Should SXSW Become a Fixture on Publishers’ Calendars?

By Edward Nawotka

The SXSW Interactive festival is currently taking place in Austin, Texas. There have been chances to discuss everything from “What happens when the New York Times dies?” and the future of news, to how to sell counterculture without selling out and the specifics of integrating HTML 5 into your workflow. What’s more, there have been nearly a dozen events geared to publishers, from panels to parties.

Among the publishing professionals in attendance is Pablo Defendini, “producer and showrunner” of Tor.com, who noted that while there were “a lot of publishing people around” he still wished “there were a lot more.”

“Publishing people, especially those working in the trenches, really need to know some of this stuff,” he said.

So, this brings up the question: Should SXSW become a regular fixture on the calendars of publishing executives? Is publishing so intertwined with the digital world that editors and others in the companies need to understand HTML 5?

Let us know what you think in the comments below or via Twitter using #ppdiscuss. And if you’re at SXSW, drop us a note in the comments to tell us your impression of this year’s event.