SXSW is Latest to Be Canceled Because of Coronavirus Fears

South by Southwest (SXSW) joins the list of conferences canceled due to concerns of the coronavirus pandemic. The event, which is a music, tech and film festival was slated to be held in Austin, TX from March 13 to March 22. In a statement on its website SXSW organizers said, “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.” Organizers said they were exploring options to reschedule the event and are working to provide a virtual SXSW online experience as soon as possible for 2020 participants. Initially, there were plans to continue with the conference – even though big-name companies like Twitter, Facebook, Apple, and Intel announced they were pulling out. But as coronavirus fears seem to grow the odds for the conference happening became slimmer. SXSW has become a hotspot for the newest and latest healthcare technology. In the past MD+DI has reported on the must-see startups to see at the conference. The move comes shortly after Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS), another popular tech conference was canceled. This marks the first time in 58 years that HIMSS won’t be held. It was scheduled to begin Monday.
Source: MDDI - Category: Medical Devices Authors: Tags: Business Source Type: news