U.S. Air Force Cancels Austin Events Over Coronavirus Fears

AUSTIN, TX — In light of a declaration of disaster in Austin that led to the cancellation of SXSW on Friday, U.S. Air Force officials announced the suspension of two events that had been scheduled next week.

Both the Spark Collider and Pitch Bowl events that had been scheduled from March 10-12 in Austin have been canceled in light of the city's emergency declaration on Friday, U.S. Air Force officials said. The events are designed to connect stakeholders across industry, academia, and government to accelerate the Small Business Innovation Research Open Topic process, officials explained in a press advisory.

Reached via email, a spokesperson told Patch the Spark Collider attracted 400 participants last year. This year would have been the first time the Pitch Bowl would have been staged, the spokesperson added. U.S. Air Force officials chronicled the success of the former event in its online news site.

City and county officials issued dual disaster declaration in light of the growing threat of new coronavirus, a respiratory ailment that has been renamed COVID-19. The ailment is caused by a member of the coronavirus family that’s a close cousin to the SARS and MERS viruses that have caused outbreaks in the past.

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"The health and safety of the public is a top priority of the U.S. Air Force and their joint partners," U.S. Air Force officials said in a prepared statement.

Related story: Coronavirus Forces SXSW Cancellation: Here's Why

Added Lt. Col. Matthew Scott, AFWERX Austin director: "We are extremely grateful for the enthusiasm we’ve seen while planning for Spark Collider and Pitch Bowl.” said “Although we are saddened to cancel an event with so many incredible companies, Airmen, and joint service members who were planning to attend, we ultimately made this decision for the health and safety of our staff, our guests, and the community.”

AFWERX is described as a program with the goal of fostering a culture of innovation within the service launched in July 2017. The U.S. Air Force is assessing options for how to proceed with possible future events, officials said.