The Festival
Austin, Texas is home to the world-famous South by Southwest festival (SXSW) that features some of the best films, music, and entertainment you can find anywhere. The film festival and various premieres are always a big draw, as this year saw the release of the new Netflix series, 3 Body Problem and the Ryan Gosling-led action film, The Fall Guy. The concert scene was littered with big names and up-and-coming artists, offering music at all times of the day. Conferences were also held, covering topics from sports betting, A.I. technology, and minorities in entertainment. But what are commonly overlooked amid the big-ticket items are the various areas for simple relaxation and enjoyment. One such place was Camp Funk. 
The Funk
Nestled around a 30-foot inflatable pile of poo was Camp Funk, put on by Pourri and Rolling Stone. The fun, retro theme of the 90s and early 2000s sets the tone for this outdoor space where SXSW patrons could relax, grab a drink and some food, and then sample the latest fragrant Pourri products designed for the home, and specifically the restroom. There were several stations to go experience their “5 Star Bathroom Experience” which was rather enjoyable. That is not something anyone would have expected before witnessing the event.
The Hot Dog King was also in attendance as the grill master serving some tasty dogs while guests were able to participate in some fun eating contests if they wished. The sponsors all made the experience a fun little oasis in the middle of such a bustling event in the downtown part of Austin. Also, that giant inflatable poo… you could walk right inside it to relax and escape the sun in another more intimate and cozy enclosure: 
The Fun
Collaborations like the one between Pourri and Rolling Stone are what make SXSW such a spectacle of enjoyment. Go watch the movies and catch as many live shows as possible, but when you have a little downtime, be sure to check out the other amazing venues to catch stuff like the Creative Industry Expo, where you can witness some of the most cutting-edge innovations in entertainment or the XR Experience where augmented and virtual reality collide for the next step in visual storytelling. While it may be too late to visit Camp Funk and many of the other attractions right now, the next SXSW is less than a year away and well worth the wait! It was A weekend filled with musical performances, conversations and a bit of cheeky fun!
Hosted by ~Pourri and Rolling Stone. Musical performances included: DJ Johnny Jane (aka Janelle Monae), DJ Questlove, Danielle Ponder, Bootsy Collins, Soul in the Horn with Natasha Diggs and DJ L3ni and more. Special appearance by Jay Chandrasekhar as Camp Funk’s camp counselor. Making its SXSW debut, ~Pourri teamed up with Rolling Stone, to host a series of events, elevated conversations, championed change and sprinkled a bit of cheeky charm throughout the festival. Special highlights included: The Funk Factory: a speakeasy where guests entered through gold colored porta-potty doors and were whisked away into a vibey room filled with delightful aromas, interactive zones, VIP areas, live music, DJs, panel discussions and more.
To kick off the festivities, Suzy Batiz, CEO and Founder of ~Pourri moderated the Amplify panel with guests Shannon Lee, actress/producer and chairwoman of the Bruce Lee Foundation, Amber Allen, founder of Double A Labs and Rachel Sipperley, CEO and Founder of Rent My Wardrobe. The women had a dynamic conversation on moments of adversity, making decisions using body intelligence and how to feel resonate and dissonance in your body.
Suzy Batiz and her partner PREACHER (artist formerly known as Keite Young) recorded the first few episodes of their Holy Shit! with Suzy podcast which will run on Rolling Stone’s website. No topic was off limits as they spoke to Janelle Monáe, Natasha Diggs and Danielle Ponder about their “Oh, shit!” moments in their lives. Following her podcast conversation with ~Pourri CEO and Founder Suzy Batiz, DJ Natasha Diggs of Soul in the Horn played a head-banging two-hour set. Headlining Friday evening to a packed house, DJ Johnny Jane aka Janelle Monáe was greeted by an exuberant Austin crowd as she played hit after hit: 
DJ Questlove played a medley of club hits and kept the crowd going late into Saturday night. Future of Funk, in partnership with Music Forward Foundation, brought the funk with performances by emerging artists: DJ Afrosheen, Zach Person, Jimi Brass, JADA AMIMA, and in a more intimate setting. Over 10,000 guests visited Camp Funk and had the opportunity to play games, take selfies, enter into hot dog eating contests and beer chugging competitions against camp counselor, actor/director Jay Chandrasekhar (Super Troopers, Beerfest). The hidden oasis also offered guests a ~Pourri 5-star bathroom experience, product sampling and gifting, acoustic performances, DJs and a chance to let (the shit) it all go inside ~Pourri’s iconic 30-foot-tall Giant Poo!
Elevating consumer SXSW experience: Throughout the weekend, guests were given limited-edition NFC-enabled Poo~Pourri pocket sprayer that served as an all access pass to every ~Pourri x Rolling Stone event. Users were entered into a gamified world and were notified of ‘Daily Drops’, daily giveaways and a reward system for chances to win exclusive prizes including Poo-Pourri supplies for a year, VIP access to Rolling Stone showcases, VIP entrances, 5-star bathrooms and more. The ~Pourri Tap Program and Mobile App will launch later this year.
The Funk Factory speakeasy was a hit among SXSW festival-goers and locals alike, featuring music from renowned DJs like DJ Questlove, Soul in the Horn DJs Natasha Diggs and DJ L3ni and soulful performance by Danielle Ponder, as well as performances by PREACHER, local favorites MonoNeon and Blk Odyssy, and emerging talents such as Jimi Brass, Zach Person, and JADA AMINA. Adding to the excitement, Janelle Monáe made a triumphant return to SXSW, engaging in a podcast conversation with ~Pourri Founder and CEO Suzy Batiz before showcasing her DJ skills under her alias, DJ Johnny Jane. At Camp Funk, camp counselor Jay Chandrasekhar brought the fun, keeping guests entertained with hot dog eating contests and beer chugging competitions where the winners may have a chance to be in the next Beerfest movie if it ever happens!
ABOUT~POURRI, FROM THE MAKERS OF POO~POURRI:
Founded by entrepreneur Suzy Batiz in 2007 under the name Poo~Pourri, ~Pourri is a company that transforms life’s stinkiest moments and turns them into something magically fresh. From your home, body, and beyond, ~Pourri ensures all aspects of life smell amazing and clean — without the funky ingredients or stigmas. All ~Pourri products are formulated with essential oils, plant-based ingredients, and our Proprietary Funk Lock™ Technology, and made to be household, earth, pet, and family-friendly. ~Pourri offerings boast over 100,000 5-star reviews and are sold in over 50,000 retail locations globally including Walmart, Target, Amazon.com, Costco, CVS, Sam’s Club, Ulta, Walgreens, and more. To learn more, visit www.pourri.com.
ABOUT ROLLING STONE:
Five decades since its founding, Rolling Stone today has evolved into a multi-platform content brand with unrivaled access and authority, reaching a global audience of over 60 million people per month. Staying true to its mission to tell exceptional stories that illuminate the culture of our times, Rolling Stone is an authority for music reviews, in-depth interviews, hard-hitting political commentary and award-winning journalism across print, digital, mobile, video, social and events. Operated and published by Penske Media Corporation, Rolling Stone provides “all the news that fits.” For more information, visit www.rollingstone.com
We wanted to give a special thanks to our Entertainment Today Reporter: Nina Ameri for doing a fantastic job with covering The SXSW Film Festival and Special Events, for us in Austin, Texas!
There will be a lot more great news stories from Nina Ameri!
We hope to see you all soon! So stay tuned and thanks for watching Entertainment & Sports Today TV and Entertainment Today. Broadcast for over 30 years on Time Warner/ Spectrum. To watch other shows go to: EntertainmentandSportsToday.com
