At the beginning of the pandemic, South by Southwest — Austin’s international music, art, tech and culture conference traditionally held each spring — was one of the first major events to be canceled or relegated to a virtual experience.

And at this time of year, conference prep would normally be rearing up with travel and events planning. But as expected, the 2021 edition will officially be held remotely March 16 through 20.

While gathering in person is ideal, there’s much to be gained by remote access, as we’ve heard and experienced in the past nine months of the pandemic; consider accessibility, creativity and ease of attendance for faraway guests. One example of making the best of a necessary pivot was in the summer-long series from Amplify Philly, the group that typically pops up Philly-focused programming at the IRL SXSW conference. The series featured virtual conversations, music and activities touching on science, tech and the entrepreneurship community here. (Amplify’s Dave Silver said there’s nothing specific planned for this year’s series so far.)

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