With so much going on across the state this month, it seems that “March Madness” applies to more than just basketball. (Although it’s worth mentioning that there are five Texas teams representing the Lone Star State in the NCAA Basketball Tournament!) From concerts and conferences to political primaries, there is no shortage of excitement statewide in March.
The Houston Rodeo helped ring in the month, and even broke the record for one-day paid attendance with more than 75,500 rodeo-goers on March 11. The rodeo officially began on February 27th and runs through March 18, so you still have time to dust off your cowboy boots and two-step your way to Houston.
Also in Houston this month, the world’s top players in oil and gas gathered at CERAWeek to discuss the current and future state of the industry. Among the notable presentations, Secretary of Energy Rick Perry made headlines when he announced a new direction for our national energy policy, which he referred to as “the new energy realism.” In case you missed it, you can catch up on other key insights with this Forbes’ article summarizing the top four takeaways.
Here in Austin, March means SXSW. South by Southwest, one of the largest festivals in the country, last year attracted more than 285,000 attendees to the Texas capital, translating into $348.6 million for Austin’s economy. For all of this year’s events and programs, check out the official website, and don’t forget to check the unofficial party guide for details on more than 130 parties raging strong through March 18.
In the midst of SXSW is a favorite pastime enjoyed by many locals – the infamous Fado’s St. Patrick’s Day Block Party. Sadly, Fado’s will be closing down 4th street for the last time this year, as it will be closing its doors after 20 years at the end of March. Don’t miss your last chance to party at this famed pub on March 17th.
And in statewide news, on Tuesday March 6, more than 2 million Texans turned out to vote in their respective primaries. Visit the Secretary of State website for election results from the Republican and Democratic Primaries.
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Social Meida Spotlight: How will you bot?
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By JT Graham
I had the pleasure of attending the 2018 Social Media Marketing World Convention in San Diego, California to represent and learn for Crosswind. Needless to say, the city is beyond beautiful and well worth exploring if you ever have the opportunity.
The most interesting part of the convention for me, though, was the bots. There’s Facebook bots, Twitter bots, Wordpress bots, Instagram bots … the list goes on and on. You can learn more about a company, complete a purchase, schedule a meeting, and play games – plus more uses are being invented daily. Here I’ll explain some of what I learned this weekend and how you, too, could utilize bots to up your social engagement game.
Bot uses
If your company has a Facebook page, a Messenger bot could really be useful. Anytime someone visits your page they would be introduced by your bot, which can perform any number of services based on what your company does.
Let’s say you run a food delivery service. When someone visits your page the bot could pop up asking if the visitor would like to order something. If so, the visitor could be given the option to try and order themselves by telling the bot what they want, or they could click a link in the chat that takes them to a menu.
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Cold-stunned green sea turtles released into surf near Corpus Christi after treatment
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As Spring Break was about to begin for many Texans, 12 juvenile green sea turtles that had suffered cold-stunning this winter on the coast were released into the surf Friday morning after they were nursed back to good health by the Texas State Aquarium’s Wildlife Rescue and Recovery Center.
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Commentary: Trump’s projects plan is the closest thing to a ‘road fairy’
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After months of speculation, the White House has finally released its infrastructure plan. While its contents are not surprising, some of the ideas contained within the 53-page, detailed document are surprisingly innovative. Allow me to point out a few aspects of the plan that I think will benefit us in Central Texas.
The plan envisions at least a handful of new programs, including the Infrastructure Incentives Program and the Transformative Projects Program.
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Manor’s new two-campus high school is first of its kind in Austin area
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There is no stopping the growth in Manor, one of the more affordable suburbs of Austin. But the school district is now putting its final touches on a new secondary school building that officials say will make room for more students without losing a close-knit feel.
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Top takeaways from the Texas primary
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The 2018 midterms kicked off in eye-opening fashion in Texas on Tuesday, as a series of surprises in Democratic House primaries jolted the landscape while the party’s large turnout sent a warning to Republicans nationwide.
But the GOP remained in the driver’s seat in statewide races throughout Texas by night’s end, leaving most of the shocks to down-ballot races.
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Female filmmakers take the spotlight at SXSW
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From "Bridesmaids" to "Baby Driver," the South by Southwest Film Festival has become known as a launching pad for broad comedies and out-there genre fare often disregarded by other fests. But that reputation overlooks the way in which South by Southwest has long been a vital platform for the discovery of new talent, unknowns about to become somebodies.
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