SXSW's lineup is trimming down amid concerns about coronavirus with Facebook pulling out of the annual conference on Tuesday. "Due to concerns related to coronavirus, our company and employees will not be participating in SXSW this year," the company said in a statement to Business Insider. Earlier this week Twitter announced it was canceling all non-essential travel for employees, including CEO Jack Dorsey's planned trip to SXSW.
Facebook's other actions —
This is just the latest measure Facebook has taken in response to the spread of coronavirus. Last month the company cancelled its own F8 conference. Facebook announced yesterday it will restrict social visits to its offices and will conduct job interviews via video conferencing, according to Business Insider. The social media giant has also cancelled a global marketing conference it had planned for this month in San Francisco, California.
SXSW is still on —
Despite the growing list of cancellations — which also includes chipmaker Intel — SXSW will still go forward as planned, beginning March 13. "SXSW is working closely on a daily basis with local, state, and federal agencies to plan for a safe event," conference organizers said in a statement.
"As a result of this dialogue and the recommendations of Austin Public Health, we are proceeding with the 2020 event with the health and safety of our attendees, staff, and volunteers, as our top priority."
More information on how the conference is handling the coronavirus outbreak is available on SXSW's site, but other overarching theme is that, until further notice, it's business as usual.
"There is a lot about COVID-19 that is still unknown, but what we do know is that personal hygiene is of critical importance. We hope that people follow the science, implement the recommendations of public health agencies, and continue to participate in the activities that make our world connected."
