Las Vegas tech community heads to South by Southwest

CREATED Mar. 5, 2013

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  • A popular festival in Austin, Texas will have a large Las Vegas contingent this year. Video by ktnv.com

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 Las Vegas, NV (KTNV) -- A popular festival in Austin, Texas will have a large Las Vegas contingent this year. The local tech community will converge at South by Southwest to promote moving tech startup companies to our city.

When most people think of South by Southwest, music or film comes to mind. But emerging technology is a huge focus at the festival.

"There's a big misconception about South by Southwest. It started out as music, but actually now the largest-growing space at South by Southwest is the tech side or the interactive portion of the festival," said Gabe Shepherd, who's spearheading Vegas Tech's presence at the festival.

Eager to harness new talent, the Vegas tech community is packing their bags and taking a trip deep into the heart of Texas.

The Vegas Tech community, including Gabe Shepherd, will have a strong message for the fellow entrepreneurs they come in contact with in Austin. 

"Consider Vegas. If you're a tech startup and an entrepreneur, consider Vegas," said Shepherd. "If you're a tech startup looking for a sense of community in a vibrant emerging tech scene, consider Vegas." 

The growing tech community has people comparing the movement to an early Silicon Valley, so Vegas Tech SXSW has a lot of support pushing those efforts in Austin. Some heavy-hitters like the Downtown Project as well as UNLV and Switch are supporting the endeavor.

"Rather than launching a product at South by Southwest, Vegas Tech is launching a community," said Shepherd. 

To learn more about Vegas Tech SXSW, click here