Swapcard, the leading AI-powered event and matchmaking platform for global virtual and hybrid events, has today announced it has been selected as the official virtual platform of SXSW Online and SXSW EDU Online 2021. Taking place March 16–20, SXSW Online will leverage Swapcard’s robust online events platform to deliver interactive live-streamed sessions with world-renowned speakers, virtual exhibitions, live Q&A and chat features, and abundant networking opportunities.

SXSW, one of the event industry’s most anticipated conferences and festivals, will this year deliver an online event in the face of the ongoing global pandemic. Their event platform of choice, Swapcard, will facilitate attendee networking and business connections during the event, allowing attendees to watch live streams, connect via 1-to-1 meetings, initiate video calls and instant messaging as well as engage with speakers through live Q&A and polls.

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“After evaluating over a hundred platforms, SXSW selected Swapcard to be the cornerstone of the SXSW Online web and mobile experience due to the platform’s robust feature set, demonstrated scalability, and sophisticated capabilities handling integrations with other technology partners,” said Scott Wilcox, Chief Innovation Officer, SXSW. “We have been impressed with the platform’s comprehensiveness and flexibility and are excited about our partnership.”

Swapcard’s hybrid event and matchmaking platform, which leverages artificial intelligence to match audiences with the people and content most relevant to their interests, has been experiencing a rapid growth within the online events community during the pandemic. The company recently announced 400% growth after hosting over 1,500 virtual events in 2020 and acquired Avolio, a U.S.-based registration company, to bring event registration in-house and become an end-to-end technology platform for event planners. Notable events that have trusted Swapcard’s technology to provide their global audiences with a premium online experience include NAMM Believe in Music Week, the U.S. music industry’s largest exhibition, Black Hat, the largest U.S. cybersecurity show, and World Expo 2021.

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“SXSW’s decision to select Swapcard as their official virtual platform for 2021 demonstrates that we’ve quickly become the leading platform for large-scale conferences and trade shows in North America,” said Baptiste Boulard, CEO and Co-Founder, Swapcard. “We are thrilled to help SXSW adapt to a new event format and look forward to delivering a transformative experience to SXSW’s many attendees.”

In addition to hosting SXSW Online 2021 the company will serve as the virtual platform for SXSW EDU Online, an event that fosters innovation and learning within the education industry. Held March 9 – March 11, 2021, the SXSW EDU Online digital experience will feature compelling conference keynotes and sessions, in-depth workshops, screenings, showcases, networking, exhibitions and much more.

“It’s an honor to have SXSW, one of the most important tech events of the year, endorse our virtual event platform. SXSW has the most demanding attendees when it comes to technology and Swapcard is up for the challenge,” said Matthew Donegan-Ryan, General Manager – US, Swapcard. “SXSW selects their speakers and content in a democratic manner and they did a similar process when shifting from Austin as the in-person location to Swapcard as the virtual location. Our goal is for Swapcard to be as instrumental to the success of SXSW 2021 as the City of Austin has been in previous years.”