NEW YORK – March 2, 2016 – Samsung Electronics America, Inc. returns to South by Southwest (SXSW) Interactive Festival with its popular Samsung Studio experience offering fans access to exclusive events, unforgettable experiences, and special rewards for Samsung Galaxy owners. The Samsung Studio will offer a new retail pop-up and chance to explore and enjoy Samsung’s collection of services, products and experiences, including the all-new Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 edge, Gear 360 and Gear VR powered by Oculus.

Known for hosting the must-attend events of the festival and offering Galaxy owners with unique rewards and exclusive access, Samsung is bringing new activations and programming to the festival this year. For the first time, consumers at SXSW can purchase the Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 edge at the retail pop-up within the Samsung Studio. As part of their purchase, they will receive the ultimate festival bundle turning their phone into an all-access pass to special programming and events.

“This year’s SXSW Interactive is especially exciting because we get to celebrate the retail debut of our newest products – the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge – along with our entire galaxy of services, products and experiences,” said Marc Mathieu, chief marketing officer at Samsung Electronics America. “We are continuously trying to up the game with rewarding our loyal fans and owners, and this year at SXSW it’s no different.  Our customers will have the hottest ticket in town just by owning a Galaxy smartphone, and we can’t wait to show Austin what it means to live the Galaxy life.”

Throughout the festival, attendees will have a number of opportunities to interact with Samsung and the latest devices. Below is a sampling of what’s in store.

Living the #GalaxyLife at SXSW

During SXSW Interactive, Galaxy owners stopping by the Samsung Studio can enjoy premium services including complimentary rides throughout Austin. Festivalgoers will also have the opportunity to use Samsung Pay – the official mobile payment of the 2016 SXSW Festival – at numerous vendors and merchants throughout Austin including the Samsung Pay Vending Machine which will offer great prizes including the Gear VR, gift cards and more at extreme discounts when using Samsung Pay.

Unique programming at Samsung Studio

Throughout the festival, the Samsung Studio will host a wide range of daily programing including an inside look at the next installment of “GONE” from Skybound Entertainment, Wevr and Samsung, with more to be announced later.

In addition, consumers will have the opportunity to check out the Gear VR Experience and demo roller coaster content via Samsung’s 4D VR chairs that offer motion simulation to create an immersive sensory experience.

The Samsung Retail Pop-Up in partnership with Best Buy will be open for business where consumers will have the opportunity to get hands-on with the newest innovations, purchase Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 edge, and receive product support. Consumers who purchase a Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 edge device will receive the ultimate ticket to attend every Samsung event throughout the festival.

Located at 333 E 2nd Street in Austin, TX, the Samsung Studio will be open daily from 11 AM CT – 6 PM CT, March 11-15. For consumers not attending SXSW Interactive, Samsung 837 – the company’s flagship experiential center and cultural hub located in the heart of New York’s Meatpacking District – will be livestreaming the action throughout the festival.

Samsung SmartThings

During SXSW Interactive, Samsung will also showcase its new innovations for the connected home for festivalgoers with the Samsung SmartThings Airstream. This experiential pop up will be outfitted with Samsung SmartThings products in engaging ways, including TVs, audio speakers and mobile devices and will travel throughout central downtown Austin. Each day will kick off with an open house at the airstream where attendees will be able to enjoy an entertaining and interactive experience through product demos and activities.

Unlocking the Full Galaxy Experience

Samsung continues to push the boundaries of hardware, software and services to create devices that improve how consumers connect, share and get more out of life. By introducing a portfolio of seamless mobile experiences that are unlocked with our Galaxy smartphones at the center, Samsung is pushing beyond the limits of today’s technology to create meaningful innovation.

Samsung Galaxy smartphones are the gateway to content, services and experiences from Gear VR, to Samsung Pay, to exclusive performances and events. Whether consumers are using the Galaxy S7 series and the new Gear S2 Classic to bring features of their smartphone to their wrist or using the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge with Gear VR to enjoy immersive 360-degree content – Samsung is redefining what users can do with their smartphones.

About Samsung Electronics America, Inc.
Headquartered in Ridgefield Park, NJ, Samsung Electronics America, Inc. (SEA), is a recognized innovation leader in consumer electronics design and technology. A wholly owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., SEA delivers a broad range of digital consumer electronics, IT and home appliance products. Samsung is the market leader for HDTVs in the U.S and America’s fastest growing home appliance brands. To discover more of the award-winning products you love with Samsung, please visit www.samsung.com and for the latest Samsung news, please visit news.samsung.com/us and follow on Twitter@SamsungNewsUS.

About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. inspires the world and shapes the future with transformative ideas and technologies that redefine the worlds of TVs, smartphones, wearable devices, tablets, cameras, digital appliances, printers, medical equipment, network systems, and semiconductor and LED solutions. We are also leading in the Internet of Things space with the open platform SmartThings, our broad range of smart devices, and through proactive cross-industry collaboration. We employ 319,000 people across 84 countries with annual sales of US $196 billion. To discover more, and for the latest news, feature articles and press material, please visit the Samsung Newsroom at news.samsung.com.