If you’re not familiar with the phenomenon The South by Southwest Conferences & Festivals, known to most by its acronym SXSW, you must check it out.

If you are, you’ll understand that it’s literally impossible to get a full night’s sleep after attending the weeklong, annual event, which claims “Tomorrow Happens Here.” Total sensory overload - and an amazing opportunity to get steeped in all-things next gen music, film and interactive.

Two R+Kers attended this year’s event in Austin - Grant Cassiday (Media Supervisor) and Jodi Carreon (Account Executive) - and the halls of R+K have been buzzing ever since. We thought we’d share a few of their favorite tidbits:

• Real-time web is a reality. Yes, it’s evolving – rapidly – and goes by many names, including intuitive search (seen a Bing ad lately?), but it’s the future of the Internet. Check out Google Wave.

• Content is king. OK, this isn’t a revelation, but it’s a reminder that effective conversations with today’s consumers require fresh, relevant content in formats and places that suit your audiences.

• Fight process with process. Jaime Punishill, SVP Social Media, Citibank, told an incredible story of launching a social media effort within a highly regulated company. A core tenet of his success was instituting processes to help internal audiences stay involved in every step of the effort. More here: http://bit.ly/99zKQh

• Beware talk of the “digital revolution.” If you’re charged with digital/social media efforts at any level within your organization, you know people’s understanding and acceptance of such things varies…greatly. Best to focus on how it works on a day-to-day basis and the short- and long-term benefits to your company. 

We hope you enjoyed these bites, at least for these few minutes before you surf the net, look for that cool new app, turn on the TV or login to Twitter when, of course, you’ll come across chatter of the next big thing.

Want more? Contact gcassiday@rkconnect.com or jcarreon@rkconnect.com. Follow us on Twitter @RheaKaiser.