• by Aaron Baar , March 4, 2011

Monster.com has signed on as the provider of the SXSW (South by Southwteest) festival's official Hiring Hub, using the tech-centric music and arts fest to match talent with opportunity.

"In previous years they've never been able to connect job seekers and employers in a way that was efficient," Kathy O'Reilly, Monster.com's director of social media relations, tells Marketing Daily. "We actually approached them because we were interested in partnering with them on a different type of level."

The Austin, Tex., festival attracts a certain tech-savvy type of attendee, which appealed to Monster.com's profile, O'Reilly says. "It really helps us to showcase our search technology," she says. "This is a terrific opportunity for us."

The Hiring Hub will allow attendees to partake in job-matching opportunities through Monster.com, as well as trying out the company's new mobile apps. "You don't think of this as an HR recruiting event, but when you speak to the employers, they are there recruiting," O'Reilly says. They know the talent attending there is a rare breed."

This is the first year the festival will be bringing job matching services to exhibitors and attendees. In addition to providing the official hiring hub, Monster.com will provide location-based job search services according to exhibition booth, and meet-up opportunities.