Fort Worth goes big at SXSW 2018

Fort Worth Now 

Fort Worth is showing off in a bold, new way at Austin’s South by Southwest music, art and technology festival, which will take place March 9-18. Fort Worth will attend March 13-14 in an event branded “Fort Worth Now,” which will take place at Fair Market Austin and will be produced by High Beam Productions.

The Fort Worth Convention & Visitors Bureau (FWCVB), Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce (FWCC), the City of Fort Worth, Bell Helicopter, Lockheed Martin, Hillwood Properties, Niles City Sound, Firestone & Robertson Whiskey, Hear Fort Worth and the Fort Worth Film Commission are partnering to present the first-ever two-day Fort Worth exhibition at SXSW.

The partnership, branded as Fort Worth Now, aims to showcase how the city is progressing in business, innovation and the arts. The Fort Worth Now dates will also overlap with SXSW film, music and interactive tracks, as well as the new SXSW Cities Summit.

“The timing for a huge activation like this couldn’t be more perfect,” said Brandom Gengelbach, FWCC executive vice president of economic development. “The opportunity to come together and market the City under one umbrella is going to help us all move Fort Worth forward and create more opportunities to work cohesively in the future.”

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Fort Worth Now will kick-off with a 15K bike ride on March 13 led by Mayor Price starting at Mellow Johnny’s Austin and ending at Fair Market. Confirmed musicians include Bonnie Bishop, the Texas Gentlemen, Quaker City Night Hawks, Grady Spencer and the Work and Abraham Alexander, with more to be announced soon.

Additionally, according to the news release, Fort Worth Now will include:

— Official SXSW panels

— Special events

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— Interactive art from Fort Worth photographer Rambo

— Day parties featuring local musicians

— A Fort Worth makers market

— And exhibits from Bell Helicopter and Lockheed Martin

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Fort Worth Now will be the third public display of Bell Helicopter’s new interactive urban air taxi simulator, which debuted last week in Las Vegas at the Consumer Electronics Show.

“It’s an exciting time to live here, do business and visit,” said Bob Jameson, FWCVB president and CEO. “Our community has so many exciting new things to share and SXSW is the perfect platform to start telling the next chapter of the Fort Worth Story to an international audience.”

Official SXSW panels at Fort Worth Now include:

— Urban Air Taxi and the Future of Ridesharing

— Creating a Venture Capital Eco-System

— How Apps are Shaping the Future of Travel

— How Can Cities Support Hyperscale Data Storage

— How Studios Can Cultivate Local Talent

— Spotlight on Texas Filmmakers

Panels will feature representatives from Hillwood, Bell Helicopter, Facebook, Niles City Sound, Perot Jain, the City of Fort Worth and Fort Worth filmmakers James Johnston and Red Sanders, the release stated.

For more information on Fort Worth Now at SXSW, visit www.FortWorth.com/NOW. Or, to watch the Fort Worth Now promo video,  click here.