Peter Lewis on Scaling SXSW Without Losing Its Soul

Peter Lewis joined SXSW in 2009 as an administrative assistant. Today, he’s the Chief Commercial Officer, overseeing partnerships, sponsorships, and the brand experiences that connect thousands of companies and attendees every year.

In this episode of The Authority Company podcast, Joe Pardavila sits down with Peter to unpack what actually makes SXSW’s audience and culture so different from every other festival, how brand activations get vetted and built, why the team leans into controversy instead of avoiding it (AI, data centers, and even hosting Julian Assange and Edward Snowden via video), and how the festival adapted after the Austin Convention Center was demolished.

Peter also shares his advice for anyone attending SXSW for the first time — and previews what’s ahead for the 2027 festival, happening March 15–21.

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What You’ll Learn

• Why SXSW’s audience behaves differently than any other festival crowd — and why that matters for brands
• Peter’s journey from admin assistant to Chief Commercial Officer over 17 years
• What a Chief Commercial Officer actually does at an event the size of SXSW
• How SXSW decides which brand partners and activations make the cut (“more art than science”)
• How the team navigates polarizing topics like AI without picking a side
• Why SXSW has never been afraid of controversy (the Assange/Snowden “Outlaw” series)
• How to build a strong internal team culture in a high-pressure, high-prestige organization
• What changed — and what stayed the same — as SXSW scaled from a small event to 4,500+ sessions
• How SXSW adapted its entire footprint after losing the Austin Convention Center
• SXSW’s economic impact on Austin (~$350M in 2025) and its relationship with local residents
• First-timer’s guide: how to actually plan and get the most out of SXSW 2027

Timestamps
00:00 – Introduction: Joe welcomes Peter Lewis
01:00 – The unique energy of SXSW: why attendees take notes and debrief each other nightly
04:00 – Peter’s career journey: from admin assistant to Chief Commercial Officer
06:00 – What a Chief Commercial Officer at SXSW actually does
08:00 – Matching brands with community: how partnerships and activations come together
11:00 – How SXSW judges quality — “the HBO of festivals”
14:00 – Navigating AI backlash while staying on the bleeding edge
17:00 – Why SXSW isn’t afraid of controversy (the Assange/Snowden “Outlaw” series)
18:00 – Building and hiring a strong internal team
22:00 – 17 years of growth: keeping the experience simple at scale
25:00 – Logistics after the Austin Convention Center demolition
28:00 – SXSW’s relationship with Austin and its $350M economic impact
31:00 – Advice for first-time SXSW attendees
35:00 – Closing thoughts and SXSW 2027 preview