Working the a-list at the best little trade show in Texas

Hipster. Scenester. A-lister. In-crowd. Cognoscenti.

These words can’t describe me, because unlike a groovester like you, I’m not going to this year’s South by South West Interactive show in Austin, Texas, March 9 to 13.

What?! You’re not going? Get out! Well, here’s a list of just some of the other trend-setters who will be ignoring the PowerPoint presentations in favor of conversation, crackberries and cocktails:

• Phil Torrone of Make:
• Limor Fried from Eyebeam Technology (she’s so hip that she’s got a ring in her lip!)
• Old-media maven Dan Rather
• Federated Media’s John Batelle, author of “The Search“
• Ze Frank, star of “The Show”
• Film Threat creator Chris Gore
• Dogster’s Ted Rheingold
• Eric Steuer of Creative Commons
• Mediabristro’s Laurel Touby
• A-list Yahoos on the docket include Jeff Bonforte, Simon King, Robert Nashak, Kent Brewster, George Oates, Daniel Catt, Aaron Cope, as well as the inimitable Heather Champ from Flickr
• And, the piece de resistance, from Yahoo! Publisher Network, Cody Simms [APPLAUSE], our own resident scenester, manning a panel on “Online Publishers & Ad Networks”

…and about a zillion others. Still not convinced? To boot, the drinks will on us at a special party we’re co-sponsoring (with our friends from Flickr, del.icio.us, Upcoming.org, MyBlogLog and Pipes) the evening of March 12 at the Light Bar in the heart of the Texas state capital. Don’t forget to sign up on Upcoming or risk getting left out in the cold.

Help keep Austin weird—and wired—by networking and air-kissing along with your friends from the Yahoo! Publisher Network.

Oh, and be sure to send me a postcard of you shaking hands with Dan Rather. Bonus points if you call him “Kenneth” and ask him what the frequency is.

—Michael Mattis