SXSW cancelled

[Bijou_Drains]

Austin declared a disaster so they pretty much had to cancel it.

SXSW is canceled over coronavirus concerns | CNN Business

[dalej42]

So tired of this stupid virus paranoia. Just drive us into a recession, ok.

[PastTense]

I wonder if the company who ran it will go bankrupt: undoubtedly they have spent a great deal of money already–and now they have to refund money they have received.

[Beckdawrek]

My Sister from Austin just told me this. Shocked. That is big-time in Austin every year.

Am I out of the loop? Has this virus really gone into pandemic levels? Or, are people overreacting?

[Leaper]

My opinion: the virus is at the point where large gathering organizers really can’t win. I can very easily see a situation where they go on, but still lose a ton of money because no one shows up (maybe even more than canceling). The similar reactions overseas and the lack of testing in the U.S. are also big factors, and no one wants to be the first to shrug and get slammed with blame later (“Virus Outbreak Investigation Centers on Concert”).

[Mister_Rik]

Dang, SXSW was supposed to be the first American show by Japanese metal band Ningen Isu (been around for 30 years, just now finally touring outside of Japan).

[RioRico]

@Leaper

My opinion: the virus is at the point where large gathering organizers really can’t win. I can very easily see a situation where they go on, but still lose a ton of money because no one shows up (maybe even more than canceling). The similar reactions overseas and the lack of testing in the U.S. are also big factors, and no one wants to be the first to shrug and get slammed with blame later (“Virus Outbreak Investigation Centers on Concert”).

Live performances on any scale; artsy gatherings; sports events from Little League through Olympics; any confabs and pilgrimages. All will be canceled or empty because who can take the risk? Ruthless regimes will continue to impose strict screenings, with temperatures taken to pass through doorways. Will US entities go that far?

I searched on “coronavirus cancellations” but can’t find a current canonical list. We know flights, cruises, commutes, shows, festivals, conferences, schools, are gone gone gone. Good thing we’re all online now, right? Except the poor bastards at fulfillment centers.

[hajario]

@PastTense

I wonder if the company who ran it will go bankrupt: undoubtedly they have spent a great deal of money already–and now they have to refund money they have received.

They certainly had insurance.

[Gatopescado]

Probably more likely to catch a dose of The Clap in Austin than Corona. Geez, People.

[RioRico]

@hajario

They certainly had insurance.

And insurers have reinsurers to back them up. But my search on “coronavirus insurance” gets hits like this from Billboard: Promoters Who Need Coronavirus Insurance Likely Don’t Have It, Experts Say. “As the disease continues to stoke widespread fears, cancellations of major summer events may result in huge payouts from insurance companies.” Expect a hike in premiums. That page links to Billboard’s Here Are All the Major Concerts Canceled Due to Coronavirus (Updating)

[PastTense]

Asked if the financial loss of cancellation will be covered by an insurance plan, SXSW co-founder Nick Barbaro – who is also the publisher of the Chronicle – said the organization does not have cancellation insurance relating to a disease outbreak or triggered by the city declaring a “local state of disaster.”

SXSW co-founder and Managing Director Roland Swenson, reached by text, further explained: “We have a lot of insurance (terrorism, injury, property destruction, weather). However, bacterial infections, communicable diseases, viruses and pandemics are not covered.”

SXSW Cancellation Not Covered by Insurance

[harmonicamoon]

That really pops my balloon.

[RioRico]

From my Billboard cite above:

Insurers and promoters cast the dice on coronavirus coverage months ago – sources tell Billboard that if promoters do not already have infectious disease insurance for their events, it is too late to buy it now. As a rule, cancellation insurance policies exclude infectious disease coverage. Promoters have to purchase an additional insurance rider to get it added. In fact, policies that have been issued after the virus gained attention exempt COVID-19 coverage. For those that have coverage, payouts will require a force majeure event to trigger coverage – an event like a government agency shutting down a concert because of an outbreak.

…Government directed, virus-driven cancellations for major events could drive massive payouts from insurance companies this summer… “There’s a lot of eyes now on the Tokyo Olympic games, the insured value for those is so significant that if they are unable to go forward in their entirety, it would be a very, very significant hit to the event insurance market and the insurers involved in it,” Sandau says.

How big? Peter Tempkins, managing director of insurer HUB International, expects the potential loss will surpass the amounts paid by insurers around 9/11 claims.

My emphasis. Bigger than 9/11. Meanwhile, also from Billboard: 8 Tips for Attending Concerts & Avoiding Coronavirus. “Tip #4: Wash your hands. Tip #7: Lay off the high-fiving.” And don’t inhale.

[Darren_Garrison]

Sadly repeating the effects that machine gun biplanes had on the NXNW festival.