SXSW Interactive launches Startup Village

AUSTIN (KXAN) - The South by Southwest Interactive Festival is launching a one-stop shop for entrepreneurs called Startup Village . Organizers said Wednesday the idea is to have all of the resources and events relating to startup businesses in one location.

SXSW Interactive director Hugh Forrest said Wednesday the fourth floor of the Downtown Austin Hilton will become the headquarters for startup businesses during SXSW.

"If you're an entrepreneur or a budding entrepreneur and you have an idea and you want to talk to venture capitalists or lawyers or experienced entrepreneurs who have done this before ... it will be a great place to go and do that networking and get inspired for new ideas," said Forrest.

Another reason SXSW Interactive is creating Startup Village is because it will help attendees connect with the right people.

"We've been lucky enough to grow a lot at SXSW Interactive over the last few years and that's great in a lot of ways, but one of the not so great things is that it's harder to find the exact people you want to meet with ... so I think the main benefit of doing something like this is to connect with the exact people you want to connect with," said Forrest.

High-profile companies like Twitter and Foursquare have come out of SXSW Interactive and organizers hope Startup Village will continue to launch and establish startup companies.