SXSW is easily one of the most exciting weeks of the year in Austin. However, it can also be loud and confusing, making it very important to plan ahead. If you’re well prepared, you’ll have no problem catching all – or at least most – of the sets, shows, films, and speakers you want. It will also be easier to meet up with friends or colleagues if you know where you’ll be and when you’ll be there. To help out, here are our tips for surviving SXSW 2015. This blog is part two of our four-part SXSW blog series that will span throughout February, with one blog going up each week. If you missed it, part one covered the history of the festival.

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SXSW is a lot of fun, but it can also be very exhausting, loud, and busy. Sometimes we all need a break from the festival to re-charge. To help out, we have a list of 10 things to do outside of SXSW while in Austin.

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April in Austin is one of the nicest months of the year. The weather is just perfect, making it a great time to go kayaking, hiking, biking, or cruising around the city with your windows down. Spring has officially set in, and to help you kick it off in the best way possible, we have a list of five fun things to do this month!

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As a follow-up to my previous article that shared some Austin-y date ideas for summer and fall, here are a few of my local picks for nights out these upcoming winter months as well as some ideas to look forward to for spring.

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With the holiday season already upon us, the team at HMG wanted to take a little time out to reflect on this past year and share what we have to be thankful for (a lot!).

First and foremost, health, happiness and the support of our family and friends cannot go unmentioned. We are a team that is lucky to have a steadfast support base and we couldn’t do all we do without you!

Here’s what else we’re thankful for, in no particular order:

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Other than building slick new websites, did you know HMG Creative has a pro team of brand developers and designers? It’s true. Check out our most recent  project below to find out how our team helped Hamilton Asset Management Group create their new brand identity.
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Hi! I’m Callie Musick, the new Social Media and Marketing Coordinator at HMG Creative. It’s Day 1, and I can’t wait to jump in to my new position here. A little about me – I’m currently a senior (enjoying my summer break) at the University of Texas at Austin and will be graduating this December with a B.S. in Advertising with an English minor. Born in North Pole, and raised in Anchorage, Alaska, texas I migrated south after high school and have been enjoying everything the beautiful city of Austin has to offer for the past 6 years. On weekends you can find me soaking up the sun and wakeboarding on Lake Travis, stand-up paddle boarding on Lake Austin, or jamming front row at a live concert downtown.

Recently, I completed an internship with local street art collective, SprATX, as their Social Media and Marketing Manager in which I immersed myself in the brand and the family of artists to build their startup’s online presence. Additionally, with my past training as a marketing manager in the retail industry, I’m excited to bring my real-world experience and variety of interests to the team here at HMG.

At this internship, I’m excited to gain experience working from the agency side of things, and build upon my creative marketing, networking, and writing skills.

I know I have big shoes to fill here, and I’m looking forward to carrying on what Emily has created!

Feel free to shoot me a tweet at @calliemusick or email me at callie[at]hmgcreative.com

It’s always our pleasure to work with local non-profit organizations here in Central Texas and learn about their causes. When creating a website for these entities, we often rely on the functionality of WordPress for the back-end framework of our projects. In addition to the features mentioned in our previous blog Why We Use WordPress (And You Should, Too), there are a few components of the vastly popular platform that lend itself specifically to our use for these organizations that largely depend on their digital presence to promote and provide key functions in their mission of helping others.

Here’s 6 reasons WordPress rocks for non-profits:

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Austin is an amazing city for many reasons: the abundance of sunny days, the live music history and artful culture, the friendly vibes from the locals, the plethora of breakfast taco choices … the list goes on and on. One of these reasons that especially stands out to us at HMG is the empathy that Austin residents have for others and the dedication to causes they’re passionate about. This city is a mecca for nonprofit organizations founded on selfless missions that benefit society in a large variety of ways. These entities play a strong role in shaping the culture of our city, and we believe they deserve a little extra recognition.

We’ve compiled a list of 15 of these organizations that were founded here in Austin and are doing some great things for our city and beyond.

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Most companies reach a point in their business lifetime when their web presence no longer accurately reflects their goals or identity. This can happen for a number of reasons – after early stages of quick growth and self-discovery, or even after having been around long enough to outgrow a site that had been with them from the beginning. No matter the time or reason, approaching this risk and overlooking it can be extremely detrimental for business, as a company’s online presence largely dictates the way they are viewed to prospective clients, and the world at-large.

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