Happy New Year from SXSW land – we hope that you had as enjoyable a holiday season as we did. Now that January has arrived, the hype for the 2008 SXSW Interactive Festival moves into full intensity. To this end, be sure to joint the Austin crew from 7:00-9:00 pm on Tuesday, January 8 at the Sip Bar & Lounge in San Francisco (787 Broadway) for our first networking reception of the new year. This is a great opportunity of mingle with event organizers while enjoying chill tunes and free drinks. The guest list for the January 8 event is filling up quickly, so please RSVP soon if you are interested in attending. Other 2008 networking mixers include Chicago (January 14), New York (January 21), Seattle (January 28), Dallas (February 4) and Austin (February 11).