The Night a Parking Garage Became a Party Cave

How 300 West 6th Street Became The Biggest Street Party at SXSW

sxsw 2017, facebook, redbull, endeavor, atx event systems

Lighting up the Austin skyline with Facebook & Redbull – SXSW 2017

This year during SXSW, the management team of one of the most coveted commercial real estate locations in the City of Austin were inspired. They wanted to demonstrate their appreciation for their customers in an auspicious manner, but were faced with a complex dilemma:

How do we host the entire Facebook staff, along with VIP’s and several hundred others, to dance and party with a full complement of production gear which creates a wall of sound and lights that turn the sky into a kaleidoscope? Oh yeah, we almost forgot we must do it all on a shoestring budget.

That’s when the management team decided to call in ATX Event Systems.

More than anything else at ATX Event Systems, we pride ourselves on our resourcefulness. When we got the call, we were asked if it were possible to turn a parking garage into a party rave cave. “Sure,” we said. That’s when we turned it over to one of our executive producers, James Sheeley.

“It was challenging, for sure, but not impossible. The most important thing we had to be sure of was getting the right gear into the hands of the right crew. Sound is tricky in any venue, but we’re talking about a parking garage made of solid concrete. We knew we had our work cut out for us.”

We believe every event is like a football game, and a game plan is only good until kickoff, when it’s time to play. So what happens when the referee blows the whistle to kick the ball an hour before you are schedule to play? In this case the referee was the Fire Marshall, who became very worried about crowd that had gathered on the street. He had no choice but to order the doors open and let in all of the guests an hour early – before the DJ’s and bands arrived to play!

rapper pell, facebook, redbull, atx event systems

Hip Hop artist Pell at SXSW 2017 Facebook / Redbull Event.

No big deal, it’s only 1,000 people, right?

Yeah, right.

“The management team was scrambling and were honestly worried. We had 1,000 people, each of whom were handed a signature cocktail (thank you Red Bull), standing around with no talent on the stage playing. They asked if we could just do a play list, but I didn’t think that would do. That’s when I asked if I could resolve the problem,” explains Sheeley.

Luckily, the ATX Event Systems staff has several seasoned musicians and DJ’s that play regularly in and around Austin. James notified the management team that a very well-regarded DJ was onsite and able to fill the gap. The management team gave James the green light and it was on!  DJ impromptu began spinning and the guests never knew the difference.

It’s worth noting the management team did not ask James Sheeley to resolve the problem. He took the initiative because he knew the management team was in a tight spot. It’s the kind of initiative and responsiveness we have become known for and what ATX Event Systems is built on.

sxsw 2017, facebook, red bull, atx event systemsYou can build your event on the same foundation of responsiveness and execution. If you are looking for a technical partner who can bring your creative vision to life, and at the same time achieve a measurable ROI, look no further than ATX Event Systems. We engineer the human experience.