5 Takeaway Trends from SXSW 2011

South by Southwest is a conference like no other. I honestly didn’t know what to expect going into it, but it was some of the most fun, cool and exhausting days I’ve experienced. From panels to parties, there was always something going on. And in addition to t-shirts, stickers, and other swag I brought back home, here are 5 trends that I saw from this year’s conference:

1) Foursquare is winning the LBS war

Both Foursquare and Gowalla rolled out new versions for the conference. And both set up engaging experiences and rewards for users while they were in Austin (Foursquare had a special badge for a Big Boi concert; Gowalla had users collect real stickers in a passport for tickets to a Matt & Kim concert) I’ve been an avid Gowalla fanatic for the past year, but I have to admit, I think Foursquare has better positioned themselves for long-term success and scale with their new updates. I attended a panel where Pete Cashmore from Mashable interviewed Dennis Crowley and a large part of the discussion centered around Foursquare’s plans to use the social graph data and personalize the user’s experience. So now you can see what locations your friends have been to, which in turn, will help influence your decision of where to check in. I really like this direction as it takes the core element of Yelp that people love and adds a personal touch. This focus on customer loyalty through an expanded business merchant program (different types of specials for different types of customers) will be really key to their success. I still love Gowalla – it’s by far a superior user experience and visually compelling, but I think Foursquare is moving in a smart direction with their focus on using data to personalize and enhance the experience.

*I should also mention that Loopt, Whrrl, SCVNGR and WeReward all had a very small presence. So small in fact, that I didn’t see or hear too much about any of them. These LBS will be interesting to watch as they have a tough fight ahead to grab share away from Foursquare or Gowalla users.

2) QR codes are everywhere

You couldn’t walk 2 feet in Austin without bumping into someone using a smart phone. So it made sense that QR codes were found on everything from T-shirts to posters to business cards and temporary tattoos. I think this technology is incredibly valuable — the ability to take something static and turn it into something interactive is a powerful tool, especially for marketers. And as the market for smart phones continues to rapidly grow, QR codes will become increasingly important. Other cool mobile innovations worth noting:

• Hashable: an app that helps keep track of contacts you meet via their Twitter handles
• Mobile payments: I paid for a pedicab by using Square, and for lunch at a truck using Intuit’s version. Very easy for both parties.
• Blinx: similar to Contxts, it allows you to give people your digital business card by having them send a text.

3) Group messaging is all the rage

I used GroupMe and Beluga (which Facebook recently acquired) while I was in Austin. It was a great and easy way to coordinate with the larger group of co-workers I was there with. And from all the social chatter, it sounds like GroupMe was the overall favorite. While this technology isn’t completely innovative, it’s actually surprising that it hasn’t come out sooner. It’s extremely useful and helps everyone connect on a more personal level with smaller groups of people from their larger social network.

4) Digital photo/video booths enhance event experiences

Photo booths are always a fun edition to an event. And now, new technology has enabled more interactive experiences. This is a great way for brands to extend the event experience and allow people to share it with others who aren’t there. At SXSW, these were my favorite innovative uses:

• SoBe’s video kiosk allowed you to get a digital makeover with items like mustaches or mohawks and instantly share with friends via a QR code and short URL.
• PepsiMAX had an interactive kiosk (with professional lighting) where you could instantly email photos or a video message to friends.
• Instagram supposedly had a roving digital photo booth, but we never saw it.
• At Google’s 80′s party, you could edit the photos you took in a photobooth on a separate kiosk powered by Piknik, and then email them via your Gmail account.

5) Despite all the cool technology, it’s really about the people

The best part about SXSW was meeting all sorts of people. I learned more from the conversations I had waiting in line than from most of the panels I attended. As a marketer, the same thing holds true — connecting with people (on and offline) and motivating people to action. Whether on a personal level or a customer relationship building one, that’s what it comes down to. Technology can really help with this but there still needs to be that human touch.