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Global showcase at SXSW’s International Innovations Expo
Saturday at SXSW brought one of the more open and globally mixed formats of the week: the International Innovations Expo at Fairmont Austin. As the SXSW did not have one central location (the Austin Convention Center has been demolished ans will be completely rebuild), the SXSW activities were spread wider into the Austin’s streets. All the industries had their own, specific CluhHouses (nice naming, we are hoping it is after the NordicMade ClubHouse, or FinnMob ClubHouse:) and then there were few Expo locations. But not a big SXSW Trade Show for 2026.
Located in the Manchester Ballroom, the Expo was designed as a walk-through exhibition space — part trade show, part discovery zone. Open to both badge holders and, on certain slots, the public, it lowered the barrier compared to many more official SXSW sessions.
The setup was fairly small, and straightforward. Booths, demos, conversations.
The Expo gathered dozens of exhibitors from across the world, some recently launched startups, few national pavilions, innovation agencies, and corporates. Even if the Expo was rather small compared to the previous Trade Shows, the range was wide, including some:
- health tech and AI
- consumer products and design
- smart cities and sustainability
- beauty, food, and lifestyle innovations
- hardware, robotics, and 3D printing
Countries showed up through national export organizations and stands — with visibility mainly from Asia (especially South Korea and Japan), as well as some European players. Nordics were completely missing from the International Expo.
Finnish boys Peter Green, Turo Pekari, Jaan Apajalahti in Expo discovery mood
Expo’s different role in today’s SXSW. Tomorrow’s?
Before the pandemic, large expos and national stands played a bigger role in how countries presented themselves at SXSW. Finland stand in 2010 was the very first Finland stand at SXSW, and from 2011 onwards the Nordic Stand was combining all the Nordic countries under one umbrella, with strong leadership from Sweden with their back then slogan Try Swedish!
In 2026, the International Expo still exists, and still draws volume, but it feels less central to where deals and deeper conversations happen. But maybe those have moved elsewhere, to smaller side events, curated meetups and private gatherings.
Still, the Expo remains one of the best places to quickly understand the global spread of innovation in one room. Hoping for a larger approach, and the Nordic booth, in SXSW 2027.
