I mean at the rate companies/events were being canceled it might have still brought revenue but there'd be like no events...
the city and mayor actually declared a state of emergency, which is technically what forced sxsw to cancel. i guess this will allow them to collect insurance on this whole thing. if sxsw self-cancelled then maybe they wouldnt be able to collect? i feel bad for the people who were flying or driving in. really screws up your vacation plans. and also all the businesses...sxsw brought in $355 million to the local economy last year. thats a huge loss. sounds like most of the free stuff and day parties are still going on so those who come will still find plenty to do. if anything, it will turn into a more local-centric thing and that might not be a bad thing for the austin music scene. less out of town competition means more exposure for local bands.
some of the day/free shows have been cancelled, but theres also a bunch of clubs scrambling to put shows together so the bands that do come will have somewhere to play. just b/c sxsw isnt happening doesnt mean that venues have to shut down. this could end up being a great opportunity for music fans. if sxsw is not happening then that means they can run free shows all night at the venues that normally have showcases. they actually clamped down on bands playing free shows the last few years. if you're playing sxsw you can only play two free shows and they cannot be at night, when they would be competing w/ sxsw. with the official conference shut down there are no longer any such restrictions.
can't wait till they cancel the election and extend president trump's reign for another few years. he is the hero we need, not the one we deserve.
My wife is going tonight. But I stocked up on TP and have a fully stocked bugout bunker with filtered air in Katy so I’m OK rite?
I ain't scared of no virus bro. I'll fly to Wuhan right now dammit!! Enuff of this nonsense phobia. Come on America, don't let the virus win!!!
A great idea. The spread of the Coronavirus is happening quickly enough without those tens of thousands here in Austin in crowds. As a resident, I much prefer the spread of the virus, which doesn’t seem to be slowing down, not be ramped up big time by SXSW. As someone who frequently checks news sources from all over the place, it’s interesting just how much coverage this got. Front page mention on the BBC’s news website, for example. In their story, they said that nearly 74,000 attended last year, with over 19,000 coming from outside the United States. No surprise to me or everyone else in Austin! It’s the 1st cancellation in 34 years. I remember when it began, having moved here in the summer of 1980. If we’re lucky, fingers crossed, it’ll be the last cancellation. Another possible cancellation is ACL in October. It wouldn’t surprise me. It’s going to take awhile to get this damn virus thing under control, which is a bummer on multiple levels. Heck, I’m going to stop playing trivia every week at a pub downtown until this blows over. What’s ironic is that the weekly games would shut down at the pub during SXSW, which was fine with us. SXSW’s cancellation is going to be a real blow to local businesses.
A lot of these folks, myself included, will still be coming to Austin as they will have DIY concerts and other shows still setup. Similar to Ultra in Miami. If you already have your travel and housing arranged, you might as well make the trip.
