Earlier this year, President Obama and Michelle Obama were announced as keynote speakers during SXSW. Mr. Obama delivered a speech during the beginning of SXSW Interactive, while Mrs. Obama gave her own speech to mark the beginning of SXSW Music week. It seems the Obama family had a blast being involved with SXSW and are ready to do it again.
According to NPR, the Obama administration will team up with SXSW once again but they're not waiting until next spring to return to Austin, Texas for the upcoming festival. Instead, there will be a one day festival held at the White House. This festival will take place on October 3 and be called "South by South Lawn," aka SXSL.
Similar to the festival it's named after and inspired by, South by South Lawn will also feature the three main categories—Music, Film, and Interactive. Attendees can sit in during panel discussions, view short films made by students, and enjoy live performances. As of now, there's no word yet on who we can expect to see on the lineup but the Obamas have plenty of talented friends who will surely be willing to participate.
The White House is referring to the upcoming SXSL as "a call to arms for every American to roll up their sleeves and make a positive mark on our country—and a celebration of the great work so many of us have already accomplished." To make South by South Lawn a fun, interactive experience, the White House is encouraging people to nominate who they would like to see at the festival.
Nominations can be submitted here before September 10 at 5pm.
