There's no 'R' in SXSW

It's great to have an office in Austin, TX so that we can be on the ground during South-by-Southwest (SXSW or "South by" as my colleagues there call it). The Interactive portion of the festival starts today, and being on Twitter and having a seat in the echo chamber, I can't tell that we're in a recession. In fact, SXSW providing it's own stimulus to the local economy at just the right time.  Parties abound, registration for the Interactive is up 30 percent, and people are sharing hotel rooms not because they're saving money, but because they're sold out. Unfortunately, I can't be there, but with social media, I won't miss much, right?

LP&P will be present, however, as Linsey Krauss and Lauren Whittenberg from our Austin office will be there and, as they did last year, reporting on the highlights. They will be sharing video interviews with speakers, bloggers, and other attendees, and images from the sessions and social scene. In addition, this year we're adding live blogging to our lineup using the Cover It Live service. Starting later this afternoon, you can follow this in the widget below.

We'll post other entries next week offering commentary on the news-making events and subplots that will surely come from the festival. In the meantime, enjoy and please share your reactions to the event in the comments below.