Top 5 Panels for Animal Lovers

Attention, all animal lovers! While this is an interactive conference, there is still plenty of room for man’s best friend. And man’s other best friend, cats. And also, tigers. Here is an overview of the top five SXSWi panels for animal lovers. From pet adoption, to vodka, to indie rock music—there is something for everyone.


smithsoniantigersSmithsonian’s Tigers Love Portugal. The Man

Sunday, March 15
12:30-1:30 p.m.

Hyatt Regency Austin
Hill Country ABCD
208 Barton Springs Road

 

Unlikely pairings can sometimes create powerful audience connections. In this case, the unique pairing was the Smithsonian’s National Zoo Park & Conservation Biology Institute and indie rock band Portugal. The Man. Find out how 400 degradable vinyl records of an #EndangeredSong helped raise awareness about the critically endangered Sumatran tiger. And learn how and why finding an unlikely partner can foster change and open up new audiences for you, too.


internetcats“CAT”astrophe: Good, Bad & Ugly of Internet Cats

Monday, March 16
3:30-4:30 p.m.

Austin Convention Center
Room 5ABC
500 E. Cesar Chavez St.

 

Grumpy Cat. Hamilton the Hipster Cat. My cat, Dixie Belle. Cats are all over the Internet. So, why hasn’t our insatiable appetite for virtual cats translated into the adoption of more real cats? Eight million cats and dogs enter U.S. animal shelters each year, and each year, half of them are euthanized. And, for a variety of sad reasons, cats are more likely to be euthanized than dogs. Join Jackson Galaxy, cat behaviorist and Animal Planet TV show host, and Bryan Kortis, author and Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program manager for PetSmart Charities Inc., in discussing how to use the drive behind the Internet’s cat obsession to advocate for change and save lives.


vodkafordogpeopleVodka for Dog People: Matchmaking a Business Heart

Monday, March 16
3:30-4:30 p.m.

Austin Convention Center
Room 6AB
500 E. Cesar Chavez St.

 

You hear about corporate and nonprofit partnerships all of the time. But this isn’t your everyday cause-marketing arrangement. The partnership between Tito’s Handmade Vodka and Emancipet started organically—a labor of love rather than a concocted collaboration. Years later, this union formed into what is now known as Vodka for Dog People. Join Tito’s marketing pro Beth Bellanti and Emancipet CEO Amy Mills in a discussion on corporate/nonprofit matchmaking and how to find your own philanthropic soul mate.


dogvacayBarking Up the Right Tree: Creating a New Category

Tuesday, March 17
9:30-10:30 a.m.

Hilton Austin Downtown
Salon E
500 E. 4th St.

As you startup people know, finding the right audience and learning how to best reach them is no easy task. This is especially true if your customer or consumer has very specific needs—say, pet owners. Industry newcomers Bark & Co., Whistle, and DogVacay have managed to work their way into the $60-billion pet industry—turning millions of dog owners into loyal customers. Find out how the lessons these companies learned and the strategies they employed can help you grow your brand and carve a space for your company in competitive emerging markets.


aspcaGIS Mapping: Using Technology to Save the Lives of Dogs & Cats

Tuesday, March 17
10-11 a.m.

Trinity Hall
311 E. 5th St.

 

Part of SXgood—the official social good platform of SXSW—this event will shed light on the the growing pet homelessness issue and explain how technology can make a difference. This ASPCA working group will discuss how geographic information system (GIS) mapping technology can help reduce both pet homelessness and animal euthanasia rates—changing the world and saving lives. There will be adoptable dogs at the event, too!

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