Why 40,000 People Fly South Every March For A Tech Conference Many Of Them Don't Attend

Mike McGlade is experiencing his first South by Southwest, an annual technology, film and music conference in Austin, Texas that attracts more than 120,000 people during one week in March. Unlike a lot of other companies, that spent lots of money renting out bars, giving out free food, and running quirky promotions to stand out, McGlade decided to keep it low key. He is the only person here from his Los Angeles-based startup, FastPay. He's staying in a Motel 6, and he didn't buy a badge for the ...