AUSTIN Update Thread

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

Keep SXSW in Austin, TX Facebook page

I've requested to join. They really should have it be an open group.

[BevoLJ]

Originally Posted by migol24

So far from what I've read it seems like San Antonio is confident they will take SXSW. What do you guys think are the chances of this happening?

Zero

SXSW was birthed by the Austin Chronicle. That in itself should answer that question. lol. There is zero chance of it ever moving. This is just SA being silly and showing their lack of understanding of the elements involved in SXSW. Quite embarrassing of SA's leadership to even think about approaching SXSW, and just as embarrassing of ABJ to even print such an idea as if it were news.

SXSW was founded on the idea of promoting indie music. Moving it to SA it would go from 2k plus indie bands in events planed by hundreds of small clubs and C3 to 50 big label bands doing stadium sized events organized by the Clear Channel spin off Live Nation out of LA. The interactive portion would turn from hundreds of creative events stimulating 10,000s industry leaders in new innovation and start ups to somewhere the big companies out of LA (not SV) come to show the world what they will be shoving down their throats for the next 12 months. The film portion would vanish. The budding other parts the past couple years like fashion and green innovation portions would also vanish. Austin Music Awards becoming the San Antonio Music Awards? haha!

Ya, there is zero chance of it moving to SA. What SXSW was built on and grown into would fail horribly in SA. It wouldn't last more than a year in SA and would immediately be back in Austin the following year as a complete failure to never again be half of what it is today. There are many things SA has and does much better than Austin, but they just don't have the people or dense concentration of venues for an event like South By.

[migol24]

Originally Posted by wwmiv

San Antonio is confident without reason. The festival is as likely to move as pigs are to fly.

I hope this is all some counter-intuitive scheme to boost Hotel development in Austin.

[Hill Country]

I'm surprised the S.A. forumers haven't joined in the discussion yet. Where are you Shertz, Paul and Sir King?

[KevinFromTexas]

Originally Posted by migol24

I hope this is all some counter-intuitive scheme to boost Hotel development in Austin.

How so? A San Antonio councilman would have to be on it. I wonder how that conversation would go.

[migol24]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

How so? A San Antonio councilman would have to be on it. I wonder how that conversation would go.

I'm just being a little facetious.

[the Genral]

For SXSW, the only thing lacking in Austin is hotel rooms, the only thing lacking in San Antonio is everything else except conference space. We can add the rooms, they can't add the "it" factor that Austin has. But anything can happen. The Legends of Golf was born and held at Onion Creek from 1978 - 1989, it then moved to Barton Creek for 5 years before moving to California, then Florida, and is currently on a nine year run in Savannah Georgia. Back then we didn't see this coming. Liberty Mutual's Legends of Golf was synonymous with Austin. Even though the Seniors Tour began in the 30's, it was the "made in Austin" Legends that gave the Seniors Tour a big boost in popularity. It was their "Masters". All the big names came, and pledged their allegiance to Austin for its major contribution to their tournament, and now we're long forgotten except for a not so important annual Champions Tour stop at Lago Vista. So what I'm saying is, if the event itself becomes more important and independant than the host city, they can go wherever they choose as long as it has the venues to fill its needs. Are the participants coming to be in Austin, or to attend SXSW?

[migol24]

Originally Posted by the Genral

Are the participants coming to be in Austin, or to attend SXSW?

Both. SXSW and Austin being synonymous implies this.

[the Genral]

Even though the LM Legends of Golf was Synonymous with Austin for 17 years, it still left and the golfers who play in this tournament still show up in whatever city the tournament is held. Maybe if SXSW leaves Austin there would be a drop in attendance maybe not, but I think people would attend no matter where you put it. And I'm not saying I expect or want it to leave, but it could happen. Not all the comments from the attendees this year were positive, and not all the negatives were about the event, some were about Austin. San Antonio, wouldn't be my alternate site, I'd go with New Orleans.

[migol24]

Originally Posted by the Genral

Even though the LM Legends of Golf was Synonymous with Austin for 17 years, it still left and the golfers who play in this tournament still show up in whatever city the tournament is held. Maybe if SXSW leaves Austin there would be a drop in attendance maybe not, but I think people would attend no matter where you put it. And I'm not saying I expect or want it to leave, but it could happen. Not all the comments from the attendees this year were positive, and not all the negatives were about the event, some were about Austin. San Antonio, wouldn't be my alternate site, I'd go with New Orleans.

What were the negatives about Austin? Not enough public transportation I know is one of them. Hotel rooms? What else? I bet all the things that were concerning some attendants were things that had to do with Austin's developing issues, which if you'd give it time Austin will address.

Either way you're gonna put it... it's bad for Austin. I would be okay with maybe sending a part of the event to San Antonio... like say, the interactive part.

[austlar1]

Well, I think the AUSTIN Chronicle might have some thoughts about this matter, and since they mostly own the rights to SXSW, it is just lunacy to imagine the event leaving Austin. How can anybody take this SA council member seriously about this? Events like SXSW wax and wane and then wax again, or not. This may have been an off year for a variety of reasons. Most of the things I read were pretty positive except for the crowding at the venues and the high costs associated with the different types of passes. I did not hear a lot of grumbling about hotel space, but I am sure that another downtown hotel would fill up with attendees in the event one does get built.

[the Genral]

I suppose most of the complaints about Austin were event related, there were "over- rated" comments about Austin that I just thought, f-em, but if Austin is going to escape further discussions about losing SXSW to SA or any other city, SXSW is going to have to slow down its growth or Austin is going to have to keep pace with it. Change is made when the right person asks, "what if?" You have to be ready to counter that if you want things to stay the same. Because its an Austin thing ain't going to cut it forever. I've seen companies change some of their policies over one well received complaint. And I saw Austin lose the Legends of Golf. Concordia moved out of DT because it needed room to grow.

[M1EK]

Originally Posted by the Genral

I suppose most of the complaints about Austin were event related, there were "over- rated" comments about Austin that I just thought, f-em, but if Austin is going to escape further discussions about losing SXSW to SA or any other city, SXSW is going to have to slow down its growth or Austin is going to have to keep pace with it. Change is made when the right person asks, "what if?" You have to be ready to counter that if you want things to stay the same. Because its an Austin thing ain't going to cut it forever. I've seen companies change some of their policies over one well received complaint. And I saw Austin lose the Legends of Golf. Concordia moved out of DT because it needed room to grow.

Comparing the Legends of Golf to SXSW on the iconic scale is absurd. Likewise with Concordia, which most of the people here never knew was even here. And neither of those events relied on Austin for ANY of their cachet - yes, I read your points claiming otherwise, but no, nobody here really cared about the Legends of Golf beyond golfers, and, no, the golfers really didn't care about it being in Austin.

The proper analogy would be golf:Augusta (or Pebble Beach or St. Andrews) :: SXSW : Austin.

[arbeiter]

Originally Posted by M1EK

The proper analogy would be golf:Augusta (or Pebble Beach or St. Andrews) :: SXSW : Austin.

Exactly.

The silliest part of this is that Austinites are falling for the publicity stunt.

It's like suggesting the Glastonbury Music Festival be relocated to Swindon. Although that's probably not the best analogy, Glastonbury is actually in a town a few miles from Glastonbury.

[KevinFromTexas]

It's easier to get hotels built than it is to make a place known for a particular event.

I've been downtown so many times during SXSW just curious to listen in on what people say about Austin. I've heard so many times that people love it here. And these were clearly people who were hear from other places since they mentioned "home". I remember one woman saying "This is great, it's why I love Austin. You have this different mix of people all together." I heard that at a concert. Some other guy said that he wished his city could pull off an event like it (SXSW).

It's not just that Austin has SXSW and could be threatened with having it taken away - Austin is SXSW. The festivals are about the music, but the festivals and the city both feed off each other. There's a difference between a city having this event and being so much a part of it that the event couldn't survive somewhere else.

Originally Posted by the Genral

Even though the LM Legends of Golf was Synonymous with Austin for 17 years, it still left and the golfers who play in this tournament still show up in whatever city the tournament is held.

Yeah, but Austin isn't really a golf city. I mean, sure, we have our courses and clubs and people do play it here, but golf is NOT what Austin is known for. Ask anyone on the street or in another city what they think of when they think of Austin and I really doubt golf will ever be mentioned.

[the Genral]

Absurd? What makes you qualified to speak on behalf of the golfers who played the first 17 years of the Legends in Austin and how we felt when it went away? How proud were you when at the time, other UT sports, this was one of few major events for Austin, and every April we were the Host to a major event which was nationally televised and well attended. So the Seniors tour never gets the respect of the PGA, don't think that the analogy Legends : Austin didn't fit and people other than golfers didn't care. And how dare I for citing examples of long established organizations moving out of their original digs during a debate about SXSW. If you thought I was comparing them to SXSW, I wasn't. If moving SXSW was brought up, and not by me, then its relevant to mention other times Austin lost an event to another city even if YOU think its a stretch. And I guess I'm a nobody because even though I don't golf, I attended a ton of golf tournaments in Austin, along with thousands of other Austinites, and I never and probably would never attend a SXSW. Its a major, totally Austin event, I get that, it should never leave Austin, I get that, but arrogance is not going to keep it here indefinately.

[the Genral]

Originally Posted by M1EK

Comparing the Legends of Golf to SXSW on the iconic scale is absurd. Likewise with Concordia, which most of the people here never knew was even here. And neither of those events relied on Austin for ANY of their cachet - yes, I read your points claiming otherwise, but no, nobody here really cared about the Legends of Golf beyond golfers, and, no, the golfers really didn't care about it being in Austin.

The proper analogy would be golf:Augusta (or Pebble Beach or St. Andrews) :: SXSW : Austin.

I'll respect your opinion without using words like absurd, or arrogant or wtf.
Got to ask, were you around when the Legends was ours? It was bigger than SXSW at the time, well attended, myself included, and I don't golf, and one of the few nationally televised events that wasn't UT related, or ACL. I talked to Lee Traveno, Chi Chi and others who were heart felt grateful to Austin for giving them that event and wanted to keep it here. Lee Travino even told me he was considering building a house in Austin. They cared, I cared, thousands of others cared, you and everyone else didn't, fine, case closed. So to clearify, I was not trying to compare the events other than to give examples of other unexpected exits from Austin. Its been discussed in different forums, the news, online, that SXSW maybe a victim of its own success, that it may be growing too big too fast, and they cited the crowding and crowd control. So I don't think its a stunt that other cities could be interested in accommodating SXSW after reading or seeing reports like these. And I don't think that if enough people agree that its too big for Austin, that its impossible for it to move. Key word, impossible. I still call them the Baltimore Colts, another example...

[Somnio]

lulz........

[migol24]

Originally Posted by the Genral

It was bigger than SXSW at the time,

Keywords: at the time. Different times today... SXSW seems to be bigger than what Legends of Golf ever was for Austin. SXSW also caters to a larger group. As its been said before SXSW is Austin. You can't move what Austin itself does to San Antonio. SXSW functions because of Austin.

Its been discussed in different forums, the news, online, that SXSW maybe a victim of its own success, that it may be growing too big too fast, and they cited the crowding and crowd control. So I don't think its a stunt that other cities could be interested in accommodating SXSW after reading or seeing reports like these. And I don't think that if enough people agree that its too big for Austin, that its impossible for it to move. Key word, impossible. I still call them the Baltimore Colts, another example...

Then why not lobby for Hotels rather then all this "doom and gloom" of SXSW possibly moving? If it's not impossible for San Antonio to have SXSW then it is not impossible for Austin to have more hotels and a more organized approach at dealing with huge crowds.

Quite honestly, I think any and every big city will have problems when there is a "large crowd". There's no ifs, ands or buts. That's how it rolls. I think the problem is that Austin being a growing city doesn't know how to react to all the attraction. It's too complacent with all this "peace and quiet." I'm living in San Francisco and I see things EVERY SINGLE DAY that would literally make people freak out in Austin, but people just go about their daily business. No biggie whatsoever. So wow!!! A riot!!! How many got killed? How many fires were there at the Death from Above Concert? How many couches, and mattresses were thrown out into the street on fire? How many looting? All that I've mentioned happened on the Mission District here in San Francisco when the Giants won the World Series. Maybe the Giants should move too? I mean.... San Francisco obviously can't control such huge crowds.

My point is that if there is a struggle or an issue, you can't automatically just give in. If Austin wants to grow and be this "great city" that it wants to be, then they should roll with the issues at hand and face them and solve them. That's what great cities do.

[BevoLJ]

@ The Genral, here is the difference as I see it. SXSW is the biggest event of its kind in the world. By far. But that isn't what really makes it so different to a golf tourney to me. It is that hundreds of clubs are the ones doing their line ups. Same with the tech companies around Austin, and to a degree same with the theaters for the film part. They just have to get what they plan approved by SXSW late Jan to make it "official" which many don't even do anymore. The unofficial part of SXSW is just about as big as the official part, some even say it was bigger this year which led to many of the problems.

What venues in San Antonio is going to score a better line up than say Emo's, Stubbs, Antone's? What company in SA is going to draw more interest than say Facebook's i events and talks? Would films that made a big splash at this years have the same success in SA? Films that were made by Austinites, some even about Austin, or another about a F1 driver? Would their theaters have as much success attracting films as Austin's has giving Austins roles in the industry?

Planing and operating a golf match isn't the same thing as organizing an event where hundreds of venues are scheduling their own show and the companies in Austin and UT - Austin playing a huge role in organizing the talks and such. If SXSW were a golf match Austin would be like Augusta National and San Antonio would be Peter Pan on Barton Springs. Peter Pan just isn't challenging enough to attract anyone worth while.