Kieron Norfield (left), Andy Woodrow (center) and Matthew Squirrell traveled from Norwich, UK, to attend the SXSW Interactive Conference in Austin

Friday officially kicks off the SXSW Interactive Festival, and no amount of rain or cold wind can keep hundreds of tech-savvy, Twittering (or “Tweeting”) folks like myself  from converging on the Austin Convention Center this morning.

Whether you’re a self-professed newbie looking to baby-step into the interactive world, or a professional scouring for the latest advances in technology and web design, there’s a panel discussion for you here.

As an interactive content producer  for KERA.org, I’m hoping to learn more about advances in Web design. But to satisfy my personal interests, I’m definitely checking out the latest in gaming at ScreenBurn, which SXSW describes as “taking the conference to the next level in terms of bringing together new media, music, film and the exploding world of video games.”

And let’s not forget an important aspect of the Interactive conference: the nightly, industry parties where professionals unwind after the day’s events.

“I’m looking to see what new technologies are out there, but I’m mostly excited about the parties,” said Andy Woodrow, A Web developer for a large insurance company in England. “Of course, the parties.”

Others are keeping the current economic crisis front of  mind. For former Dallas resident Enrico De Leon, a technical media specialist for a pharmaceuticals company in Austin, it’s important to see what interactive professionals are doing with the Web to maximize profits for their companies.

“We want to make our Web site more than just an online catalog,” De Leon said. “This is definitely the place to learn how.”

Keep checking back with Art&Seek all weekend for more updates from the Interactive Festival.