Ep. 71: SXSW Unplugged with Chief Commercial Officer Peter Lewis

In this episode of Trade Show Talk, host Danica Tormohlen speaks with Peter Lewis, Chief Commercial Officer of South by Southwest (SXSW). They discuss Peter's journey from an administrative assistant to a key leader in one of the world's most influential cultural gatherings. The conversation covers the challenges and opportunities SXSW faces as it prepares for its 40th anniversary, including venue changes, economic impact, brand partnerships, and international expansion. Peter shares insights on building a strong team, creating unique experiences, and the importance of community engagement in the event industry.  

In our monthly advocacy update, we talk with Tommy Goodwin, Executive VP for the Exhibitions and Conferences Alliance. We discuss the reauthorization of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act, which is crucial for event organizers. The conversation also touches on international travel challenges, including the visa bond program and proposed social media requirements for visa waiver countries. U.S. Customs and Border Protection is taking comments about the social media requirements proposal through February 9. Email CBP here. Registration for ECA’s Legislative Action Day is now open, and trade show professionals can register here.   

Peter Lewis bio 

Peter Lewis serves as Chief Commercial Officer at SXSW, where he leads the commercial strategy and execution across partnerships, customer success, content, communications, sales, marketing, and growth markets. He oversees teams that design and deliver festival experiences, partner programming, brand activations, global sponsorships, and go-to-market operations, ensuring the forward-thinking community that comes to SXSW is deeply engaged and connected. Peter joined SXSW in 2009 and has played a key role in expanding its commercial and creative reach, both in Austin and around the world. 

Chapters 

00:00 Introduction to Trade Show Talk 

02:07 Meet Peter Lewis: The Visionary Behind South by Southwest 

05:04 Peter's Journey: From Admin to Chief Commercial Officer 

07:08 Building a Strong Team for Success 

08:18 Exciting Plans for South by Southwest 2026 

11:11 Navigating Venue Challenges: A New Era for South by Southwest 

14:20 Creating Unique Experiences in Austin 

18:12 Economic Impact of South by Southwest 

19:21 Brand Partnerships and Activations 

22:22 The Evolution of Brand Engagement 

24:25 Celebrating 40 Years of Innovation 

25:51 International Expansion: South by Southwest Goes Global 

28:56 The Secret Sauce of South by Southwest 

30:25 The Importance of Community and Connection 

32:13 Panel Picker: A Platform for New Voices 

34:23 Innovative Sessions and Programming 

36:03 The Role of Penske Media Corporation 

38:12 Surreal Moments in South by Southwest History 

40:13 Unexpected Discoveries and Breakout Bands 

43:50 Staying Creative and Avoiding Burnout 

45:29 Conclusion and Future Insights 

Bio: Tommy Goodwin, Executive Vice President for the Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance

Tommy Goodwin is Executive Vice President for the Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance (ECA), the advocacy association for the business events industry. In this role, he leads ECA’s work on behalf of the interconnected ecosystem of exhibitors, event and meeting organizers, suppliers, venues, and destinations that comprise the global business events landscape.

Prior to joining ECA, Tommy spent more than 20 years working for several globally recognized associations and corporations, including Oracle, AARP, and the Project Management Institute.

Recognized by The Hill in its list of association "Top Lobbyists" every year since 2020, Tommy has also received several industry awards including:

• CEO Update/Association Trends: Leading Association Lobbyist (2023)

• American Society of Association Executives (ASAE): ASAE Fellow (2022)

• DCA Live: Association Innovation Leader (2022)

• Trade Show news Network: Industry Support Award (2022)

• MeetingsNet: Changemaker (2022)

Podcast Host: Danica Tormohlen

An award-winning journalist who has covered the trade show industry since 1994, Danica Tormohlen is VP of Group Content, Meetings, Sports, Travel for Informa Connect. In her role, she oversees content for Trade Show News Network, Corporate Event News, BizBash and Connect's portfolio of in-person events. These leading media brands publish websites, newsletters, social media channels, video, podcasts and online and in-person programming for the trade show, corporate event, association meeting, experiential marketing and exhibition industries. 

Tormohlen currently serves as immediate past president of the Women in Exhibitions Network North America chapter. She has been a speaker and moderator at major industry events, including the TSNN Awards, IMEX, IAEE, SISO, UFI, ESCA, DI and Large Show Roundtable — to name a few.

Sponsor

This episode is brought to you by The Citywide Track powered by TSNN at Connect Spring Marketplace.

 

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Connect Spring Marketplace: Where citywide events find their perfect match. 

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