‘The Show Must Go On Is In Our DNA,’ Organization Posts In A Statement
South By Southwest organizers are “devastated” by the cancelation of its major music and entertainment festival, which was scheduled for March 13-22 in Austin, Texas.
“The show must go on is in our DNA”, the organization posted on its website. The event is also in the DNA of Austin. However, the city reversed course on a Friday, canceling the event due to the coronavirus scare after stating earlier in the day that it would not take such action.
“We are devastated to share this news with you,” SXSW posted on www.sxsw.com. “ ‘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.
“As recently as Wednesday, Austin Public Health stated that ‘there’s no evidence that closing SXSW or any other gatherings will make the community safer.’ However, this situation evolved rapidly, and we honor and respect the City of Austin’s decision. We are committed to do our part to help protect our staff, attendees, and fellow Austinites.”
“In response to the increasing concerns of COVID-19 across the nation, Austin-Travis County leaders have declared a ‘local state of disaster’ to more proactively increase preventative measures and require mitigation plans for events in the region.
“The declaration was made ahead of this month’s Spring Festival season following recommendations from interim local health authority Dr. Mark Escott, who acted on advice from an independent panel of experts. The Spring Festival season runs from next Friday, March 13, through March 22.”
This may not be the end of SXSW for this year, as event officials are not giving up on having some type of event.
“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,” the organization’s website stated. “For our registrants, clients, and participants we will be in touch as soon as possible and will publish an FAQ.
“We understand the gravity of the situation for all the creatives who utilize SXSW to accelerate their careers; for the global businesses; and for Austin and the hundreds of small businesses – venues, theatres, vendors, production companies, service industry staff, and other partners that rely so heavily on the increased business that SXSW attracts.
“We will continue to work hard to bring you the unique events you love. Though it’s true that our March 2020 event will no longer take place in the way that we intended, we continue to strive toward our purpose – helping creative people achieve their goals.”
PubClub.com will publish any news and updates on the situation and event.
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