Top 10 Father’s Day Activities in ATX

Dads, or men in general, are hard to crack. There has probably been a point in your life where you were stumped on what to get that special man for the holidays. Thankfully, Father’s Day is not the time to shower him in gifts, instead it’s the one-day you can truly show him how much you care. This year make Father’s Day one to remember with a day packed full of his favorite activities! Try one or take on a few, either way, make Father’s Day special! If your dad loves hunting and you’re looking for the best gift for him then get him a rangefinder for hunting, this will help make his shots more accurate.

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Top Five Must-See Speakers at SXSW 2016

This year marks the 23rd annual SXSW Interactive Festival in Austin. As a breeding place for discovering new technological advances, this five-day event will take you on a journey into the future as we hear from industry leaders and influential speakers give their insight on the emergence of new ideas and how they will shape our future. We know SXSW can be overwhelming with the hundreds of events to attend, so we narrowed down a list of our top 5 must-see speakers this year.

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SXSW Invasion: How Do We Escape?

Since 1987, SXSW has brought in tens of thousands of attendees each year– and this number continues to grow as the event gains more publicity and stardom. For local merchants, SXSW is a great event for their businesses. However, for the rest of us, it can be a huge hindrance, as traffic quadruples, Uber surge prices are at its highest, and the large crowds make it extremely difficult to get into the downtown area. Where do we go when SXSW is invading our city? Here is your chance to explore the great sights that the surrounding areas of Austin have to offer:

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Amplify Austin– A Unique 24-Hour Event

Just three weeks before the big day, nonprofits from around the city are preparing for Amplify Austin– a 24-hour online event that allows for the Austin community to come together over the act of donating to local nonprofits. This year, over 600 nonprofits will be participating in Amplify Austin. While it may be very overwhelming to pick and choose which one of these amazing nonprofits to donate to, we’ve narrowed down our picks for each category of your choosing.

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Meet Ryan: Our Newest Social Media Marketing Intern

Hello! I’m Ryan Gardner – the new Social Media and Marketing Intern at HMG Creative. I’m currently a senior Advertising & Business Foundations student at The University of Texas at Austin, graduating this May.

I grew up in St. Louis, Missouri and then moved outside of Dallas about ten years ago. Living in the suburbs made me very interested in living in a city, so I packed up for school in fall 2012 and headed to Austin, gravitating toward the music scene here. I can’t imagine a better city to go to college in. In my spare time, I’m frequently at concerts, still exploring the city with friends, or relaxing indoors at BookPeople or Whole Foods.

In December I wrapped up a Graphic Design Internship at It’s Time Texas, an Austin non-profit focusing on promoting health and fitness. Previously, I’ve held internships in PR, marketing, social media, and graphic design. Once the holidays ended, I wanted to switch over to the marketing agency environment, making the position at HMG a perfect fit for me.

This semester, I’m looking forward to running the social media accounts, connecting with clients and publications, and writing. It’s only day one, but I’m excited for all the upcoming opportunities here! To learn more about me, feel free to connect with me on Twitter at @RyanGardnerC or by email at ryan@hmgcreative.com.

[UT image via consultyourcommunity.org]

5 Speakers to Hear at SXSW 2015 Interactive

This year there will be over 600 sessions at SXSW Interactive. The majority of the sessions were picked via users on the SXSW PanelPicker, with more than 3,000 ideas entered. The result is a variety of influential speakers in categories such as Art, Science, and Inspiration, Branding and Marketing, Content and Distribution, Fashion, Gaming, and Sports – and that’s just a short list. While there are many speakers we would love to hear, we’ve narrowed down a list of 5.

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