SXSW Cancels, NAB Remains Optimistic

As the city of Austin declared a local disaster on Friday amid the coronavirus outbreak, SXSW has been canceled for the first time in the event’s 34-year history. Prominently showcasing the latest and greatest in film, tech, media and music, it’s become a premier international destination for creatives, as well as a trusted barometer on industry trends. Hoping for a warm and fast Spring won’t be enough as the uncertainty in global markets continues to spread faster than the virus itself.

With other major industry conventions also cancelling or postponing worldwide, organizers of CinemaCon and NAB remain optimistic. Working closely with local and state authorities in Nevada, both events are still set to take place as planned with enhanced health and sanitation measures on the ground.  However, several exhibitors will not be attending due to travel restrictions from China and a host of other countries, so attendees should expect a diminished turnout.  

(CinemaCon: March 30th - April 2nd  /  NAB: April 18th - April 22nd)

Even the silver screen has been impacted with the postponement of release dates and production schedules. Daniel Craig’s final James Bond film, “No Time to Die” has been pushed from this April to release in November over fears of diminished revenue.  Additionally, the seventh “Mission: Impossible” project with Tom Cruise has halted production on location in Italy.  And for good reason, Italy is currently experiencing the largest outbreak in Europe.

Our community’s health is tremendously important, so maintaining a clean studio with plenty of hand soap and sanitizer has been our top priority. We urgently recommend that everybody reads through the CDC’s detailed list of preventative actions.  Please encourage your friends and family to do the same. (List link here): https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/prevention-treatment.html