Palmer Events Center
SXSW Ruined by Greed?
RECEIVED Mon., March 6, 2006
Dear Chronicle,
Where is the outrage amongst the music lovers in Austin? Is it possible that I am writing the only angry letter about the way SXSW has been ruined by greed? And finally, why has the Chronicle, in cahoots with SXSW, for the past two years not posted or publicized wristband sales information until it was too late?
There is no wristband info on the SXSW Web site at all. The Chronicle stated sales info would be posted in the Feb. 24 issue, yet the paper is not available in most places until midday. By that time the meager offering of 4,000 wristbands were for all purposes gone. 4,000?
It is a true slap in the face to the Austinites that have helped to make SXSW what it has become over the past 20 years when the wristband sale becomes a dirty little secret without any advanced notice or press.
The money grab for wristbands and badges this year and last is a shame. It has become increasingly impossible for us in Austin to purchase wristbands. Over the past 11 years SXSW has been a pleasure, and access to wristbands was easy, publicized well in advance, and spread out geographically over a period of weeks. It is no longer that way, and this is a great disappointment.
So I ask, what gives?
People are not stupid. It is clear that SXSW is doing this to sell as many $575 badges as possible, leaving those in Austin who were unable to get one of the 4,000 wristbands in the lurch. Making these people wait two weeks before further announcements are made is despicable.
Shame on you all! Whoever came up with this shameful scheme to shut the true Austin music lovers out of the festival has truly sold their soul.
Where is the outrage amongst the music lovers in Austin? Is it possible that I am writing the only angry letter about the way SXSW has been ruined by greed? And finally, why has the Chronicle, in cahoots with SXSW, for the past two years not posted or publicized wristband sales information until it was too late?
There is no wristband info on the SXSW Web site at all. The Chronicle stated sales info would be posted in the Feb. 24 issue, yet the paper is not available in most places until midday. By that time the meager offering of 4,000 wristbands were for all purposes gone. 4,000?
It is a true slap in the face to the Austinites that have helped to make SXSW what it has become over the past 20 years when the wristband sale becomes a dirty little secret without any advanced notice or press.
The money grab for wristbands and badges this year and last is a shame. It has become increasingly impossible for us in Austin to purchase wristbands. Over the past 11 years SXSW has been a pleasure, and access to wristbands was easy, publicized well in advance, and spread out geographically over a period of weeks. It is no longer that way, and this is a great disappointment.
So I ask, what gives?
People are not stupid. It is clear that SXSW is doing this to sell as many $575 badges as possible, leaving those in Austin who were unable to get one of the 4,000 wristbands in the lurch. Making these people wait two weeks before further announcements are made is despicable.
Shame on you all! Whoever came up with this shameful scheme to shut the true Austin music lovers out of the festival has truly sold their soul.
Joshua Goodman
[Louis Black replies: When you are going to sell a limited number of wristbands, advance notice can end up in very long lines waiting for hours. We are always clear about when and how the information will be announced. We could raise the price and still sell endlessly more wristbands if it was about greed. In order for the wristbands to be of value, we are selling less than ever this year. A statement like: "SXSW has been a pleasure, and access to wristbands was easy, publicized well in advance, and spread out geographically over a period of weeks" is missing the point. They sold out in a day. We would have happily sold them for weeks, but they were gone (and we put the same amount on sale initially as we have done for the last several years). Again the point is missed with this: "It is clear that SXSW is doing this to sell as many $575 badges as possible, leaving those in Austin who were unable to get one of the 4,000 wristbands in the lurch." Actually we sold far more badges (at a range of prices) than we had expected or planned for, so we are selling less wristbands – this is not to screw people who didn't get them, but in order not to screw people who did.]