The digital version of the SXSW Interactive Program Guide is now available. Packed full of information, this guide is a must-read before leaving home and on the plane, as well as a great resource on the ground. Download today!
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/644232
AWARDS ENTRY AND JUDGING PROCESS Beginning last June, hundreds of innovators and creatives entered their work in the 2016 SXSW Interactive Innovation Awards. Every entry accepted was an achieve- ment made between January 1 and December 31, 2015. Our panel of judges, comprised of over fifty industry peers with expertise in each of the categories' respective fields, carefully evaluated each entry to determine our 65 finalists. This meticulous selection process involved hundreds of collective hours of testing and grading and included the second annual Interactive Innovation Awards Gadget Fair, a closed-door event offering judges a hands-on opportunity to evaluate physical device entries in person. Each entry was assessed based on four criteria: Creativity, Form, Function and Overall Experience. Judges scored each criterion between one and five stars and were then asked to weigh whether each entry should be con- sidered a finalist. These simple up-or-down votes were then used as a tiebreaker between entries with numerically identical scores. The five entries in each of the 13 categories with the highest scores were announced as finalists and invited to the first Interactive Innovation Awards Finalist Showcase. A second round of voting among judges from all categories determined the winners. The Monday, March 14 Finalist Showcase, open to all Interactive, Gold and Platinum badgeholders, gives finalists the platform to exhibit and demo their work for the SXSW community, who chooses the winner of the People's Choice Award. THE CATEGORIES The categories for the 2016 SXSW Interactive Innovation awards reflect the ever-broadening scope of the digital industry and the connected world. They include Health Med & BioTech, Innovation in Connecting People, Innovative 3-DIY, Music & Audio Innovation, New Economy, Privacy & Security, Responsive Design, SciFi No Longer, Smart Cities, Student Innovation, Visual Media Experience, VR & AR and Wearable Tech. FINALIST SHOWCASE The first annual Interactive Innovation Awards Finalist Showcase brings the year's best, most forward-thinking projects to your fingertips As part of the 19th annual SXSW Interactive Innovation Awards, five finalists in each of our 13 award categories exhibit their work for all Interactive, Gold and Platinum Badgeholders, who select the winner of the People's Choice Award. Come discover the 65 finalists in the Interac- tive Innovation Awards, with hands-on demos of these trendsetting new contributions to the connected world. Then, vote for your favorite pick and join us as we reveal the winners in each category at the Interactive Innovation Awards Ceremony. Monday March 14, 2016 12:00–3:00pm Hilton Austin Downtown Salon C, Level 4 Visit sxsw.com/interactive/awards/ finalist-showcase for more details. THE COMPETITION The 19th annual SXSW Interactive Innovation Awards celebrate the most creative and inspiring innovations in the connected world. The 2016 com- petition showcases the most exciting developments in tech, including achievements in digital design and visual media, wearable tech and biotech, commu- nication and social media, privacy and security, 3D printing, augmented and virtual reality and beyond. First established in 1997, SXSW Interactive's annual awards competition and ceremony was known as the "Web Awards" and honored digital creatives in the burgeoning online community. As the range of ingenuity in the digital space grew, and as the Internet evolved into the Internet of Things, the competition expanded into the Interactive Innovation Awards, reflecting the increasingly multifaceted and diverse ecosystem of technological achievement. Come discover the Interactive community's best and latest work! Tuesday March 15, 2016 Pre-Party at 6:00pm Ceremony at 7:00pm Hilton Austin Downtown, 6th Floor Austin Grand Ballroom & Pre-function Area INTERACTIVE INNOVATION AWARDS 19TH ANNUAL SXSW INTERACTIVE INNOVATION AWARDS CEREMONY Richard McBlane Richard McBlane Richard McBlane EVENTS & AWARDS 5 4 S X S W I N T E R A C T I V E I N N O VAT I O N AWA R D S S X S W. C O M