The annual SXSW Sydney Conference provides a global stage for Asia-Pacific creators and professionals to showcase their talent and innovations.
With more than 1,000 events and experiences, and attendees from 40+ countries, SXSW Sydney is your gateway to global networking, collaboration, and exposure, solidifying Sydney as the Asia-Pacific’s creative hub.
Spark fresh ideas through interactive sessions, workshops and talks that explore Tech & Innovation, Business & Leadership, Marketing & Media, Future & Sustainability, Culture & Lifestyle and Creative Industries.
Read on to explore all 23 conference tracks.
TECH & INNOVATION TRACKS
Tech & Innovation explores how AI and quantum computing are transforming industries, alongside the sophisticated cybersecurity measures defending our digital world. Discover how the latest medical advancements—from personalised precision medicine to drug discovery and biotechnological breakthroughs—are revolutionising healthcare. Be inspired stories and hear from emerging innovators focussed on solving some of the world's most pressing challenges. The Technology & Innovation programming will include a range of panel formats, mentor sessions, workshops and the SXSW Sydney Hackathon brainstorm.
AI, ROBOTICS & AUTOMATION: Exploring the expansion of AI across all industries and society. Sessions in this track may also cover regulation, ethics, misinformation, the impact of AI on an evolving workforce and the integration of AI & robotics.
CYBER & YOUR DATA: Programming examines the critical measures and practices designed to protect our sensitive information, and to ensure the integrity of digital systems. Topics span deep fakes, data privacy, cyber threats, employee training and risk management, geopolitics, encryption and the future of security technologies.
HEALTH & MEDTECH: Health & MedTech sessions explore the latest advances in healthcare, improving patient outcomes, and driving technical innovation in the medical field, from gene editing technologies, through to personalised medicine, psychedelics and mental health outcomes.
TECHNOLOGY: Technology sessions delve into the people, platforms and technological solutions creating the next wave of change. This track will explore emerging and existing technologies, with a focus on growth across the Asia Pacific as well as Australia and global players.
MARKETING & MEDIA TRACKS
Explore the future of advertising, the creator economy, and journalism across panels, talks and workshops. Discover how creativity and technology combine to craft impactful brand experiences and engage consumers across platforms. Learn strategies for building authentic connections and vibrant communities while balancing commercial goals. Delve into the challenges reshaping the media landscape, from trust and misinformation to threats to press freedom, and examine the evolving relationship between advertising, branding, and technology.
ADVERTISING & MARKETING: Thought leaders and agencies from across the world discuss the power and impact of data & analytics, brand experiences, personalised & retail marketing, immersive tech, content & creativity. These sessions are geared towards organisations that want to explore new ways to connect with their communities.
CREATOR ECONOMY: Hear from key opinion leaders and agencies as they explore creator economy trends, including monetisation strategies, community building, and brand collaborations, and how content creators are reshaping work, connection, and self-produced content in this ever-evolving industry.
MEDIA & JOURNALISM: Discover the challenges and opportunities across the media industry, including press freedom, financial sustainability, digital transformation, data insights, news gathering, misinformation and trust, while continuously adapting to technological and audience changes.
BUSINESS & LEADERSHIP TRACKS
Across Business & Leadership, hear from changemakers & leaders making a positive impact in a tech-driven global economy. Be inspired by startup success stories and emerging innovators solving the world’s most pressing challenges; explore the evolving nature of work enabling teams and people to thrive; meet the industry professionals and thought leaders revolutionising future skills and EduTech; and discover the challenges and innovations impacting financial industries, FinTech and our systems of commerce.
EDUCATION & SKILLS: Bringing together industry professionals and thought leaders across future skills and EduTech, this track explores evolving approaches in education and training, from personalised learning experiences and micro-skills, to recruitment and workplace training, and the impact of emerging technologies across the sector.
FINTECH & COMMERCE: Programming examines the influences impacting a tech-driven global economy, including the changes and challenges to our systems of commerce, AI, economic trends, the evolution of financial services, the dynamics of crypto, inflation, supply chains and other disruptions in our world.
PEOPLE & WORK: With a focus on the evolution of when, where, and how we work, this track examines workplace culture, talent and recruitment, remote collaboration, physical workspaces, technological advancements, and their impact on individuals, organisations and communities.
STARTUPS & INVESTMENT: Entrepreneurs and Investors underpin most business and innovation conversations. Hear from the brightest new entrepreneurial ideas, unexpected founders, funders of all cheque sizes, success stories and epic failures that make up the experience of launching a new venture.
CULTURE & FREESTYLE TRACKS
Culture & Lifestyle programming covers the breadth of human ingenuity, as well as the breakthrough technologies, trends, disruptions and sustainable practices influencing our lifestyles. Meet the icons and innovators reshaping the global industries of fashion & beauty, travel & lifestyle; and sports, and discover the work of artists and creatives as they explore how our collective experiences shape communities and individual well-being.
CULTURE: Hear from creative trailblazers and visionary thinkers as they explore the dynamic interplay of culture, arts, and language shaping communities and individuals, while highlighting emerging voices defining global culture.
FASHION & BEAUTY: Dive into the ongoing reinvention of the fashion and beauty industries, from design to retail, and its impact on our lives. Key topics include sustainability, technology, trends, as well as insights from designers, icons, and industry leaders.
TRAVEL & LEISURE: Discover how evolving customer expectations, sustainability and personalisation are influencing the future of travel and explore top destinations, unique experiences, innovative business models, emerging trends, and breakthrough technologies reshaping the travel and leisure industries.
SPORTS: From icons to innovators, share industry breakthroughs in technology, biometrics, data analysis, fan experiences, brands, health, revenue streams, media and sponsorship that continue to reshape this global industry.
FUTURE & SUSTAINABILITY TRACKS
Across Future & Sustainability sessions, explore how we live, move, and build a sustainable world. From renewable energy and ClimateTech to smart cities, electric vehicles, and space exploration, discover transformative solutions tackling climate change and shaping resilient futures. Gain insights from architects, designers, chefs, and innovators driving creativity across physical, digital, and virtual spaces - showcasing how design and technology address global challenges and inspire lasting change.
2050: With just 25 years to go until 2050, join the brightest minds as they share groundbreaking research, scientific breakthroughs, and technological innovations shaping tomorrow, revealing transformative solutions and reimagining our collective future
DESIGN: Hear from the designers, developers, architects, and creatives who build our physical, digital and virtual worlds, and discover how design drives innovation and addresses complex challenges.
ENERGY & CLIMATE: Explore the latest innovations, solutions, and strategies for building a sustainable, resilient future. Programming also covers the energy sector, highlighting alternative and renewable sources, ClimateTech, and promising ideas for mitigating—and adapting to—the effects of climate change.
FOOD & AGTECH: Join changemakers—chefs, growers, creators, and tech innovators—transforming the food industry and explore how we’ll grow, prepare, and experience food across production, technology, agriculture, distribution, retail, and consumption.
TRANSPORT & CITIES: Explore technological advances reshaping transport and smart cities, from electric and autonomous vehicles to digital grids, aviation breakthroughs, commercial space travel, high-speed rail, and innovations in micro-mobility.
CREATIVE INDUSTRIES TRACKS
Explore the creative, commercial and technical disciplines driving the music, screen, and games industries, and how technology and innovation shape content creation, distribution, and audience engagement. Hear from leading creatives, developers, artists, and industry experts, covering trends in streaming platforms, financing, technology, live performance and events. Gain insights into professional development, career guidance, and the cultural and economic impact of these industries. Sessions run alongside Music, Screen & Games festival events, mixers, and showcases and include high-profile speakers across marketing, communications, technology, and trends.
GAMES INDUSTRY: Dive into the games industry and its transformative effect on entertainment with sessions on new technology, game development, cultural and economic impact and integration with other industries. Developers, publishers, creatives, investors, journalists, academics and experts — we welcome your contributions to shed light on the ever-evolving games ecosystem.
MUSIC INDUSTRY: Explore how technology continues to reinvent how we create, discover, distribute, promote and experience music. Hear from leading figures across the industry, including artists, record labels, brands, streaming platforms, and live events on the enduring power of music to shape culture. Programming will also offer professional development, touring and career guidance.
SCREEN INDUSTRY: The creative and business processes behind creating screen, episodic & self-produced content. Iconic creatives including producers, directors, and actors will explore current and future trends in audience engagement, screen technology, distribution, financing and streaming platforms in this ever-changing industry.
