The city of Austin, Texas declared a disaster due to the coronavirus outbreak on Friday - a move that prompted the cancellation of the South by Southwest conference.
This is the first time the event - that drew nearly half a million people to the city and brought in hundreds of millions of dollars of revenue - has been canceled for the first time in its 34 year history.
In a statement- organizers said:
"SXSW will faithfully follow the City's directions. 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. 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. For our registrants, clients, and participants we will be in touch as soon as possible and will publish an FAQ."
