After a week of intense pressure and several big tech and entertainment companies pulling out amid fears of the coronavirus, SXSW is being canceled, city officials said in a Friday afternoon press conference.
The cancelation comes without any confirmed coronavirus cases in Austin, but officials have said it's a matter of when, not if, the virus arrives.
It's an Earth shaking move for Austin's business community -- from the startups who were planning to pitch to investors and launch products to the bars, restaurants and drivers who stood to bring in significant income from tens of thousands of visitors during the March 13-22 festival.
"All ramifications are secondary to helping ensure that we are safe as a community, and we will deal with and work our way though all other ramifications," Adler said when asked about the community-wide economic impact of cancelling.
It's impossible to know now what the full impact may be -- or whether the cancellation will prevent the potential spread of coronavirus in Austin. But with the CDC’s updated guidelines, events across the nation being canceled, and a loud push by some on social media to shut down SXSW, festival organizers seemingly had little choice left.
"We are devastated to share this news with you. 'The show must go on' is in our DNA, and this is the first time in 34 years that the March event will not take place. We are now working through the ramifications of this unprecedented situation," SXSW said in a statement.
It wasn't immediately clear whether badge holders will be refunded or how other deals, agreements and partnerships may play out due to the cancellation. The story will likely evolve in many ways in coming days.
"We are exploring options to reschedule the event and are working to provide a virtual SXSW online experience as soon as possible for 2020 participants, starting with SXSW EDU," SXSW said. "For our registrants, clients, and participants we will be in touch as soon as possible and will publish an FAQ."
SXSW's website indicates refunds may be unlikely: "SXSW does not issue refunds under any circumstances. Any and all payments made to SXSW are not refundable for any reason, including, without limitation, failure to use Credentials due to illness, acts of God, travel-related problems, acts of terrorism, loss of employment and/or duplicate purchases. SXSW will not issue refunds for Credentials that have been revoked," their site reads.
It wasn't immediately clear how the news will impact other conferences. Zoho, an Austin-based tech company, already canceled its upcoming Zoholics Conference. But there are many other gatherings that could alter plans based on the move -- from startup meetups to community gatherings.
"This doesn't mean that we have to cancel all mass gatherings," Interim Health Authority Mark Escott said during the press conference Friday. Now is the time for schools, churches and community to “prepare for this storm," he said.
Mayor Adler said other events will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. See the full press conference here.
Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt said that the threat during SXSW would be significantly higher because there were multiple guests from international and domestic locations with evidence of person-to-person transmission of the coronavirus.
The Friday announcement followed a week full of news developments.
Twitter was the first big name to back out of the conference, followed by Facebook and then a cascade of tech and entertainment companies. While the big name withdrawals drew headlines, it was never clear whether their absence would be felt in dramatic ways given that thousands of people and companies that come to the conference and rent out bars and spaces for parties, launches and panel chats.
But as the list grew to include more film and music acts and the Austin Startup Crawl at SXSW, the picture started to become clearer that SXSW would be dramatically different.
For more, you can read our story about Startup Crawl being postponed, our list of earlier SXSW cancellations.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated. How is the SXSW cancellation and coronavirus impacting your Austin area startup? Let us know by emailing bwistrom@americaninno.com.
Here are some early reactions on Twitter:
I feel so much hurt for the people, literally hundreds of people, who will have trouble paying bills now because of this shit. I could cry thinking about how many people rely on SXSW to get by the same way Corporate America relies on a busy holiday season. - cont.
— joahspearman (@joahspearman) March 6, 2020
An Update on SXSW 2020. Please read our full statement here: https://t.co/P56nF8KFmE pic.twitter.com/ouJPKM9GNy
— SXSW (@sxsw) March 6, 2020
I knew this was coming but I still feel like crying. ?
— Joshua Baer ?? (@JoshuaBaer) March 6, 2020
Also, if you’re thinking of tweeting something snarky about SXSW Being Bad or You Not Getting to Eat Breakfast Tacos in Austin, maybe don’t? This is impacting a lot of people in the service industry and beyond. This affects people’s livelihoods.
— Abby Johnston (@ajohnston12) March 6, 2020
Thinking about all the self-funding artists who will lose so much from the cancellation of @sxsw. I know it’s the right decision, but gutted for the artists.
— Lara Baker (@LaraKBaker) March 6, 2020
I was going to be speaking at SXSW for the 3rd time this year. It's insanely fun and exciting. I'm a bit heartbroken that one of the highlights of my year won't be happening. (I completely understand why though)
— Sabina (@lawliepop) March 6, 2020
Once the shock of the @sxsw news wears off, pls keep a thought for everyone and every business in Austin that relies on that 10 days to make their $$ for the year. Economic impact is gonna be a thing #txlege
— Evan Smith (@evanasmith) March 6, 2020
Massive thanks to @MayorAdler and team for making an incredibly tough and incredibly important decision. This sets Austin apart and on a path to successfully deal with SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19. ? https://t.co/rPVdEE1sZA
— Tim Ferriss (@tferriss) March 6, 2020
The only thing to blame for the cancellation of @sxsw is the coronavirus, which can’t take accountability. There should be no shaming or blaming elsewhere. No individuals caused this cancellation. It is a safe solution in an impossible situation. And many will hurt from it.
— Arlan ?? (@ArlanWasHere) March 6, 2020
We understand & appreciate the City of Austin's decision to alleviate the potential spread of COVID-19 in our city. We're assessing our own programming to look at the potential of rescheduling events to help keep our tech community safe & healthy. Stay healthy and safe!
— Austin Tech Council (@ATCouncil) March 6, 2020
It’s funny because we all joke how much we hate SXSW because of how insane it is and now it’s not happening, everyone’s all “oh fuck.” ?
— More Claypool (@TakeAShape) March 7, 2020
It’s easy to say #SXSW2020 should be obviously cancelled this year. But I bet that a lot of people will be really hurt by this extremely hard decision. Bravo to their choice but sympathy for their plight as well.
— Mike Maples, Jr (@m2jr) March 7, 2020
