6. Carry cash. Simply put, it's the most efficient way to pay for everything. Closing out tabs will take forever, and it's the only way to get in a paid entry show. Cash also comes in handy at Flatstock, the awe-inspiring poster convention inside the Austin Convention Center. Don't be fooled, Flatstock is accessible sans SXSW credentials, so get some artwork for those walls.

7. Tip your damn bartender. They are busting their ass trying to pop caps and pour drinks as fast as possible, so be kind enough to slip a dollar in the tip jar. That beer is free anyway, so don't be a complete cheapskate. Pro tip: Stranded in Austin with no money, but have bartender friends? Work a beer well for a couple hours if possible to earn some dough.

8. When taking a roadie, be discreet. Sneaking a beer out in a back pocket is fine. Riding that bike past three cops, while holding the beer in hand so it doesn't spill out of said back pocket - not too smart. Contrary to popular belief, it's possible to get ticketed for public intoxication on a bike.

9. No show is impossible to enter. When nighttime rolls around, the official showcases take over much of the downtown scene, and the wristband-less masses are left with fewer free options. While badges and wristbands offer premium access, it's still possible to see the packed shows. After all, where there's a will, there's a way. Whether that means sneaking in a back door, or palming 20 bucks for a bouncer, or faking a foreign accent and bluffing press credentials, any show can be the one you see.

10. Meet people. Keep in mind, though, that adopting a persona or accent to talk to the cute girl means holding to it all night - or at least until the next show. It takes commitment to the character to really pull this off, but pretending to be in a band from Liverpool really isn't that hard. Pro tip: If the girl is from Dallas, then staying in character doesn't matter.

11. Have an emergency contact. Joyrides in limos at 4:30 a.m. are fun, but a stressed-out driver from Missouri and five people screaming directions at him is not. Neither is slumping in the convention center parking garage at 5:30 a.m., whimpering away those last shreds of dignity because you left your car keys in the VIP section of the Purevolume house.

Make sure there's someone to call when everything goes wrong, because it just might. 'Tis better to crash in the corner of someone's room at the Hilton than pass out on the hood of said car, or worse yet, slumped against the tree with a locked bike on Sixth Street.

Finally, don't slam the whole festivities into one night, lest the following day be completely hampered by hangovers and shame. Or do, and see what happens. After all, it's just a big party anyway.