SXSW Interactive He We Come

Out of all the panels and programs that currently made the cut for the upcoming SXSW Interactive a few in particular caught my eye.
First, I was surprised to see a panel called "Banks: Innovate or Die" on new wave financial institutions leading the way in the old school banking industry with social and interactive media tools and programs. Come to think of it, the banking industry is falling behind in the social media realm and I think could really improve customer service experiences with more interactive programs like virtual banking online. This would have been quite helpful over the weekend when I was experiencing major issues synching my online banking account with my Quicken money management software. The only help offered was through a marginal chat service...and let's just say I was not too happy about wasting a few of my precious weekend time.
Another topic that sparked my interest is on the constant struggle between journalists and bloggers in this new age of interactive journalism titled "Bloggers vs. Journalists: It's a Psychological Thing". Being in the public relations field it is interesting to hear veteran reporters complain how their jobs are being taken by pajama bloggers that seem to have infiltrated the industry. Anyone can be a blogger these days, but does the public really care to listen?

Moving on, another panel that looks interesting titled "Fitness 2.0: Reverse Engineering Your Excuse Compiler" is how social networking tools, geolocation and the real-time web can be used to help create more personalized opportunities for fitness programs and ultimately create a fitter society. I would love a personalized application that would automatically send me new swim and weight workouts every day so I wouldn't have to make these up on my own or print out workouts found on the Internet. I know alot of avid runners who are utilizing apps to find running routes when they travel for business. I think the ultimate challenge with all this new technology is remembering to step away from it and disconnect. My biggest pet peeve is seeing people on the Hike and Bike Trail talking on their phones while taking a walk...is this really necessary? This leads into another interesting panel titled "Health: Is There Really an App for That" that will investigate if digital health tools are having an impact on people’s health and if so, how and if not, why not.
Finally, a panel titled "Local Online Communities: Won't You Be My Neighbor" looks interesting and will discuss how location based technologies are being used to create and develop more engaged communities. I think location based technologies are particularly useful here as I would love to connect with neighbors who have an interest in swimming or running; working out with a friend or neighbor is so much more motivating than working out alone. I could also see how this could be useful in neighborhoods or communities with a large kid population for activities, parties and childcare.
With so many interesting panels on the horizon I think the most difficult task will just entail mapping out my schedule. Hope to see you there.