The South by Southwest Conference & Festivals, more commonly referred to as SXSW and which officially begins on March 9 and continues all the way through March 18, has truly become a major part of the city of Austin. A recent poll revealed that the event is one of two that helps to comprise the identity of the city itself, with the other event being the Austin City Limits Music Festival.
However, the residents of Austin will only make up a small part of the approximately 70,000 SXSW attendees. Prior to heading to the event, there are a few changes that attendees will need to be aware of, such as the following:
Airport Changes
Currently, the east food court located at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, which contains some of the most popular eateries, is closed due to renovations. Other restaurants such as I Vini, Annie’s Cafe & Bar, and The Salt Lick, however, are open. Furthermore, Austin Article, which is a shop for both gifts and news, is open after being recently remodeled as well.
Lyft and Uber Have Both Returned
After being absent from last year’s SXSW event thanks to leaving the city back in May of 2016, both Lyft and Uber have made their returns to Austin to assist attendees searching for rides. Initially, once both companies left, Texas’s state Legislature enacted a law that essentially preempted local regulations that included a mandatory background check for drivers via their fingerprints.
SXSW 2017 Brought In $348 Million To Austin’s Economy
The 2017 edition of SXSW brought in a total of $348.6 million to the local economy thanks in large part to effects that were direct, indirect, and induced. These include money that was directly spent by the festival, jobs and additional income that were both created, and new sales.
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