03.21.20
By Lisa Major
I don’t know about you, but hearing that SXSW was canceling seems like forever ago. The announcement was a dreaded wake-up call that the events industry (and the world) as we knew it was changing rapidly. While the cancellation of SXSW was a crushing blow for Austin and put a damper on plans for many, there were a few creative folks in Austin that went on with the show so-to-speak. In this week’s Happy Hour, we’ll look at what some artists and organizations did to keep the festival’s spirit alive. We’ll also show you how a few brands made the most of a not-so-social St. Patrick’s Day, and deliver tips for trade show exhibitors who are navigating postponements and cancellations.
With a petition in full force and growing pressure from Texas residents, SXSW organizers made the heartwrenching decision to cancel the highly anticipated festival due to concerns surrounding COVID-19. With the announcement of the cancellation coming one week prior to the festival’s premiere, many artists and organizations were already in Austin, putting the finishing touches on their plans. So what did they do? They turned lemons into lemonade by getting back to the roots of SXSW and scaling down their plans to a smaller format. From backyard events to virtual tech demonstrations, see how these creative minds made the most of their time in Austin.
Typically, St. Patrick’s Day is filled with parades, happy hours, and lots of green beer. But this year, due to the coronavirus pandemic, people around the globe were confined to their homes on what is usually a very social holiday. As we all try to navigate this unchartered territory of social distancing, brands have gone to great lengths to shift their advertising campaigns to cater to our current situation. Here, we take a look at 15 brands that stepped up to the plate to encourage social distancing and bring a little joy to consumers this St. Patrick’s Day.
Chances are, if you’re a trade show exhibitor faced with show cancellations and postponements during this uncertain time, you’ve been putting out fires, canceling travel arrangements, and working with vendors and suppliers. But what’s next? Once you get through those immediate tasks, it’s time to think about the future of exhibiting in 2020. Here, Exhibit Concepts outlines a few critical things that you’ll want to consider when it comes to cancellations and postponements and your future trade show plans.
Thanks for joining us for this week’s Happy Hour. We realize these are extremely tough times for everyone in our industry and we are doing our best to keep our heads held high and remain optimistic about the future. With that said, ATN will continue to publish our weekly round-up of relevant news, tips, and tricks relating to experiential and event marketing. Love to you all!
ATN provides event staffing services for experiential marketing events, trade shows, conferences, and more. Click here to learn more about who we are and what we do.
