SXSW is Canceled, Now What?

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SXSW is canceled for the first time in 34 years and all of Austin (and what seems like the rest of the world) is scrambling. Whether you planned on working the festival or attending as a guest, you’ve probably suffered a loss in one way or another. For attendees, refunds won’t be available as the festival is expected to go on at a later date. However, there remains a financial uncertainty for many small businesses, vendors, artists, and freelancers who expected a large portion of their income to come from this event. As expected, Austinites have banded together in efforts to support those who are affected by this cancellation. Here’s how you can help:

Who is affected?

As of March 10, 2020, 400 local freelancers and vendors have reported a lost income of $2,108,835. You can donate directly to them at ilostmygig.com and if you’re someone who has lost revenue due to the cancellation of SXSW, you can share your story here too. Many on this site are also looking for work, so there are plenty of awesome potential hires for your creative needs!

What’s happening?

Rally Austin is another organization created to “minimize the economic impact on the business community while keeping Austin safe.” Through its website, you can explore a list of micro-events happening and filter your results based on your interests and schedule. If you must stay home, there are still plenty of free virtual events to check out! Each in-person event is limited to 2,500 attendees and will host on-site sanitation and handwash stations.

Some of our picks include:

WE Will Still RISE: An Entrepreneurial Celebration During Crisis
March 14, 2020
5:00 to 8:00 PM
It’s free and you can register HERE.

Creatives, Startup Entrepreneurs, Hackers, Makers, Fun Pool Mixer
March 15, 2020
7:00 to 10:00 PM
It’s free and you can register HERE.

Can’t Stop Won’t Stop ATX: Filmmaker + Artist Relief Fund Event
March 18, 2020
7:00 to 10:00 PM
It’s $5 and you can buy tickets HERE.

Deep Media Day
March 19, 2020
10:00 AM to 8:00 PM
It’s free and you can register HERE.

New to Austin Co-Working Day
March 19, 2020
9:00 AM to 2:00 PM
It’s free and you can register HERE.

If you do choose to attend these social events, we urge you to take all necessary precautions designated by the Center for Disease Control. They have all the information you need to best protect yourself from the Coronavirus Disease. If you are hosting any of these events or others during the SXSW season, you can also find cleaning and disinfecting instructions on their website. The Austin community is facing economic and health issues because of the COVID-19, so we hope you consider supporting your peers in any way that you can.