Sharon Miller – Marketing Adviser

A London native, Sharon started her career as publicity department assistant to Jim Henson working on Fraggle Rock, Labyrinth and the launch of the Muppet Babies. After an adventurous couple of years traveling she landed in Portland, Oregon, where she worked for prestigious advertising agency Wieden and Kennedy.

Over the last 20 years she has worked on assignments for ESPN, Apple, Nike, Whole Foods Market and Rolling Stone Magazine, to name a few. Sharon started Fire Studios 10 years ago with the aim of providing highly creative thought to strategy, branding and research.

In her spare time she has developed and produced a television pilot for a wine show and been involved with her community in Austin on pro bono projects that involve animals, sustainability and parks. She also lectures at the University of Texas at Austin.

Jo Rae Di Menno, PR Consultant and Execution
Principal, Hard Pressed Publicty

Jo Rae is the former Director of Publicity for SXSW for 10 years. Since opening her own PR company, Hard Pressed Publicity, in 1998, Jo Rae has placed stories in most major media, including the New York Times, USA Today, NPR’s “Fresh Air” radio show, Rolling Stone, Harp, Spin, Dirty Linen, Blues Revue, Jazz Times and countless regional publications, radio and TV shows. She’s represented the Canadian and French SXSW music contingents (Canadian Blast 2005; the French Music Office) and the Dutch Rock & Pop Institute; organized benefits featuring David Byrne, Lucinda Williams, Charlie Sexton, Los Lobos and the reunion of the True Believers.

Di Menno started her music-biz career as a freelance writer in Houston, which led to a position as editor of the Fitzherald, the house paper published by Fitzgerald’s Nightclub. (She interviewed a 13-year-old Charlie Sexton, as well as R.E.M., Delbert McClinton, the Blasters and many others). She later served as publicist and the first female DJ at Cardi’s. In the mid-‘80s, Di Menno became Ronnie Lane’s publicist and caretaker, an experience that took her to England for four months (they went for the Wembley Stadium Faces reunion), and, permanently, to Austin. In the late ‘80s, she began a 6-year stint as manager, booking agent and publicist for various Alejandro Escovedo projects, starting with the True Believers. She also started Di Menno Public Relations, handling booking and management for several area acts, and began working with various record labels. She took on the SXSW publicity job two years after its inception, and saw it through some of its biggest growth years. She has set up Press Conferences at SXSW for Tony Bennett, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Nick Lowe, Rosanne Cash, Bob Mould & others.