When Texas ended its mask mandate, the event cancellations started

[Nevilledog]

Link to tweet

Tweet text:
Evan Smith
@evanasmith
NEW from @reeseoxner: Since @GovAbbott lifted the state’s mask mandate, conferences coming to Austin started cancelling. The Austin Hilton alone has lost $350,000 in revenue https://texastribune.org/2021/03/25/conventions-texas-mask-mandate/… #txlege
Pedestrians walk across the South Congress bridge with the Capital in the background in Austin on March 3, 2021.
When Texas ended its mask mandate, the event cancellations started — …
At least four conferences were canceled in Austin because of the lack of a statewide mask mandate. The cancellations have caused the Austin Hilton hotel to lose out on $350,000 of revenue, according …
texastribune.org
3:38 PM · Mar 25, 2021

https://www.texastribune.org/2021/03/25/conventions-texas-mask-mandate/

[Skittles]

1. stupid fucking repukes don't get it

MOST OF US listen to doctors and scientists, NOT RIGHT WING POLITICANS

[Sugarcoated]

2. Womp womp

[sarcasmo]

3. Stupid is as stupid does.

[littlemissmartypants]

4. Did anyone think his idiot move wouldn't backfire?

When offered a chance to spend the night in a burning building, wouldn't most of us decline the invitation?

Good grief!



Thank Dog, these guys aren't rocket scientists!!

[Skittles]

5. it would be great if ALL it cost them was money

Abbott does not give a DAMN if people die, he just does NOT CARE

[littlemissmartypants]

9. You are so right, Skittles! He's just another psychopath.

No telling how many people are gone thanks to his incompetent psychopathology.

Shame on him and his ilk!

[struggle4progress]

6. "GOP says: Eat an ice-storm and die in a pandemic!"

[Ka-Dinh Oy]

7. If Abbott was losing money he would care.

Obviously he is not. He does not give a crap about others.

[Hekate]

8. Impressive!

[ZonkerHarris]

10. Now do Georgia

[Mickju]

11. Stupid actions sometimes have grim consequences.

Abbott is the consummate fool.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

12. You guys don't think it has anything to do with Austin NOT lifting it's mask mandate?

Call me crazy, but I think it might.

If you were so concerned with COVID as the angle taken in this article suggests ... seems to me you wouldn't be having a conference in the first place.

Any chance some of these conferences moved to other cities in TX that are going along with Abbott and not having any more mandates?

That would make the most sense to me.

https://www.austintexas.gov/department/covid-19-information/orders-rules

"The City of Austin and Travis County extended the “Stay Home, Mask, and Otherwise Be Safe” Orders through April 21, 2021. These orders direct Austin-Travis County residents to continue to practice social distancing, hygiene, and face-covering behaviors. In addition to hygiene guidelines, the orders state that social gatherings up to 10 people should be avoided or minimized, and socializing in groups of 10+ individuals outside of the same household are prohibited."

[Kali]

13. I sort of jumped to that conclusion too, but

At least four organizations canceled conferences or conventions in Austin, citing health concerns after Texas ended its statewide mask mandate earlier this month.
“These were rooms that were already on the books, and largely what we saw was fallout, ironically, from the governor opening the economy,” said Joe Bolash, Hilton Austin general manager, during a March 16 Austin Convention Enterprises board meeting. “It was groups that were not comfortable returning to a fully opened economy where there was no mask mandate in place.”

(bold mine)

[Hugh_Lebowski]

14. I'd be keen to know if any moved to another city but used this as an excuse to get some of their

deposit back.

Most conferences are held by big companies, who often kinda suck.

Why would you be having a conference if you were this concerned?

It doesn't add up to me.

Plus ... Austin still has a mandate, so ... yeah.

I'm not saying I know either way, but I'm still skeptical.

[Kali]

16. there was this too

On Thursday, the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology announced it was canceling the in-person portion of its annual conference that was to be held in Austin due to the end of Texas’ COVID-19-related precautions.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

17. Now THAT is one group I'd buy that they're backing out because of the lack of restriction ...

If they're all groups like that, that's different

[Cozmo]

18. BTW, convention industry is made up of many national associations, like NADA, National Realtors, etc

Probably more than corporate meetings and conventions

[Cozmo]

15. Abbott is so stupid, he never considered how his actions would lose TX tourism dollars

Loss of convention business jeopardizes not just hotels, but restaurants, transportation vendors and City tourist spots. It's so much more than just what the Austin Hilton lost. Convention planners will never forget all the heartache and additional costs that are the result of convention relocation. HAHA Abbott, you idiot

[LetMyPeopleVote]

19. Greg Abbott is killing Texas tourism

[czarjak]

20. "Vaccine or no vaccine"?