Channeling 35 Years at the Helm of SXSW to Transform Global Events | Hugh Forrest, Gather & Grow Experiences

Who is Hugh Forrest?A transformative leader in the global events industry, Hugh Forrest dedicated more than three decades of his life to building South by Southwest (SXSW) into one of the world's most influential gatherings of technology, innovation and culture.Over the course of his 30+ year tenure at SXSW, Hugh was honored as "Austinite of the Year" by the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce (in 2012) and was also awarded as "Austin Entrepreneur of the Year" by Ernst & Young (in 2014). Austin Mayor Steve Adler honored him with a key to the city in January 2023. And in September 2025, Hugh was given the Legacy CEO of the Year Award by the Austin Business Journal.Kenyon College, his alma mater, bestowed him with an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters in 2018, acknowledging his significant impact on arts, culture, and education. His commitment to diversity and inclusion was likewise recognized when Hugh received the Diversity Champion of the Year award from the Austin Black Business Journal in June 2021.In addition to SXSW, Hugh served as the co-organizer of the Austin Reggae Festival for more than 30 years. This event raised more than one million dollars to help the Central Texas Food Bank feed hungry families in the Lone Star State.Hugh now channels his experience and expertise into exciting new directions with Gather & Grow Experiences, a consultancy that serves community-focused events, experiences and organizations globally. Current clients include SP2B (an eight-day celebration of culture and business scheduled for August 2026 in São Paulo, Brazil), the Texas Tribune Festival (September 24-26 in Austin), the Austin Forum (a weekly ATX-based event series) and Borderlands AI (a new event launching in San Antonio in the spring of 2027).Learn more about these and other projects at gatherandgrowexperiences.comHe is also lending his insights to the Austin Sister Cities International (ASCI), as an at-large board member for this important committee. Other current Board positions include the school food program Common Threads and as as a Trustee for the Foundation for Better Business (Heart of Texas Chapter). He previously served on the Board for Austin Habitat for Humanity.