NEW YORK, Feb. 27, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The FADER FORT, firmly established as the spot to see live music during the 2013 SXSW Music and Media Conference in Austin, Texas, announces the return of its 4-day event, "The FADER FORT Presented by Converse", in its 12^th year in Austin. This is the second year The FADER and Converse Inc. will bring their partnership to Austin as an official SXSW event, presenting today's most innovative and emerging artists to both invited fans and festival badge-holders. Artists confirmed to perform this year include Delorean, Future, and Disclosure. Additional sponsors and confirmed acts will be announced in the days leading up to the festival via The FADER's twitter next week.

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"It's incredible how much The FORT has grown into this historic venue, where we've been able to work with some fantastic partners and showcase some of the biggest names in music that have remained so important to The FADER and its readers," said Andy Cohn, President and Publisher of The FADER, Inc. "Last year was our first to be working with Converse and SXSW officially, and our additional sponsors that have come in this year will only make our programming and experiences for fans so much more impressive. We truly do consider Austin to be our second home, and we're looking forward to bringing another historic year at The FORT to this city."

"Converse is dedicated to supporting the artistic community and providing artists with the ability to have their voices heard," said Geoff Cottrill, Chief Marketing Officer of Converse. "We're excited to build on our partnership with The FADER and SXSW to offer this platform for artists at one of the biggest music festivals of the year."

In 2013, "The FADER FORT Presented by Converse" will go global thanks to a first-time partnership with Dell, the end-to-end technology solutions leader born and headquartered in the Austin area. Dell and The FADER will share FORT performances and exclusive artist interviews with music fans around the world via live stream on TheFADER.com. The live stream will be powered by Dell Precision workstations and produced by Texas-based video creation specialists XI Media. Festivalgoers who can't attend The FORT in person can still enjoy the shows at some of their favorite Austin hangouts, where Dell is providing technology for public viewing of the four-day event.

Additionally, Dell will showcase some of its newest media and entertainment products and solutions inside the FORT, including hands-on music and film editing stations, an Alienware gaming lounge, and a SXSW social media command center.

Joining "The FADER FORT Presented by Converse" activities for the first time, LG Electronics USA has partnered with the annual event to present its LG Optimus G smartphone (available through AT&T and Sprint). Together, LG and The FADER FORT have developed unique activations around this award-winning superphone. Guests at The FORT also will have the opportunity to interact with other advanced LG products, from consumer electronics and appliances, to enhance their SXSW experiences.

Also new to The FORT, Hard Rock International brings its one-of-a-kind collection, "Gone Too Soon" – a memorabilia exhibit that pays tribute to music legends and icons whose lives and careers were tragically cut short. This unique display is coming to Austin exclusively for "The FADER FORT Presented by Converse", and will give fans an up-close look at never-before-seen items from artists close to The FADER including Kurt Cobain, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Marley, Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, and the late Amy Winehouse, who appeared on The FADER FORT stage in 2007.

As the ultimate go-to location in Austin for fans to discover new music, "The FADER FORT Presented by Converse" provides a one-of-a-kind environment for music fans to take part in during the four-day festival. While at "The FADER FORT Presented by Converse", attendees will experience:

• Glass Is Life, The FADER's partner during the SXSW Eco conference in Austin last year, will be present to introduce its community to guests, who are joined by the belief that glass packaging makes life better
• Kangol Headwear will set up backstage, showcasing its Spring 2013 line to a series of musicians performing at this year's event.
• Bushmills Irish Whiskey will be served. Guests at "The FADER FORT Presented by Converse" are all 21+ and encouraged to please drink responsibly.
• Hobnob is the The FADER FORT's first wine sponsor, where party goers can enjoy a glass of HobNob Wicked Red, Chardonnay, or Pinot Noir.
• vitaminwater & smartwater serving cold beverages.
• SiriusXM is returning for its third year at The FADER FORT and will broadcast live all four days on SiriusXMU, North America's indie rock channel, on SiriusXM channel 35. For more information, visit www.siriusxm.com/siriusxmu.
• The East Austin food trailer Fire and Soul will bring comfort food with an international twist inside the doors of The FADER FORT for four days.

For over a decade, The FADER FORT has established itself as a primary stomping ground for many then-unknowns such as Kendrick Lamar, Yelawolf, M.I.A., Florence and the Machine, Odd Future, Feist, Cold War Kids, Kid Cudi, and The Black Keys. While the focus has always been emerging artists, The FADER FORT has also showcased a laundry list of artists that have performed including P. Diddy, Rick Ross, Kanye West, Lou Reed, My Morning Jacket, Justin Vernon, Amy Winehouse, Moby, Nas, Damian Marley, N.E.R.D, among others.

For more information and to be the first to hear further news, check out www.TheFADER.com/FORT and follow us on Twitter, www.Twitter.com/TheFADER.

About The FADER, Inc.

The FADER, Inc. consists of credible music and lifestyle-focused properties that speak to a combined audience of 2 million influential young adults monthly. Founded by Rob Stone and Jon Cohen, and led by President and Publisher Andy Cohn, The FADER, Inc. includes The FADER, TheFADER.com, FADER Films, FADER Label, 1200Squad.com, East Village Radio, Insound, Oh My Rockness, and The Cornerstone Mixtape.

About Converse

Converse Inc., based in N. Andover, Massachusetts, is a wholly owned subsidiary of NIKE, Inc. Established in 1908, the Converse brand has built a reputation as "America's Original Sports Company"™ and has been associated with a rich heritage of legendary shoes such as the Chuck Taylor® All Star® shoe, the Jack Purcell® shoe and the One Star® shoe. Today, Converse offers a diverse portfolio including lifestyle men's, women's and children's footwear, apparel and accessories. Converse product is sold globally by retailers in over 160 countries and through 78 company-owned retail locations in the U.S. For more information, visit Media.Converse.com.

About SXSW Music

South By Southwest (SXSW) Music and Media Conference, taking place March 12 - 17, 2013, features a legendary festival showcasing more than 2,000 musical acts of all genres from around the globe on over one hundred stages in downtown Austin. By day, the Austin Convention Center comes alive with conference registrants doing business in the Trade Show and partaking of a full agenda of informative, provocative panel discussions featuring hundreds of speakers of international stature. In its 27th year, SXSW remains an essential event on the music industry calendar. For more information, access our website at http://sxsw.com. 

SOURCE The FADER, Inc.