* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:39] HOW OLD ARE YOU, AUSTIN? [Austin Virgin Atlantic ABIA Launch ] YOU ARE, MY NAME IS VIRGIN ATLANTIC, AND WE ARE SO PROUD TO BE HERE TODAY, ESPECIALLY HAVING OUR FOUNDERS. SO RICHARD BRANSON WITH US, BUT FIRST I REALLY WANT TO START FIRST BY SAYING THAT, UH, YOU HAVE BEEN OUR THOUGHTS AFTER THE TRAGIC EVENTS IN YOU ALL DAY. SO YOU, WE ARE NEXT TO YOU SHOULDER TO SHOULDER WITH ALL THE TRAGIC EVENTS THAT HAPPENED. UM, OH, WE ARE SO HAPPY NOW TO BE HERE. UM, I'M BRING THE VIRGIN FLAIR TO VIRGIN ATLANTA, TO AUSTIN AND ESPECIALLY SHOWCASING WHAT WE ARE HERE FOR IS THIS, THIS IS SO IMPORTANT MOMENT FOR US BECAUSE WE HAVE NOT OPENED THE NEW US DESTINATION SINCE 2017 IS A LONG TIME, BUT US HAS ALWAYS BEEN OUR HEARTLAND EVER SINCE THE AIRLINE WAS LAUNCHED BY RICHARD BACK IN 1984 POINTS, NEW YORK, WE'VE BEEN SO PROUD OF THE STORY, AND WE'RE STILL PROUD TO BE FINALLY IN AUSTIN, UH, AND ESPECIALLY FEELING THE BIBLE HORST IN WHICH IS SO UNIQUE. AND THERE'S SO MANY LINKS TO THE SPIRIT OF RICHARD AND THE WHOLE VIRGIN FLAIR. WHAT IS ALSO IMPORTANT THAT WE SEE THE WHOLE DEVELOPMENT OF, OF AUSTIN AND TEXAS WITHIN US EVER SINCE DEGREE, THE COVID PANDEMIC, ESPECIALLY THE MOVE OF BUSINESSES IN TOSSED IN THE CRATE BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE SEE GOING FORWARD, REALLY IN THAT CONNECTIVITY BETWEEN THE POST IN LONDON IS A HUGE OPPORTUNITY FOR US, OR WE WANT TO BRING YOU THE BEST OF THE SERVICE THAT VIRGIN ATLANTIC CAN OFFER. THE GREAT THING IS AS WELL, THAT'S AUSTIN, IT'S EXCITING CITY AS A DESTINATION. WOULD YOU BELIEVE THAT THERE'S A HUGE OPPORTUNITY FROM THE UK BRINGING IN TOURISTS, PEOPLE VISITING THE CITY AND THE SURROUNDING AREAS, THE LIVE MUSIC SCENE, THE ARTS, THE FOODIE SCENE. WE'VE ONLY SEEN THE SMALLER CAPES CLAIMS OF IT SO FAR, BUT IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS, ESPECIALLY WITHOUT LONDON GUESTS, THERE'S A HUGE INTEREST TO SEE WHAT THE CITY HAS TO OFFER. WE ALSO PROBABLY PART OF THE BIG $13 BILLION TRANSATLANTIC JOINT VENTURE TOGETHER WITH DELTA AND THEN FRANCE KLM. AND THAT GIVES US EVEN MORE CONFIDENCE TO LAUNCH THE ROUTES. AS DELTA ALREADY OFFERS 10 CDS OUT OF AUSTIN AROUND THE U S THE U S AND, AND OUR PARTNER KLM SINCE A FEW MONTHS AGO, LAUNCHED A DIRECT ROUTES TO AMSTERDAM. SO URGENTLY, TICK KLM, AIR FRANCE, AND DELTA IS A HUGE OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO OFFER THE BEST CONNECTIVITY, THE BEST SERVICE IN THE SPICE. WHAT IS ALSO IMPORTANT THOUGH? I WANTED TO JOEL'S OR THAT'S A BIT OF A BREAK AND USE WETSUIT DAY IS THAT WE HAVE NOW DECIDED TO LAUNCH DAILY FLIGHTS. AS OF NEXT SPRING, WE CURRENTLY FLY FOUR TIMES A WEEK. WE SEE THE FLIGHTS GETTING FULL. SO WE HAVE ALREADY NOW DECIDED THAT WE WILL BE FLYING TO AUSTIN ON A DAILY BASIS AS AN EXTREME. THERE'S ALWAYS AN ANSWER TODAY. THEY WERE GOING DOWN TO SIX. SO I THINK WE JUST NEED TO DO A BIT MORE ACTIVITIES TO MAKE SURE THEY GO DOWN EVEN MORE BECAUSE THE THING IS VIRGIN ATLANTIC WAS CREATED TO BRING COMPETITION. WE LOVE THE CHALLENGE. WE LOVE COMPETITION. THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE FOR. UH, AND WE LOVE TO BRING THAT COMPETITION BACK TO AUSTIN AS WELL. SO WE ARE ABSOLUTELY DELIGHTED TO BE HERE. UH, WE DO ASK EVERYONE WHO HASN'T FLOWN VIRGIN ATLANTIC. WE NEED TO, TO MANAGE, TO CONVINCE YOU TO FLY TO LONDON, TRY OUR SERVICE. WE HAVE THE BEST SERVICE ON THE SKIES. WE ARE HERE FOR YOU. WE ARE HERE FOR ALL PEOPLE, SO PLEASE TRY VIRGIN ATLANTIC AS SOON AS YOU CAN. BUT BEFORE I HAND OVER TO REACH IT, I REALLY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ALSO BRING MORE NEWS DATA TO THIS YEAR. WE WE'RE LAUNCHING OUR BRAND NEW AIRCRAFT SITE, UM, A 3 3900 IN ONLY A COUPLE OF MONTHS TIME. SO WE'LL BE LAUNCHING THAT AIRCRAFT, THE SOLDIERS. SO THEY WILL BE EXCITING STUFF HAPPENING WITH THAT WHEN YOU'RE CAMPING DESIGN, UH, WHAT'S THE SPACE, THIS QUITE EXCITING NEWS COMING OUT FROM VIRGIN ATLANTIC VERY SOON. BUT THANK YOU. UM, WELL, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR COMING. I'M SORRY THAT IT TOOK, TOOK YOU AWHILE TO GET HERE. UM, UH, AND I THINK EVERY, EVERY AIRPORT IN THE WORLD, UH, RIGHT NOW SEEMS TO [00:05:01] BE HAVING THEIR FAIR SHARE OF TEETHING PROBLEMS, BUT ANYWAY, GREAT, GREAT TO HAVE YOUR CARE. UM, Y Y AUSTIN, UM, UH, I THINK IT'S, IT'S MADE FOR VIRGIN. UM, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE MANY, MANY ENTREPRENEURIAL COMPANIES, UH, IN, IN AUSTIN. UM, I'VE BEEN HEARING SPOKEN ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS, UM, TO, YOU KNOW, TO, UM, LARGE GROUPS OF ENTREPRENEURS FROM AUSTIN. UM, UH, LONDON IS EQUALLY ENTREPRENEURIAL, UM, AND, UH, AND I THINK VIRGIN IS THE KIND OF AIRLINE THAT PEOPLE FROM AUSTIN WILL ENJOY FLYING. UM, I WAS TALKING EARLIER WITH SOMEBODY AND REMINDED ME THAT, YOU KNOW, IT WAS 38 YEARS AGO THAT WE STARTED WITH, UH, ONE PLANE AGAINST A PAN-AM, UH, TWA WITH, UH, 250 PLANES EACH, UM, UM, UH, OUR FLORIDA, UH, BRITISH AIRWAYS, PEOPLE EXPRESS, ET CETERA. UM, AND, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE FOR AN AIRLINE WITH ONE PLANE TO COMPETE WITH THESE, YOU KNOW, THESE ENORMOUS JOBS, BUT BECAUSE THE TEAM AT VIRGIN GOT THE PRODUCT, RIGHT. UM, BECAUSE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT FANTASTIC PEOPLE WORKING FOR VIRGIN, UM, YOU KNOW, 38 YEARS LATER, YOU'RE, TWN PAN-AM AND NO LONGER, UM, VIRGIN IT'S STILL GOING REALLY STRONG. UH, THERE WERE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO WROTE, WROTE YOURSELF, UM, SORTING COVID, UM, THE TEAM DID EFFICIENTLY, UM, WE'RE BACK, BACK AND STRONGER THAN EVER. UM, AND THEN, AND GROWING AGAIN, WHICH IS A REAL ATTRIBUTE TO ALL OUR STAFF. UM, AND THAT THAT'S, THAT WAS WITHOUT SORT OF THE GOVERNMENT GOVERNMENT MONIES THAT MOST AIRLINES, UM, OWNERS TO A HUNDRED, SHE GETS. UM, SO ANYWAY, IT'S A TIME TO CELEBRATE AND IT'S AN CELEBRATING TO, TO COME TO AUSTIN, UH, THOSE FACTORS OF OVER 75% ON THE AUSTIN ROUTE, UH, WHICH IS TREMENDOUS FOR, THROUGH A NEW ROUTE. UM, AND THAT'S WHY WE COULD HAVE THE CONFIDENCE TO TALK TO ANNOUNCE THAT WE'RE GETTING DAILY. AND THEN I REALLY WANTED TO THANK OUR PARTNERS HERE ON STAGE AS WELL. WE WOULDN'T BE HERE WITHOUT THE PARTNERSHIP THAT WE ALREADY HAVE BUILT IN A VERY SHORT TIME WITH AUSTIN OR SOME AIRPORT, AND OBVIOUSLY WITH THE CITY OF CITY OF AUSTIN. SO BIG, THANK YOU OR PARTNERS TO BEING HERE AND OBVIOUSLY DELTA OR WHERE OUR HOME AND A SHAREHOLDER HERE IN THE U S IT'S BEEN AN ANIMAL JOURNEY OR ORIENTATE. AND WE'RE JUST LOOKING FORWARD TO BEING THAT PARTNERSHIP TOGETHER WITH YOU GOING FORWARD. WE JUST BEGAN BY, THANKS, RICHARD, WELCOME HOME. UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE ARE A LOT OF SIMILARITIES AND TIE BETWEEN THE BRAND OF A VIRGIN IN THIS CITY. UH, ENTREPRENEURIAL INNOVATIVE, UH, EXCITING CURRENT. UH, THIS IS REALLY EXCITING FOR OUR CITY, YOU KNOW, IS AIRPORT OPENED. THERE WERE ABOUT 6 MILLION PASSENGERS. UH, WE'RE NOW AT A PLACE WHERE WE HAVE 22 MILLION, ABOUT 22 MILLION PASSENGERS. UH, IT'S GROWN, UH, THE NUMBERS, THIS AIRPORT, UH, HAVE ALREADY ECLIPSED THE NUMBERS WE WERE HAVING PRE COVID. SO WE'VE COME BACK INCREDIBLY QUICKLY. UH, WHAT WITH THIS AIRPORT REPRESENTS FOR A CITY LIKE AUSTIN, THAT IS THE FASTEST GROWING LARGE METROPOLITAN AREA IN THIS COUNTRY AND HAS BEEN FOR THE LAST 10 YEARS, OR NOW THE 10TH OR 11TH LARGEST CITY IN THE COUNTRY IS, IS THE, THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT, UH, THIS GROWTH AND THIS, UH, OPEN DOOR TO THE REST OF THE WORLD OFFERS TO THE PEOPLE WHO, WHO LIVE HERE. UH, AND THAT'S WHAT THESE INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS REPRESENT A REAL EXCITED TO HAVE A CONNECTION TO, TO, TO LONDON. I THINK ESPECIALLY, UH, WHEN ONE OF OUR SISTER CITIES, UH, IS THE BOROUGH OF HACKNEY, UH, AND PARTLY BECAUSE THE SHARED INTERVIEWS, IT'S A, IT'S A, IT'S A SISTER CITY RELATIONSHIP. UH, SO WE ONLY HAVE 13 IN THE WORLD, UH, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE 13 AND IT, AND IT GREW, IT'S ONE OF OUR MOST RECENT SISTER CITIES. UH, AND IT WAS BECAUSE OF THE TIDES TO TAKE INNOVATION, TO DO TECHNOLOGIES. UH, I WAS THERE NOT TOO LONG AGO AND WAS ABLE TO SEE THE SIMILARITIES THAT THE NEW PLAYS ON RETAIL, THE NEW PLAYS ON ENTERTAINMENT, THE IT'S, IT'S THE MUSIC THAT YOU HAVE. AND HOW CAN YOU ALSO HEAR, AND WE CALL OURSELVES THE, ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE LIVE MUSIC CAPITALS OF THE WORLD. I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG THE MEDIA GETS TO BE HERE, BUT PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOU, IF YOU CAN TONIGHT HEAD OUT AND LISTEN TO SOME MUSIC AND TOMORROW MORNING, MAKE SURE YOU GET SOME BREAKFAST TACOS THE BEST IN THE WORLD HERE. DON'T BELIEVE THAT I TOLD YOU THEY LIE, UH, FOR BREAKFAST TACOS, [00:10:01] YOU HAVE YOUR DOWNTOWN. I WOULD GO TO THE, TO THE LINE HOTEL, UH, VERA CRUZ, UH, AND GUY WOULD GET THE BIGGEST TACO, BUT DON'T TELL ANYBODY. I SAID THAT BECAUSE I'M THE BEARER OF ALL THE BREAKFAST TIME. WE'RE JUST REALLY EXCITED THIS, THIS, THIS AIRPORT, THIS ROUTE JUST OPENS UP THE WORLD TO OUR CHILDREN AND TO THE RESIDENTS OF OUR COMMUNITY. SO AGAIN, SO RICHARD WELCOME HOME. WELL, THANKS YOU ON, THANKS, RICHARD. AND THEN THERE, UM, IT'S, IT'S A VERY EXCITING MOMENT. UH, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THAT, UH, OPENING A NEW ROUTE AND CONNECTING TWO AMAZING CITIES IN ALL THE LONDON VIBRANT AND THE LARGEST BUSINESS AND ALL CITY IN THE WORLD, AND YOU CONNECT THIS WITH AUSTIN AND IS THE FASTEST GROWING TECHNOLOGY HUB IN THE WORLD IS IT'S AMAZING. IT'S, UH, IT'S A GREAT MILESTONE, BUT IT'S ALSO VERY EXCITING FOR US AND AT DELTA BECAUSE THIS YEAR MARKS THE 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH VIRGIN. AND, UH, IT HAS BEEN A GREAT PARTNERSHIP AND TOGETHER, UH, WE HAVE DEVELOPED, YOU KNOW, THE, THE BEST CONNECTIVITY BETWEEN THE UK AND THE US. UH, WE HAVE EXPENDED OUR INTERNATIONAL NETWORK. UM, WE HAVE, WE OFFER MORE PREMIUM PRODUCTS, MORE BETTER SERVICE TO OUR CUSTOMERS, SO THEY CAN REALLY EXPERIENCE WHAT IT MEANS, FLYING TO WHAT FLYING ON VIRGIN WINGS ARE FLYING ON. DELTA IS WINE, AND THAT IS, UH, THAT IS A BIG DEAL. SO, UM, WHEN YOU LOOK IN AUSTIN IS THIS IS FOR US A VERY IMPORTANT FOCUS CITY. WE HAVE OUR OWN DEDICATED AND BEAUTIFUL SKY SKY CLUB. IF YOU HAVE A CHANCE, YOU SHOULD GO SEE THAT. AND THIS IS AN OLD, JUST BEAUTIFUL ONE OF THE BUSINESSES AT, UH, THAT WE HAVE, UH, WE HAVE OUR DEDICATED DELTA, A TEAM ON THE GROUND. GREAT, GREAT PEOPLE. AND WE'VE KNOWN FOR A LONG TIME THAT LIKE AUSTIN IS A GREAT CITY AND IT'S FAST GROWING. UM, YOU'VE GOT AN ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT AIR THAT IS LIKE SECOND TO NONE. AND YOU HAVE, UM, YOU HAVE, IT'S, IT'S FAST GROWING. IT'S FOCUSED ON TECHNOLOGY. AND AS THE MAYOR SAID, YOU KNOW, THIS IS, YOU KNOW, LIFE AND MUSIC CAPITAL OF THE WORLD. SO THIS IS IT'S EXCITING. YOU'VE GOT A NICE BLEND OF CULTURE AND, AND, UH, AND BUSINESS EXACTLY WHAT YOU SEE IN LONDON. SO WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THAT, I MEAN, IT WILL CREATE A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE MOVING FORWARD TO MOVE, TRAVEL BACK AND FORTH. SO ALL OF THIS IS, UH, IS VERY, A VERY EXCITING, YOU KNOW, MY, UH, MY FRIEND, YOU KNOW, MY COLLEAGUE IS FROM AUSTIN AND IS SOMEWHERE IN THE AUDIENCE. AND HE TOLD ME WHEN WE COME TO AUSTIN, IT'S VERY TOUGH TO LEAVE. I SAID, YES, EXCEPT ON VIRGIN WINGS. SO THAT IS THAT, THAT IS THE WAY TO GO. SO, UH, IT'S VERY EXCITING. I'M SUPER EXCITED TO BE HERE. AND I LOOK FORWARD, UH, MR. MAYOR TO GO AND TOUR THE CITY. I'VE BEEN HERE A FEW YEARS AGO AND I WAS ALREADY WAS VERY COOL. AND, UH, LISTENING TO ALL MY COLLEAGUES AND SAW LIKE EVEN BETTER TODAY, SOME PEOPLE TOLD ME, HEY, WE'VE GOT TO GO TO AMY'S ICE CREAM. THAT IS THE BASE THROUGH TO GO. SO FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE OUT OF TOWN, AND SOMEBODY TOLD ME THAT RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET, THAT THERE WAS NO JENNY'S ICE CREAM. SO IT'S GOING TO BE A LONG EVENING BETWEEN THE MUSIC AND THE ICE CREAM. I THINK WE GET TO REVISIT SPEEDING VERY, VERY WELL. SO OPRAH'S GOING TO BE ABLE TO ENJOY THE CELEBRATIONS. WHAT ELSE? NO. OVER THE NEXT, LIKE TWO DAYS AND VERY HAPPY TO BE HERE, PROUD, YOU KNOW, OF OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH VIRGIN. THIS IS A FABULOUS AND ALL FABULOUS AIRLINE, A POWERFUL BRAND AND GREAT PRODUCTS. AND I'M SURE YOU'RE GOING TO ENJOY IT FOR MANY YEARS TO COME AND THANK YOU FOR THE PARTNERSHIP. SO, UH, I'M SITTING IN FOR OUR CEO TODAY. MY NAME IS MOOKY PATEL AND THE CHIEF OF BUSINESS AND FINANCE. AND AS A DUAL PASSPORT HOLDER, I AM EXTREMELY PROUD, EXTREMELY HAPPY TO HAVE YOU, UH, SERVICE FROM MY FIRST HOME TO MY SECOND HOME. UM, AUSTIN HAS, HAS GROWN ON ME REALLY QUICKLY, BUT, UH, TO BE HONEST, THIS, AS THE MAYOR MENTIONED, WE'LL PROCESS 22 MILLION PASSENGERS THIS YEAR. IT'S A SIGNIFICANT GROWTH. WE'VE WELCOMED BACK, UH, THREE INTERNATIONAL ROUTES THIS YEAR. [00:15:01] UM, WE WERE CONNECTING ALMOST 15% OF OUR TRAFFIC NOW, WHICH WAS UNHEARD OF PRE COVID, AND WE'VE GOT ALMOST 30% INCREASE IN SEAT ACTIVITY, UH, SINCE COVID HAPPENED. SO A 30% INCREASE IN JUST PASSENGER TRAFFIC IS VERY ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE METRICS OF THE IN MIGRATION THAT WE'VE SEEN IN OUR COMMUNITY, UH, THE LEVEL AND THE DISPENSE CITY AT THE PROPENSITY OF PEOPLE TO TRAVEL, UH, DISPOSABLE INCOME. UM, WE'RE REALLY PROUD THAT THAT VIRGIN HAS CHOSEN, UH, AUSTIN AS THEIR FIRST TEXAS. UH NON-STOP AND, UH, WE'LL MAKE YOU PROUD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. DISTINGUISHED BOY BANDS OVER THERE AND ALL OF THE CREW HERE WITH MIKE. SO IF YOU'VE GOT A QUESTION, PUT YOUR HAND UP AND JUST LET THEM HANDLE YOUR QUESTIONS FOR, AND WHO YOU'RE WRITING FOR, WHO'S GOING TO GO FOR THAT. HELLO, REESE JONES HAS POINTS. UM, YOU, YOU SAY, BUT AUSTIN'S A BIG GROWING CITY, WHICH IS FANTASTIC. HOW HAS THE AIRPORT GROWING TO ACCOMMODATE THAT? AND WILL YOU BUILD ANY MORE BAGGAGE CAROUSELS FOR INTERNATIONAL? WELL, WE CURRENTLY HAVE A $4 BILLION CAPITAL PROGRAM THAT WILL TAKE US ABOUT 10 YEARS TO COMPLETE. UM, BUT AS WE'VE SEEN THE, THE RECOVERY OF INTERNATIONAL TRAFFIC AND THE GROWTH, UM, THERE ARE PLANS. SO WE'LL BE ON THAT. IT ALMOST DOUBLES THE SIZE OF THE TERMINAL STATES. HOW YOU ON THE CITY OF A MIRROR IMAGE B UH, ADDED UH, REBECCA FROM TRAVEL WEEKLY, A QUESTION FOR RICHARD, I JUST WANT TO KNOW WHAT YOU THOUGHT OF THE RECENT KIND OF PRESSES AND FROM THE GOVERNMENT, WAS THE AIRLINE SET OFF DIFFERENT DELAYS AND CANCELLATIONS? WE SAW RECENTLY, I WAS, UM, VERY PLEASED THAT, UH, FOR ONCE THE VIRGIN ATLANTIC WASN'T MENTIONED, UM, AND, UM, AND I THINK WITH THAT, IT WAS, IT'S BEEN INCREDIBLE THAT VIRGIN HAVE MANAGED TO GET PRETTY WELL ALL THEIR FLIGHTS AWAY. UM, AND, UH, AND THAT IS A BIG TRIBUTE TO THE STAFF AGAIN FOR ATTRACTING, UH, UM, INCREDIBLE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE WHO WANT TO WORK FOR VIRGIN. UM, AND, UH, AND, UH, AND I, YOU KNOW, I GENUINELY BELIEVE THAT PEOPLE WHO WANT JOBS SEEM TO COME TO VIRGIN FIRST AND, AND OBVIOUSLY THEY HAVEN'T, HAVEN'T BEEN ENOUGH, ENOUGH PEOPLE QUEUING UP THE BA. AND SO I SAID, GREAT, GREAT, GREAT KUDOS TO THE TEAM. UM, UH, IF I, IF I WOULD GO, I WOULD GO FURTHER, BUT I'LL LET THE AIRLINES DEFEND THEMSELVES. UH, AND, UH, I THINK THERE'S, UH, YOU KNOW, THIS AS, AS ALWAYS, THERE'S OFTEN TWO SIDES TO THE STORY, BUT, UM, I'M VERY, VERY PLEASED THAT VIRGIN ATLANTIC , UM, THIS IS MIKI NICK REP, I'M WORKING FOR THE DAILY MAIL. UM, I JUST, YOU MENTIONED 22 MILLION PASSENGERS AND THE PERCENTAGE OF THOSE THAT WOULD BE LEISURE. THAT WOULD BE HOW MANY, UH, I WILL GET YOU THAT FACT AFTERWARD ON HERE. I'D LIKE TO, I'D LIKE TO KNOW, BECAUSE I'M INTERESTED TO KNOW, YOU KNOW, TO WHAT EXTENT IS A BUSINESS DESTINATION. I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHY PEOPLE WOULD COME HERE FROM THE UK FOR LIKE A HOLIDAY. YES. I THINK THE AMERICAN TOUCH ON THIS A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN I CAN ON IN TERMS OF W WE ARE STRONGLY KNOWN WORLDWIDE AS A, AS A TECH MANUFACTURING HUB, UH, DELL, TEXAS INSTRUMENTS, UH, APPLE HAS A BIG MANUFACTURING FACILITY HERE. WE'VE GOT SEMICONDUCTORS AND CHIP CHIP MANUFACTURING HERE AND THERE. UM, AND SO IT'S NOT THE SILICON VALLEY SOFTWARE TECH, BUT I BELIEVE IT'S MANUFACTURING TECH THAT THAT'S A BIG DRAW, UH, FOR POSITIONS HERE, UM, IN TERMS OF, UH, BUSINESS TRAVEL. I THINK THAT AS WE S AS WE SURVEY OUR AIRLINES DOMESTICALLY, WE WE'VE HEARD, UH, FROM QUARTERLY REPORTS AND EARNINGS REPORTS THAT ABOUT 50% OF BUSINESS TRAVEL HAS RETURNED. UM, I THINK THAT THAT MAKES BE SKEWED FOR OUR COMMUNITY. UH, WE'VE SEEN SOME, A LOT OF IN MIGRATION IN THIS COMMUNITY DURING COVID, UH, PEOPLE HAVE MOVED HERE FOR REMOTE POSITIONS, UM, AND THE RELOCATIONS THAT, THAT THE CITY HAS STEERED WITH THE RELOCATION AS WELL WITH THE RELOCATION OF TESLA'S HEADQUARTERS WITH ORACLE RELOCATING HERE. [00:20:01] UM, AND THEN ALL OF THE TECH GIANTS THAT ARE TAKING STRONG PRESENCE IN OUR DOWNTOWN CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT. UM, THE TRAJECTORY OF GROWTH FOR THE NEXT DECADE IS VERY PROMISING, RIGHT? IF I ALSO, I'M SORRY. I WAS, I WAS ALSO GOING TO SAY FOR SURE, I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S, THERE'S LIKE A VERY STRONG BUSINESS COMMUNITY, OR, AND IT'S DRAWING AND POINT OF SALE US IS VERY STRONG TO YOUR POINT, BUT WE ALSO BRING A LOT OF CONNECTIVITY BEYOND AUSTIN. SO WE HAVE TRULY ONE FLIGHT A DAY AT DELTA, AND WE'RE CONNECTING IT AS YOU HAVE SAID TO 10 CITIES WHERE WE DO LIKE ALL OUR KEY, UH, US, UH, OBS. SO ATLANTA AND MINNEAPOLIS AND DETROIT, WE DO ALSO, UH, OUR COASTAL PUBS DO BOSTON, NEW YORK LA. AND THEN WE HAVE AN OLDER CITIES THAT KIND OF HAVE SOME TOTAL. WE CONNECT, YOU KNOW, TWO 10 AND SAY WITH 31 FLIGHT, 80 FLIGHTS, AND YOUR QUESTION ABOUT WHY WOULD SOMEONE WANT TO COME ON A HOLIDAY? NASHVILLE IS REALLY WELL-KNOWN IN THE UK, BUT WHEN I SAW THIS COMING HERE, PEOPLE WOULD AUSTIN, WHY WOULD YOU GO? CAUSE I WRITE LIKE LEGEND TRAVEL OBSTACLES. WELL, YOU KNOW, I, FOR THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THIS COUNTRY, THIS IS ONE OF THE TOP DESTINATIONS QUALITY OF ANY CITY. AND THERE ARE A LOT OF REASONS FOR THAT. UH, THE, WHERE WE ARE REALLY THE, THE LIVE MUSIC CAPITAL, UH, THERE ARE MORE VENUES PLAYING REALLY GOOD LIVE MUSIC CLUBS AND THE LIKE, UH, AND THEN ANY OTHER CITY IN THE COUNTRY FOR THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE, IT'S A VERY CONSCIOUS CHOICE. SO THERE ARE NATIONAL ACTS THAT ARE APPLYING IN NASHVILLE AND THERE'S 30 GRAND OLD OPRY. THAT IS NOT A SCENE TO WHICH AUSTIN INSPIRES. WE HAVE PHENOMENAL MUSICIANS THAT ARE PLAYING IN CLUBS. THIS IS A COLLECTION OF ECLECTIC MUSIC. UM, MUSICIANS COME HERE TO, TO, TO INVENT MUSIC, WILLIE NELSON MOVED TO AUSTIN TO INVENT, TO REINVENT COUNTRY MUSIC AND THE PEOPLE WHO LIVED SORRY. YES, YES. BUT THE FACT IS THAT THEY CAME HERE TO, TO, TO RE-IMAGINE A MUSIC TO REIMAGINE WHO LISTENS TO, TO THAT MUSIC BEYOND THAT. THIS IS AN ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS CITY, THE WHOLE COUNTRY. UH, SO WE HAVE THE RIVER THAT RUNS THROUGH DOWNTOWN THERE'S, UM, A NATURAL SPRING THAT IS THE MUNICIPAL SWIMMING HOLE. SO IT'S A NATURAL, AND IT'S IN THE CITY OF A MILLION PEOPLE. IT'S, IT'S A NATURAL BOTTOM SWIMMING HOLE, THE WHOLE COUNTRY, AS YOU MOVE FURTHER TO THE, TO THE WEST, THE BARBECUE AND THE FOOD SCENE IN THIS CITY IS, IS, IS PHENOMENAL. UH, UH, WE'RE REALLY OUTSIDE EITHER BEING THE 10TH OR 11TH LARGEST CITY. UH, THERE'S. IT IS THE NUMBER ONE DESTINATION RIGHT NOW FOR BACHELOR AND BACHELORETTE PARTIES. THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY THE PRIZE WE WERE ASPIRING, BUT WHAT IT DOES TELL YOU IS THAT THIS IS THE LOCATION OF CHOICE. I WOULD HAVE PEOPLE THAT ARE YOUNG THAT ARE THE INNOVATORS AND THE CREATORS. THIS IS THE COOL PLACE IN THE COUNTRY RIGHT NOW. AND NOT BECAUSE WE'VE SOUGHT TO BE THAT, BUT BECAUSE THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE SELF-SELECTED TO LIVE IN THIS CITY ARE OF A CERTAIN, UH, CULTURE, A CERTAIN MINDSET. UM, AND YOU KNOW, IT'S THE REASON THAT I COME IN, I GREW UP IN WASHINGTON, DC. I WENT TO COLLEGE, UH, PRINCETON OUTSIDE OF NEW YORK. I CAME DOWN TO LAW SCHOOL YEAR BECAUSE IT WAS THE CHEAPEST LAW SCHOOL IN THE COUNTRY WITH NO INTENTION OF STAYING, BUT LIKE SO MANY PEOPLE, UH, I NEVER, I NEVER LEFT, UH, IN THE FRONT OF THE REASONS WHY THE CITIES GROW. THERE'S A DIFFERENT CULTURE AND FEEL IN THIS CITY THAN, THAN REALLY ANY CITY IN THE COUNTRY. AND I WOULD SAY THAT THEIR TOLERANCE FOR TAKING RISKS IN THIS CITY IS UNLIKE ANY OTHER CITY IN THE WORLD, IN MOST OF THE CITIES OF THE WORLD. IF YOU TAKE A RISK AND YOU FAIL, YOU GET PUNISHED HARDER TO GET CAPITAL HARDER, TO GET BACK INTO ROOMS IN THIS CITY IT'S ENCOURAGED. SO THE WATCH PHRASE IN THIS CITY, YOU CAN GET ON A T-SHIRT OR A MUG IS KEEP AUSTIN WEIRD. AND WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT IT IS NOT ONLY OKAY, BUT ENCOURAGED TO BE DIFFERENT, TO THINK DIFFERENTLY, BUT TO TRY NEW THINGS. AND I SAY THE, THAT ACTUALLY DOES THAT AND ENCOURAGES THAT HAS A VERY DIFFERENT CULTURAL FEEL. [00:25:01] AND THAT'S WHY PEOPLE ARE LIKE, I BECAME SUCH A LIBERAL. I DIDN'T HAVE, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, IT'S INTERESTING, UH, THE GROWTH RATE THAT WE HAVE A POPULATION THAT'S DOUBLING IN OUR METROPOLITAN AREA, EVERY 20 TO 25 YEARS IS PRETTY EXTREME UNLESS YOU'RE IN CHINA. UM, BUT THAT GROWTH RATE, WHICH IS GEOMETRIC, THAT WE'RE HAVING HERE TODAY HAS BEEN CONSTANT SINCE 1850. SO IT HAS BEEN A LINEAR GROWTH, CONSTANT GROWTH, UH, FOR 170 YEARS. SO I THINK THERE'S SOMETHING IN THE WATER HERE, SOMETHING IN THE AIR THAT, THAT DIFFERENTIATES IT. I THINK IT BECOMES SOMETHING THAT IS, IS SCREEN. UM, WE SHALL SET THAT AS A TARGET BY THE TIME WE FLY BACK ON FRIDAY EVENING, YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHY YOU SHOULD COME HERE. BACHELOR BACHELORETTE PARTIES REMINDER REMINDS ME THAT, UM, WE, WE ONCE, UH, LAUNCHED A COMPANY CALLED VIRGIN BRIDES. WE SOON REALIZED THERE WEREN'T ANY, AND WE CLOSED THE COMPANY DOWN OR IT WAS THE PATH THAT I SHAVED FOR MY WEDDING DRESS ON THE MOON, AUSTIN, AUSTIN. UM, ONE THING THAT YOU MENTIONED IS THAT YOU GUYS LIKE COMPETITION AND A BIG NAME THAT HAS CALLED AUSTIN HOME IS COME ON MUSK. DO YOU GUYS PLAN TO EXPAND BUSINESS IN THE WAY THAT HE HAS RECENTLY IN THE WAY THAT HE DOES? UM, UH, WE, WE, WE DO COMPETE WITH THE LORD IN FRONT OF THREE AREAS, UM, UH, IN A SMALL WAY. UM, UM, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, DO WE WANT TO COMPETE, UH, FURTHER HERE IN OTHER SECTORS OR IN OTHER? UM, I THINK BOTH OF US ARE VERY, UH, INQUISITIVE. AND IF, IF, UM, IF WE SEE IT, AH, IF WE SEE SOMETHING'S NOT BEING DONE WELL BY SOMEBODY, OR SOMEBODY COMES ALONG WITH A GREAT IDEA, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK BOTH OF US WOULD JUST SAY, SCREW IT, LET'S GIVE IT A GO, LET'S TRY IT. UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, IF ANYBODY OUT THERE HAS GOT A GREAT IDEA FOR AUSTIN, IT FEELS KNOCKING DONE WELL BY OTHER PEOPLE. AND THEY FEEL THAT VIRGIN, OR, YOU KNOW, COULD, COULD LEND A HAND WHERE WE'RE ALWAYS OPEN, OPEN TO NEW IDEAS. UM, AND SO, UM, NOTHING SPECIFIC TODAY, BUT, UM, I THINK I'M MEETING A BUNCH OF ENTREPRENEURS IN THE MORNING AND MAYBE BY THE EVENING, WE'LL SEE UM, DAVID WILLIAMS FROM THE SUN UK. UM, I JUST WANT TO PICK UP, MY COLLEAGUE WAS SAYING THE DAILY MAIL IS THE BIT THAT INTERESTS ME ABOUT HOW YOU TRYING TO TURN THIS CITY INTO SOME WEB, WHICH IS RELATIVELY UNKNOWN TO PEOPLE BACK IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, INTO A PIG HOLIDAY DUST DESTINATION. I MEAN, IF YOU THINK OF IT COMING TO USA FOR A HOLIDAY FROM THE UK, YOU THINK FIRST OF MAYBE FLORIDA OR CALIFORNIA, OR POSSIBLY CITY TRIP IN NEW YORK, HOW ARE YOU GOING TO TAKE ON THOSE BIG GUYS? AND WHAT IS IT THAT YOU HAVE THAT WILL, WILL MAKE YOU GET YOU INTO THE PUBLIC CONSCIOUSNESS? I MEAN, FOR INSTANCE, YOU MENTIONED, UH, BACHELOR PARTIES, HOW CAN YOU APPEAL TO FAMILIES OR COUPLES? WHAT HAVE YOU GOT TO OFFER THOSE SORTS OF PEOPLE AND HOW, HOW ARE YOU GOING TO DO YOU PREDICT THAT YOU CAN BE FIGHTING WITH THOSE OTHER WELL-KNOWN, UM, BIG DESTINATIONS, UH, IN THE YEARS? I THINK, I THINK WE'LL DO FINE. AND, BUT THEY'VE BEEN STOPPED BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO, UM, YOU KNOW, IN THIS CITY, I THINK PEOPLE ARE REALLY COMFORTABLE WITH WHO THEY ARE AND, AND WHERE THEY ARE. AND I THINK THAT ALMOST ENDED UP URGENTLY ATTRACTS OTHER PEOPLE THE SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST, UH, TECHNOLOGY, UM, UH, FESTIVAL, WHICH IS A FILM FESTIVAL AND A MUSIC FESTIVAL. AND RIGHT NOW PROBABLY THE, THE, THE LEADING, UH, FESTIVAL IN THE WORLD THEY'RE GOING TO DO WITH TECHNOLOGY AND IDEAS, UH, HAPPENS IN THIS CITY AND BRINGS IN 300, 350,000 PEOPLE. UH, MOST OF WHOM ARE NOT HERE FOR BUSINESS REASONS. WE HAVE A MUSIC FESTIVALS, AUSTIN CITY LIMITS, UM, F1 MADE IT THROUGH RETURN TO THE UNITED STATES AND THEY CHOSE TO DO THAT IN AUSTIN. AND HE'S BEEN SO SUCCESSFUL NOW THAT THERE ARE MULTIPLE F1, UM, UH, LOCATIONS THAT ARE, THAT ARE, THAT ARE OPENING UP. [00:30:01] AUSTIN IS NOT A VERY, UH, IT'S A, IT'S NOT A CITY THAT, THAT, LIKE SOME OF THE OTHER CITIES THAT YOU MENTIONED ARE HER OUTDOOR AGGRESSIVELY TRYING TO ATTRACT PEOPLE. AND I THINK THAT'S PART OF THE REASON WHY PEOPLE WANT TO, WHY PEOPLE WANT TO, PEOPLE WANT TO BE HERE. UM, I MEAN, I I'VE MET ALREADY TODAY. PEOPLE WHO LIVED IN CALIFORNIA, UH, ANYWAY, WHO CAME HERE AND IN LOVE WITH THE PACE THAT JUST MOVED HERE. UM, AND, UH, AND I THINK THE QUESTIONS ARE VERY FAIR. I THINK YOU JUST NEED TO MAYBE DELAY YOUR TICKET BACK BY A FEW DAYS, AND I'M SURE WE CAN ARRANGE ANOTHER, ANOTHER FLIGHT OR SOMETHING, BUT, UH, I GO AND GO AND YOU HAVE TO DISCOVER IT. AND IT, AND I, I AGREE. IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT THE OBVIOUS THING FOR, UM, THE EMAIL READ A SUMMARY, THIS THING, AUSTIN, I MUST REALLY, I MUST REALLY GO TO AUSTIN. UM, BUT FROM, YOU KNOW, FROM THE FACT THAT WE'VE GOT 75% FACTORS, I MEAN, IT'S JUST UNBELIEVABLE. I MEAN, IT'S NOT BEEN THE MOST SUCCESSFUL YOUR GROUP. YOU'VE GOT A LAUNCHED AND, AND, UH, AND YOU KNOW, PEOPLE, PEOPLE WHO KNOW AUSTIN, UM, COME TO AUSTIN AND THAT WAS, HE BROUGHT, HE BROUGHT SOME PRESS, HE HAD TO COME AND FIND OUT ABOUT THE CITY AND ABOUT IT AND LET PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT IT. I HAD THE LAST CONCERN OF BUSINESS STRUGGLE NEWS. YOUR, UM, CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE NEW PRODUCT COMING ON BOARD? THE 83 39 HUNDREDS OF APPRECIATE MIGHT NOT BE A GOOD WAY TOO MUCH AT THE MOMENT, BUT HOW SIGNIFICANT THAT OVERHAUL MIGHT BE. AND IF IT'S THROUGHOUT THE THREE CABINS AND ALSO WITH ROUTES WHERE WE MIGHT SEE THOSE AIRCRAFT, I MEAN, WE DO NEED TO WAIT A BIT BEFORE WE REVEAL ANY, ANY DETAILS OF THE, OF THE NEW PRODUCT, BUT YES, IT'S GOING TO BE, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE ANY EVENTS PRETTY SOON. UM, WE HAVE THE FIRST AIRCRAFT FLYING IN OCTOBER, UM, AND IT'S GOING TO BE DEFINITELY REVISITING THE GAP ROOMS WE HAVE, OF COURSE, A GREAT PRODUCT ALREADY. WE DO BELIEVE THAT THE FOUNDATIONS ARE ALREADY THERE, BUT WE OBVIOUSLY CONTINUOUSLY EVOLVE AND EVALUATE OUR PRODUCT. WE HAVE A GREAT LAST ALREADY, WHICH WE HAVE IN PLACE IN OUR THREE FIFTIES. WE, OF COURSE ALWAYS CONTINUOUSLY EVALUATING THE PRODUCTS THAT WE HAVE IN THE DESIGN. UM, SO COMMONLY SEEN, OKAY, I'LL GO A BIT ONLY, IT'S ONLY BEEN ABOUT 14 BRAND NEW PLANES WE'VE ORDERED. YES. I CAN SAY THERE'S 14 OF THEM. UM, A, UM, UH, WHICH I THINK ALSO SAYS, SAYS A LOT FOR, YOU KNOW, COMING OUT OF COVID TO ORDER 14 BRAND NEW PLANES AND, UH, ALSO TO INVEST A LOT OF MONEY IN, IN, IN THESE BEAUTIFUL, YOUR CABINS, WHICH YOU WILL SEE, UM, UH, AND, UH, AND AS IMPORTANTLY, UM, THEY WILL KEEP US AS THE, YOU KNOW, THE MOST ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY AIRLINE FLYING. UM, I MEAN, W W W WE'LL HAVE, UH, AN INCREDIBLY YOUNG FLEET AS, AS THESE ALREADY HAVE GOT AN INCREDIBLY YOUNG FLEET, BUT THIS WILL MAKE SURE THAT WE KEEP THAT RECORD OF HAVING AN INCREDIBLY YOUNG FLEET. AND, UM, AND AS, AS ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY FLEET, AS, AS YOU CAN REALLY GET, AND, UM, AND THESE PLANES ARE, UM, VERY ENVIRONMENT ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY. SO, UM, SO, SO JUST BE GOOD IN THE INSIDE, BUT, UH, BACHELOR ON THE OUTSIDE AND HE DOES DESIGNATIONS, MANY OF THEM, THEY GO FLYING TO US. DEFINITELY THE AIRCRAFT TYPE IS IDEAL, ESPECIALLY FOR EAST COAST USA. SO DEFINITELY THE FIRST DESTINATIONS WILL BE IN THE U S EAST COAST. YEAH. HI, I'M HOLLY FIRST STYLIST, WHICH IS A WOMEN'S MAGAZINE IN THE UK. I HAVE A QUESTION FOR MR. MER. UM, IT APPEARS THAT AUSTIN IS PART OF A HUB THAT FEMALE ENTREPRENEURS IN PARTICULAR. CAN YOU TELL ME WHY YOU THINK THAT IS? I THINK, I THINK IT IS. UH, AND, AND I THINK, AGAIN, IT GOES BACK TO THE CULTURE AND THE VALUES OF, OF THE CITY. I THINK THAT, THAT, THAT WOMEN, THAT MINORITIES COME INTO A CITY LIKE AUSTIN AND FIND THAT THERE ARE NOT ARTIFICIAL BARRIERS TO BEING ABLE TO COMPETE, UH, YOU KNOW, OUR, WE, WE TRY TO, TO LEVEL SET THE, THE FIELD FOR, FOR EVERYONE. AND I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE WANT. UH, THE CITIES WHERE THERE ARE BARRIERS AND PROBLEMS. I THINK OUR CITIES THAT, THAT HAVE THOSE INSTITUTIONALS OR ISSUES ARE VERY HISTORICAL ISSUES AND, AND HAVE CHOSEN TO MAINTAIN THEM. UH, THIS IS A CITY THAT HAS AFFIRMATIVELY AND AGGRESSIVELY FOUGHT TO ENSURE THAT EVERYBODY HAS AN EQUAL PLACE AND AN EQUITABLE PLACE. AND THEN I THINK IT BUILDS ON ITSELF. UH, SO AS YOU START DEVELOPING A LARGER NETWORK OF PEOPLE WITH SHARED INTEREST OR SHARED BACKGROUNDS OR SHARED PERSPECTIVE THAT ATTRACTS [00:35:01] MORE AND MORE PEOPLE THAT ARE COMFORTABLE IN THAT ENVIRONMENT DEPARTMENT, BECAUSE THEY'RE COMFORTABLE, OR THEY WANT TO BE ABLE TO ADD CONTRIBUTED, SHOUT OUT FOR THE MAP AND HOW HAS THE CITY ALREADY TESTED AND MAYBE ITS HEADQUARTERS THAT AUSTIN. AND THE SECOND PART OF THAT IS HOW DO YOU THINK WE'LL CHECK THE CITY IS, IS CHANGING IN MANY WAYS, BECAUSE IT'S GROWING SO RAPIDLY AND THERE'S SO MANY THAT ARE COMING. UH, BUT OUR PREFECT, I THINK AUSTIN DOES CHANGE WELL. AND I THINK WE'LL CONTINUE TO CHANGE WELL, AS LONG AS WE DON'T LOSE SIGHT OF WHO WE ARE. AND AS LONG AS WE DON'T LOSE THE PEOPLE THAT MAKE THIS A SPECIAL AND MAGICAL PLACE, AND I'VE BEEN HERE LONG ENOUGH TO REMEMBER THE NEW ENTRANCE INTO THE CITY, THAT PEOPLE WERE VERY SUSPICIOUS OF AND RESISTED AS THEY WERE NEW COMING INTO AUSTIN. UH, ONLY TO FIND THAT TODAY THERE ARE THE INSTITUTIONS THAT IF THEY EVER LEFT PEOPLE WITH FEAR THAT THIS WOULDN'T BE AUSTIN ANYMORE. UM, BUT I THINK YOU HAVE TO BE VERY CONSCIOUS AND DELIBERATE ABOUT GROWING AND PRESERVING WHO YOU ARE. AND I THINK THERE ARE A LOT OF CITIES AROUND THE WORLD AND CERTAINLY IN THIS COUNTRY THAT, THAT WE'RE TRYING TO GO TO SCHOOL SAID, HE SAID, HAVE GROWN GROWN WHEN I PRINT TODAY, BUT THEN I'VE LOST THE PEOPLE THAT ARE OVERTAKEN WITH AFFORDABILITY ISSUES, UH, AND, AND LOSE THE DIVERSITY THAT CREATES THE FRICTION THAT DRIVES THE ART. AUSTIN IS A CITY THAT CREATES ART EVERYWHERE. AND THAT'S BECAUSE WE HAVE ARTISTS IN THE CITY AND WE UNDERSTAND THE VALUE OF MAKING SURE THAT WE DON'T LOSE THE ARTISTS. WE DON'T LOSE THE LIVE MUSIC VENUES, THE SMALL VENUES, WE DON'T, YOU DON'T LOSE THE THINGS THAT MAKE THIS PLACE SPECIAL WHEN I HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO IT AND TO ELON MUSK AND TO OTHERS THAT ARE COMING INTO THEIR CITY. UH, I TRIED TO MEET ON THAT VALUE AND, AND, AND INVITE FOLKS THAT COME INTO OUR CITY, BUT A BIG PART OF WHAT IT IS THAT, THAT MAKES US SPECIAL. UM, AND YOU KNOW, TESLA, YOU ASKED ABOUT IN PARTICULAR, HE'S DOING A PHENOMENAL JOB RIGHT NOW IN CREATING PROGRAMS FOR THE HIGH SCHOOLS IN AND AROUND THE AIRPORT TO, TO, TO REALLY GIVE THE OPPORTUNITIES TO FAMILIES. I'M LIKE ANYTHING THAT THEY SEE BEFORE, AND HE'S NOT ALONE. UH, WHEN, UH, WHEN, UH, AMAZON WAS HAVING A COMPETITION BETWEEN CITIES WHEN THEIR SECOND HEADQUARTERS AND CITIES WERE COMPETING, AUSTIN COMPETED DIFFERENTLY THAN THE OTHERS, BECAUSE WE HAD A LIST OF THINGS THAT WE WANTED AMAZON TO AGREE TO IF THEY WERE WILLING TO COME AND WE DIDN'T WIN THAT COMPETITION, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S OKAY. UH, WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO BE TRUE TO OURSELVES. AND I THINK THAT'S THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION. YEAH. WE'VE ONLY JUST MET ABOUT AN HOUR AND A HALF AGO. UM, I THINK IT ALSO HAS BEEN VERY LUCKY TO HAVE YOU AS MAYOR. I CAN SAY IT BECAUSE HE WAS GOOD. YOU WOULD COME TO THE END OF YOUR TERM AT THE END OF THE YEAR AND TELL THEM, YOU TOLD ME ABOUT HOW YOU'D ADDRESS THE HOMELESS, UH, SITUATION, WHICH EVERY CITY HAS IN A BIG WAY, BUT YOU YOU'VE, YOU'VE LARGELY, UM, ADDRESSED IT OR, OR FOR THE FUTURE. I THINK YOU'VE, YOU'VE ADDRESSED. YOU WANT TO EXPLAIN WHAT YOU DID? I WOULD SAY IN DIFFICULT TRUCKS, WE, WE, WE KNOW THAT WE'RE A FAST GROWING CITY. WE KNOW FROM LOOKING AT OTHER FAST CRISES WHERE HOUSING PRICES ARE GOING UP, THAT EVENTUALLY THAT LEADS TO A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT HOMELESSNESS ISSUE THAT WE'RE SEEING IN SAN FRANCISCO AND LA AND OTHER CITIES. UH, BUT IF YOU WAIT TOO LONG, THE SCALE OF THE CHALLENGE BECOMES SO GREAT THAT I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU DO. IF YOU'RE IN THE MAYOR OF THOSE CITIES, THE CHALLENGE ALREADY SERVED BIG, BUT HOW DO YOU GET A CITY TO ACTUALLY DEAL WITH THE CHALLENGE EARLIER THAN IT MIGHT OTHERWISE? BECAUSE IT'S A HIDDEN CHALLENGE. SO, AS I WAS EXPLAINING TO YOU AS RICHARD, WE BROUGHT IT OUT, WE DECRIMINALIZED IT. WE, WE, WE MADE IT SO THAT IT WAS NOT AGAINST THE LAW FOR PEOPLE TO BE VERY VISIBLE IN TENSE. AND QUITE FRANKLY, IT WAS, IT WAS VERY DISCONCERTING AND VERY DISRUPTIVE TO SEE IT. WASN'T LIKE WE CREATED PEOPLE, THEY WERE HERE, BUT THEY WERE RELATIVELY INVISIBLE. IT WAS VERY HARD POLITICALLY. IT WAS, IT WAS HARD FOR THE CITY GENERALLY, BUT THIS IS A CITY THAT OUR BEING CONFRONTED WITH, WHO WE WERE IN THIS ASPECT WAS IT CITY I KNEW WOULD RISE TO THAT CHALLENGE. AND WE SET A ASTRONOMICALLY HIGH GOAL TO BE ABLE TO DEAL WITH IT. AND THE CITY STEPPED FORWARD AND IS NOW MEETING THAT CHALLENGE. AND I THINK IN THREE YEARS, WE'LL BE THE FIRST CITY, OUR SIZE IN THE COUNTRY TO REACH NET EFFECT IS ZERO IN HOMELESSNESS. UH, BUT I, IT'S A HARD THING FOR A CITY TO, TO, TO VOLUNTARILY DO THANK YOU TO OUR PANEL. AND THANK YOU FOR BEING PATIENT WITH US. I THINK NOW IT'S TIME TO TRY OUT SOME OF THAT AUSTIN NIGHTLIFE * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.