competing for talent at the trade show, saying why they’re the best place to move your business, to be entrepreneurial, to pursue your passion.”
That changed when the two put their energy and capital behind Choose San Antonio and launched the largest activation of any city at SXSW.
“We’re not just competing with Denton, we’re not just competing with New Orleans or Louisville,” said Bell, vice president of corporate development for Group 42 and a San Antonio native. “When you show up at [SXSW] Interactive, you’re competing with Facebook, Mashable, Germany – you’re competing on a global scale. So we try to use our strategic advantage which is proximity and personnel.
“One of the things we learned from Google, Facebook, and even Rackspace is that lifestyle matters. When you’re looking for talent, whether you’re trying to hire them or recruit them to your city, they want to know there [are] world-class work and lifestyle amenities, communities they can live in that are walkable and bike-able and entertain-able. No one is pushing that message and we can help do that.”
With a budget of $200,000 last year, Choose San Antonio partnered with SXSW to host official events that attracted both crowds and attention – It even introduced two men from Scandinavia to their first barbacoa breakfast taco.
“Those experiences over a sustained period can alter the way people from other places begin to perceive what’s special about what’s going on in this city,” Bell said. “That’s not an advertisement, that’s not a radio spot. Those are tangible, real, tactile, and hopefully tasty experiences. [And] you have visitors take something home with them that begins to alter the framework about the way they consider our burgeoning community.”
Casa San Antonio @ SXSW is moving from its previous home on Austin’s Sixth & Trinity streets, where they hosted 3,600 badged visitors last year, to the Half Step Bar on 75½ Rainey St.
“Location, location, location,” said Meghan Garza-Oswald, executive director of Choose San Antonio. “We found that the people we were targeting [with our message] and the people we were looking to connect with were on Rainey Street.”
The venue also happens to closely resemble homes in San Antonio’s Southtown neighborhood, she added, and the site worked well for SXSW Eco last fall.
Casa San Antonio @ SXSW begins Friday, March 10, at 8 a.m. with the second annual taco showcase, and includes speakers and official SXSW panels throughout the day. It will conclude with a Trinity University alumni mixer that evening and musical entertainment by local artists.
On Saturday, March 11, the day’s events begin with a “Taste of San Antonio Breakfast,” prepared by Cured Chef Steven McHugh, who will also present “Perfecting Your Craft During a Time of Adversity.” Other speakers include New York Times national correspondent David Phillips and NPR correspondent Sam Sanders. The day will wrap up with a San Antonio Spurs vs. Golden State Warriors watch party and a “Life is Better in Texas” shindig.
On Sunday, March 13, experts in cybersecurity will discuss how the city is becoming the next hub for the cybersecurity marketplace. Later on, Mayor Taylor and the City’s technology officers and entrepreneurs will showcase what attendees can expect at Smart City Day in San Antonio. A mixer sponsored by the Argo Group and a “Best in San Antonio Film” series follows.
For a complete schedule and to learn more, go to the Choose San Antonio website.
Chef “Bully” David Page on March 2, 2017 at 8:50 AM said:
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And not 1 mention of any of the Food Trailers that are headed up to SXSW who are basically the “Ambassadors” of the Foodie scene here in SATX. As did Councilman Warrick , who actually came to my trailer and special ordered an entrée (That he paid for) from me Chef “Bully” David Page , $10K Spike TVs Frankenfood Show Winner, Voted “Best Of The City” 2017 San Antonio Magazine, you, Mayor Ivy Taylor and any other media should have at least come out to thank, support, & cheer us on and maybe take a picture together at the least, everyone and everything else who got patted on the back yesterday. I/We, are going up to Austin on our own dimes win or lose, to show up for my City, San Antonio, with pride and respect, and to show the world where we are on the Global Grandstand. You and anyone else who would want us Small, Minority Owned Businesses to go and showcase why WE TOO love San Antonio, needed to shine a little of the spotlight to us. ” I’m Just Saying Cause Chef “Bully” Ain’t Never Playing” ????????????????????????????You can print that.
Best regards,
Chef “Bully” David Page
210-452-4535
Best regards,
Beyond SXSW, I’d love to see greater food truck, taco truck, smoker truck, raspa van, hot dog cart, popcorn wagon, paleter@, fruit cup, tamale cooler vending etc integration with key VIA hubs throughout the year (matching experiences at transit hubs in other global cities) – including potentially North Star, Randolph, Crossroads and Centro Plaza; possibly even curbside at SAT arrivals (wouldn’t that be great!). In contrast, most key VIA hubs beyond Travis Park are currently food deserts. Oddly, Travis Park, where vended food can be found some hours (decreased with the departure of the popcorn wagon) – it’s the only major VIA hub (serving over 20 VIA routes including the airport line and linking Greyhound and Megabus services) where you can’t find a public toilet or hand washing facilities or buy a VIA pass or see any real-time route information off-board. Like Chef Page, I’m looking towards Council for coordination and support.
I’ve traveled out by bike to Port SA (not easy currently) just to enjoy Chef Page’s mobile cooking. Our exceptional, historic and diverse mobile food vending scene should shape our Choose SA campaigning as well as our arrival and departure experiences/gateways throughout the year and work to improve local and regional mobility. Hope someone from VIA is reading and folks on Council are considering how to improve links with San Marcos Intermodal (and existing CARTS services to Austin etc) as well as local VIA services including links with SAT (see my comment below) as part of choosing SA — a mobility choice.
Most importantly, glad to read Chef Page and other mobile food vendors will be in Austin for SXSW representing — what he’s saying (he’s not playing).
Thank So Much for being supportive of me; both, the day you rode by bike to me I surely remember and secondly with my views about how I felt about yesterday. I almost felt like I got sent to the kiddie table at thanksgiving. I also share in ur views on that a city as sophisticated as ours should be light years ahead of smaller cities who are doing it better to roll out the “Welcome Wagons “
Nobody should treat Chef Page (or other SA vendors) like mushrooms – kept in the dark and fed you-know-what; come on!
And the excitement about Choose SA (or regional transit north) shouldn’t just be about going to Austin. It should be about bringing folks into and making sure they have a good time getting and sticking around San Antonio. Our mobile food vending is a very unique piece but could be better deployed locally and engaged with. No more kiddie tables!
And we need to tip our hats to ‘Choose NJ’ that’s been around since 2010. Take a look at what they currently lead with: food business (our turf – including historically). Followed by education, location, infrastructure, global connections and business assistance – all with an emphasis on urban centers.
http://www.choosenj.com/
On behalf of San Antonians, we’re very glad you’re representing us, and I’ll be seeing you tonight!
On behalf of all journalists (especially freelancers), getting every detail of the latest goings-ons is difficult, to say the least and nearly impossible to say the most. The is completely onus on the freelance journalist, as they rarely receive press releases to give them the heads-up. There’s no easy solution to this issue, but try preparing publicly-posted press releases marked with hashtags or metadata that will show up with a casual search. Twitter (so I’ve heard) is an easy way to do this. Also, definitely email those press releases to media outlets you believe might be interested in the information.
Cannot find this “complete schedule” on Choose San Antonio’s website…
Possibly as an extension of the ‘Choose SA’ campaign (and Choose SA shuttle van services to Austin during SXSW), I’d like to see San Antonio run daily shuttle buses throughout the year between San Marcos Intermodal Station and VIA’s Randolph Transit Hub – including to tap into the network of at least 12 Interurban CARTS buses that run between San Marcos Intermodal and Austin throughout the day during the week. New services between San Antonio and San Marcos Intermodal would also compliment existing but limited Amtrak and Greyhound services between San Marcos Intermodal and San Antonio and Austin.
San Antonio leaders might be missing that San Marcos residents (approximately 54,000, including 38,000 students) have a choice between traveling to Austin or San Antonio for entertainment, shopping and even flights, as either airport is relatively the same time and distance from San Marcos Intermodal. At the moment, however, it is much easier for San Marcos residents and students to access Austin services by mass transit due to the frequency of CARTS service during the week. Having a regular shuttle between San Marcos Intermodal and VIA’s Randolph Transit Hub — including or particularly during the weekends — could provide San Marcos and other visitors new access to SAT and downtown San Antonio through existing (and easily enhanced) VIA express bus services running from VIA’s Randolph Transit Hub. **
Our leaders have been talking some, when pushed, about improving transit services between San Antonio and Austin, but no one currently on Council seems to be aware of or talking about existing and expanding CARTS services or improved connections with San Marcos Intermodal. Bus links between Austin and San Antonio are relatively strong currently throughout the week (with regular and affordable Greyhound and Megabus services), but San Marcos connections are poor particularly to San Antonio — presenting an opportunity if San Antonio is truly interested in attracting visitors and investors to our downtown and airport and improving regional transit options north.
Why not a branded ‘Choose SA’ shuttle bus running regularly the 76mi round-trip to San Marcos Intermodal from VIA’s Randolph Transit Hub, complimenting and expanding existing CARTS services to Austin and beyond while advertising to travelers and residents along the I-35?
Companies, visitors and recent graduates are choosing to stay in cities and locations that have reliable public transit access to airports, downtowns and universities (and noting that commuter rail is always supported and often preceded by bus). San Antonio taking steps to enhance existing CARTS services between San Marcos and Austin makes sense and could be a smart, quick and affordable step towards any eventual improved regional rail. Unlike improved passenger rail service, better San Marcos Intermodal (and related Austin) bus links with San Antonio (including SAT and downtown) could be in place for the Tricentennial and next SXSW.
See Capital Area Rural Transportation System (CARTS): http://www.ridecarts.com/services/interurban
** A shuttle bus between San Marcos Intermodal Station and VIA’s Randolph Transit Hub could be enhanced with more frequent VIA17-93/94 bus service and new inner eastside stops for the 17 route orientated to Amtrak/Alamodome/St Paul Square; a few additional eastside stops and more frequency for the 17 route would also improve services between the Eastside Promise Zone, other parts of downtown and UTSA main as well as Randolph/Rackspace. In addition, SAT bus service would be greatly improved with a frequent shuttle the two miles between VIA’s North Star Transit Center and the airport when the airport is open – possibly by extending the City’s parking lot shuttle or similar, which would be comparable with shuttle services at Dallas Love and LAX. VIA’s airport bus service and a San Marcos shuttle would also be supported with more frequent 550/551 bus service between VIA’s Crossroads, North Star and Randolph hubs. There’s great opportunity to link the Choose SA campaign (and shuttle van service) with efforts to improve VIA and SAT, including as city and airport choice is increasingly related to mobility and experiences for pedestrians / getting around without a car and the related headaches.