Dave Peck, Head of Social Media, PayPal
You know we’re all about eliminating the hassle that can come with paying friends back or buying something because we get it, you want to pay whenever and wherever in a secure, easy and convenient way. The same is true at major events like SXSW. So, with that in mind, here’s what PayPal will be doing in Austin this coming weekend as folks gather for SXSW (one of my favorite annual events, I might add).
Magic Mode: To celebrate One Touch™ coming to the Lyft app, we’re collaborating with Lyft to let SXSW attendees ride in style. Those who request a ride in Magic Mode have the chance to hitch a ride in an original Mini Cooper, 1963 Bentley, Tesla Model S or another noteworthy car—and get some swag like sunglasses or a Cuddlestache at the same time! And as an added bonus, riders can get $5 off their first Magic Mode ride by paying with PayPal. I personally hope I can get a ride in a 1968 Corvette!
Lounge Around: Relax and breathe easy at our social media lounge (conveniently located on the fourth floor of the Convention Center), where you can charge your phone, get some work done and check out programming hosted by Khail Anonymous and Tricia Hershberger. You’ll also be able to grab convenience items like hangover kits, ear buds and umbrellas for a buck, or snag a much need cup of coffee for only a penny using the PayPal app.
Fan of Shark Tank? Be sure to stop by the lounge for the PayPal Duel, where two small business owners, Peanut Butter Americano and Earhoox, will pitch legendary shark Daymond John for a chance to win $30,000 and one-on-one coaching sessions. Pitching will take place on March 14 from 2:30pm – 4:30pm CT, and Daymond will choose the winner right after the pitches. Come check it out because if you’re not at a panel, you should be at the PayPal lounge.
Party with PayPal (oh yeah…and Gary Clark, Jr.!): If you’re looking for a show with an eclectic lineup of Austin's finest bands performing alongside up-and-coming artists from around the world, you’ll want to be at Empire Control Room & Garage on St. Patrick’s Day (March 17) to hear everyone from home town heroes Shakey Graves (Austin) and Gary Clark Jr. (Austin), to The London Souls (NYC), Goldfish (South Africa), Tokimonsta (Japan), Tuxedo featuring Mayer Hawthorne (LA) and many, many more! While you’re enjoying the music, sample some of Austin’s best food-truck cuisine (I’m already craving Slab BBQ, Hey Cupcake and Salt & Time) and watch local art vendors create uniquely inspired works in a variety of mediums. Stop by anytime between 1pm and 2am to dance the day away with us.
Travel in Style: Don’t have a ride to the Empire party? No worries; between 10pm and 2am on the 17th you can ride one of the fleet of pedicabs we’ve hired for free just by showing you have the PayPal app on your smartphone. But let’s be clear, the pedicab fleet hosted by PayPal will be available all week to get you around downtown Austin.
Austin Street Art: Are you a fan of graffiti art? If you are, you’re in luck. We’ve collaborated with local graffiti artist Jason Eatherly to add a new dimension to one of the walls at Empire. On March 13 – 15, Eatherly will be doing a live art installation at Empire; while you watch the art come to life, you can also grab your favorite eats from Slab BBQ on Friday and Mellizoz Tacos on Saturday and Sunday. A nice little respite if you get tired of being at the Convention Center all day long.
As if all that weren’t enough, we also have two of our executive spokespeople participating in sessions at SXSW this year:
Carey Kolaja, Vice President, Global Product Solutions: She’ll be participating in a fireside chat with ReadWrite’s Owen Thomas on March 14 from 12:30 – 1:30 pm CT at the J.W. Marriott Hotel. Carey and Owen will review recent studies, and discuss the new wearable wallet trend, and what’s to come. Aunkur Arya, Head of Mobile Business Development: He’ll be part of a panel with Anthony Ha (TechCrunch), Trip Adler (Scribd) and Payal Kadakia (ClassPass) on March 14 from 5:00 – 6:00pm CT at The Hilton Austin Downtown. The panel will discuss how customized payment models, such as seamless checkout, subscriptions and cross-platform support, are changing the way consumers think (or don't think) about how they pay for the things they want and how this behavioral shift impacts transactions in the future.
If you want to know more about what’s happening at SXSW, but can’t be there in person, you can follow along on Twitter using #PayPalSXSW. We’ll be livestreaming all the action from the Lounge on our YouTube channel.
I can’t wait for what SXSW has in store for us this year!
Follow me @davepeck for my inside scope on all things social at SXSW.