So here’s a kind of crazy thing that happened.  Some of you may know that I’m a huge fan of the SXSW series of festivals in Austin, TX, particularly the Interactive festival.  Last year, they started a new festival called V2V.  I really like this name, because it can really mean a number of different things.  From the V2V website:

This new version of the classic event seeks to bring visionaries active in the entrepreneurial arena to Las Vegas, Nevada for a truly unique SXSW experience. Visionaries to Vegas, Vision to Venture, Voice to Voice, Venture to Vegas – all the variations of the V2V moniker carry the same theme, the movement from idea to reality.

Essentially it’s all about connecting people with startup companies to the people who have money to invest (venture capitalists, angel investors, that sort of thing).  And they decided to have it in Las Vegas.  I would have liked to go, but I just couldn’t swing it on top of the other events to which I’m already committed.

THIS year, for the second annual V2V event, they decided to have a contest on the V2V Facebook page .  People were to write an answer (in 500 characters or less) to the question “Why do you need to attend SXSWV2V?”

And guess what?  I won!!  FYI, here’s my entry:

I have several micro-businesses and I’d love to learn about how to turn them into small, or perhaps even medium-sized businesses. Attending SXSW V2V would help me identify the strengths of existing resources, pick one of the businesses to concentrate on, and build a plan to make the changes I need to make. I currently have a consulting agency, a publishing house, an online information portal/community, and a growing interest in art and visual communication. I could then bring what I learn back to my local (Tucson) community.

It all happened kind of suddenly – I got notice of the win on the 9th, they made travel arrangements for me on the 10th, and I was on my way to Vegas on the 13th.  More about the event itself soon!