AUSTIN (KXAN)– Austin’s live event scene is dynamic and constantly evolving, with a wide array of events hosted each year. During last week’s South by Southwest (SXSW), music and film industry professionals contributed to the conversation, highlighting the growing trend of “phone-free” environments.
Austin, Texas, often referred to as the “Live Music Capital of the World,” is not only renowned for its vibrant music scene but also for hosting a diverse range of film, tech, art, food, and comedy events throughout the year. This is one of the many reasons Austin and other major cities could be facing pressure to meet evolving audience expectations.
During the panel, “Seeing Sound: The future of live experiences,” Industry experts Ben Morris, Svana Gisla, and Lizzie Pocock discussed some of the methods they’ve implemented into the biggest, most recent, and successful live events they have worked on in the past couple of years.
These industry experts emphasized the importance of putting focus on things like visual storytelling, tailored fan experiences, and new technology that will help create new experiences that belong to everyone.
While large stages, impressive venues, stunning lighting, visuals, and top-notch audio enhance any live experience, it’s the audience’s engagement and ability to truly immerse themselves in the show that makes an event unforgettable.
This was the key takeaway from every industry leader, who highlighted that their greatest challenge in creating meaningful connections with the audience is the constant distraction of cell phones.
“As much as I am amazed by the advances in technology, I do love sitting in a room with people and being able to look around and see if people are enjoying it and smiling,” Morris said. This has become increasingly difficult in today’s world, where the audience is often more focused on capturing a memory or image on their cell phones than fully engaging in the moment, experiencing it only through a screen.
“How often do you look at those recordings when you get home, my guess is not very often. So why not just be in the moment and have that shared experience,” Morris said.
This is just one of the many reasons leaders like Morris, Gisla, and Pocock chose to ban cell phones at live events—helping to engage the audience and encourage them to truly live in the moment. It’s a practice that many venues have already adopted or are considering implementing soon.
Live event venues in Austin that have already banned cell phones
- Antone’s — for some performances
- Emo’s Austin — for some performances
- The Austin Opera — for some performances
- The Comedy Mothership
- The Continental Club — for some performances
- The Creek and the Cave
- The Moody Center (ACL Live) — for some performances
- The Mohawk Austin — for some performances
- The Paramount Theatre — for some performances
And it is not just live event venues. This “no-phone” trend can also be seen being implemented in some local restaurants, bars, and lounges. Locally, The Powder Room, Kinfolk, and Bula Tulum, have all begun implementing or encouraging customers to live in the moment and disconnect from technology.
As more venues and live event leaders observe the positive impact and reactions to no-phone policies at various events, these policies will likely become more widespread. This could potentially lead Austin’s live event scene to embrace a phone-free culture.
