Twitter, Google Bigwigs to Mix with Startups at SXSW

WWD: The 22nd annual South by Southwest Interactive Festival starts in Austin, Texas, on Friday. Around 33,000 Interactive badge holders — who ponied up $1,295 for access to the five-day tech conference — will crowd into the Austin Convention Center, the hub of daytime activity. Luring them in: More than 1,000 panels and sessions from more than 2,500 scheduled speakers, including Twitter cofounder Biz Stone and former Google CEO Eric Schmidt. Media companies hosting events in their own spaces include Yahoo and Hearst.