After 11 years of bringing you local reporting, the team behind the Vancouver Observer has moved on to Canada's National Observer. You can follow Vancouver culture reporting over there from now on. Thank you for all your support over the years!

Freshbooks welcomes SXSW attendees with Texan barbeque

Saul Colt, wearing bright red glasses at the Freshbooks ranch party with friends.

Driving at night in the rain, we almost missed the turn off to the ranch where Canadian company, FreshBooks was hosting a party for SXSW attendees. The Salt Lick, a famous barbeque joint in Texas, catered the outdoor event. Yes, it was pouring rain but how could we say no to good southern barbeque?

Refills were necessary. Salt Lick kept bringing more slow cooked barbeque to the buffet table.

The ranch was half an hour outside of downtown Austin. Saul Colt, Head of Magic (No, really. That’s his title.) at FreshBooks, warmly welcomed us when we arrived. He was standing next to the food line, which was quite long--understandably so! The sweet-sour scent of barbeque wafted in the air like a waving red flag to a herd of bulls.

 Guests eagerly filling up their plates at the Freshbooks ranch.


Vats of beer for guests made the chilly, wet night more bearable.

 

The brave soul who attempted to ride the mechanical bull.

FreshBooks offers businesses painless billing services, from tracking one’s hours, organizing expenses, to invoicing clients. Like many online-based companies, FreshBooks is in Austin to participate in SXSW.

Colt, who specializes in digital marketing was named as one of the iMEDIA 25: Internet Marketing Leaders & Innovators, and has been called one of Canada’s best community builders/experiential marketers. He spoke at a panel yesterday called, “Start-Up Marketing: Big Results with a Small Budget” alongside Krista Neher, CEO of Boot Camp Digital.

More in SXSW Adventures

SXSW for newbies: 10 great tips and lessons on how to rock the mega-festival like a pro

It is not mere exaggeration when you hear people say that South by Southwest (SXSW) is one crazy festival. Last year was our first time attending so we felt the need to read as many articles on how...

Said the Whale, The Sheep Dogs, Rich Aucoin, and more at the SXSW Canadian Blast Showcase

We couldn’t help but feel proud of our Canadian musicians who were showcasing their sound at SXSW this year. Here’s a photo recap of some acts we managed to catch at the Canadian Blast BBQ presented...

Getting to know Bob Marley

Marley, the first family sanctioned documentary on Bob Marley, had its North American premiere at SXSW, and we were fortunate enough to attend it. With a running time of 144 minutes, the film was...
Speak up about this article on Facebook or Twitter. Do this by liking Vancouver Observer on Facebook or following us @Vanobserver on Twitter. We'd love to hear from you.