Micro-celebrity status at conferences is signaled and reinforced through gossip and panels

Evidence

While at South By, it is clear who the “celebrities” are, because people constantly gossip about them, they appear on panels and give keynotes, and they all seem to know each other. This inclusivity is compounded by the practice of waiving the registration fee for SXSW if an attendee organizes or speaks on a panel: many repeat attendees arrange to speak on their friends’ panels not only to obtain speaker status, but also to save money. — Alice E. Marwick, Status Update, 199

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to foundational micro-celebrity literature (Marwick & boyd on Twitter) and to contemporary creator-economy conference dynamics. — connects to: Publicizing conference attendance signals access, connections, and insider status. — Alice E. Marwick, Status Update: Celebrity, Publicity,…, 197; Gossip blogs imposed stock celebrity narratives onto tech micro-celebrities — Alice E. Marwick, Status Update: Celebrity, Publicity,…, 338; Micro-celebrity fame does not automatically confer high status; norms vary by scene — Alice E. Marwick, Status Update: Celebrity, Publicity,…, 407

Broader Connections

• Gossip blogs imposed stock celebrity narratives onto tech micro-celebrities #corroborates (0.80) — Alice E. Marwick, Status Update, 338
• Micro-celebrity fame does not automatically confer high status; norms vary by scene #complicates (0.75) — Alice E. Marwick, Status Update, 407