New York Times #1 Best-Selling Author, Malcolm Gladwell, Leads Keynote Lineup at SXSW Interactive Festival

Event Brings Digital Innovators and the Most Creative Minds on the Web Together to Shape the Future of Interactive Technologies

Today, the South by Southwest (SXSW) Interactive Festival, one of the world's leading conferences targeted toward cutting-edge web designers, developers and innovators, announced its entire lineup of keynote presenters and panels, including: best-selling author Malcolm Gladwell, Ana Marie Cox, the voice behind Wonkette, WorldChanging editor, Alex Steffen, and award-winning author and Wired columnist, Bruce Sterling. The SXSW Interactive Festival and Conference welcomes bloggers, digital entrepreneurs, gamers and innovative thinkers from around the world to the Austin Convention Center, March 11-15 2005, to discuss the tech trends of tomorrow.

Gladwell, author of "The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference," kicks off the festival with his keynote address on his newly released New York Times #1 bestseller, "Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking" on Sunday, March 13.

"It is a privilege for me to provide the opening keynote at this year's SXSW Interactive Festival," said Gladwell. "The bloggers and Web heads have always been some of my most avid readers, and I'm a big fan of theirs as well. 'The Tipping Point' talks about social epidemics in all walks of life and how and why change happens. I think it's especially relevant to the SXSW audience as blogging starts to reach critical mass."

Cox, whose off-color genius has propelled Wonkette into one of the nation's most popular political weblogs, will be the keynote interview on Monday, March 14. Formerly a contributor at the late great satirical site suck.com, Cox has also written for Feed, Inside, Mother Jones and The American Prospect.

The Tuesday, March 15 keynote will feature a lively dialogue between Steffen and Sterling. Steffen edits the award-winning site WorldChanging.com and consults to a wide range of business and non-profit groups. Sterling is considered "one of America's best-known science fiction writers and perhaps the sharpest observer of our media-choked culture working today," according to Time Magazine.

"Over the past decade, interactive technologies -- many of which were introduced at SXSW -- have had a profound impact on our lives," said Austin Mayor Will Wynn. "As the Interactive Festival celebrates its twelfth year as an Austin institution, we're looking forward to once again hosting the best and brightest in Web design, Flash, multimedia and more."

In addition to keynotes, the SXSW Interactive Festival will feature more than 70 panels, "How to" sessions and distinguished speakers covering big-picture technology issues from bridging the digital divide to adding innovative, new content to mobile devices.

One of the most popular events at the SXSW Interactive Festival is the 8th annual Web Awards, highlighting the best in Web development. Comedian Laura Swisher from G4TechTV and NBC's "Last Comic Standing" will emcee the 2005 Web Awards Ceremony on Sunday, March 13 at the Hilton Austin.

For more information, visit: http://www.sxsw.com/interactive.

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