Events

Keeping Culture and Innovation Alive in Our Hometown

As Austin grows and continues to be a top destination to live and work, we are proud to be the premier founding partner of the Moody Center, helping to preserve and grow innovation, music, entertainment, and culture in the area for years to come.
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Thirty-seven years ago, Michael Dell founded Dell Technologies in a small University of Texas at Austin dorm room. Big dreams led to even bigger realities and over the years, we’re fortunate to have seen the city grow right alongside our business. Austin’s unique culture has also come into its own, making it a melting pot for artists, creatives, and technology innovators alike.

It comes as no surprise then that Forbes recently ranked Austin as the number one “boomtown” in the U.S. Just this past year, 154 companies announced plans to relocate or expand their presence in the area. We’re beyond thrilled to welcome our new neighbors and peers to our hometown and see Austin become the top destination to live and work.

But with all this growth comes a responsibility to do what we can to collectively preserve the unique spirit and culture that make Austin such a special place. No, I’m not just talking about the love of the outdoors or our sincere adoration for queso – I’m talking about our commitment to evolving and growing the best that the greater Austin area has to offer – our collective innovative spirit. At the end of the day, what sets Austin apart is our never-ending desire to innovate – from tech, to music, to entertainment, to sports. It’s that innovative spirit that we need to proactively cultivate in the years to come, especially as we work to overcome the impacts 2020 has had on our city.

Today, we’re excited to announce Dell Technologies will be the Premier Founding Partner of the new Moody Center, a multi-purpose, state-of-the-art venue which will replace the 42-year-old Frank C. Erwin Jr. Center at The University of Texas. The venue promises to bring together the best in Austin culture, arts, entertainment, and sports – serving as the new homecourt of the Texas Longhorns women’s and men’s basketball teams and becoming a premier concert venue in our city.

To us, this is so much more than just a sponsorship – our involvement is a symbol of our commitment to our community and our mission to not just preserve – but evolve and grow – the very things that have made Austin, Austin.

A few other reasons we’re excited about the Moody Center and its impact on the city:

  • A Space for All: Equity is fundamental to the building’s infrastructure with seats on all concourses lending itself to a great experience. Additionally, the newly built exterior Dell Technologies Plaza will become an entertainment destination of its own hosting post-game shows and community events year-round.
  • Engaging the Next Generation of Austinites: Austin’s future is only as promising as today’s youth. In an effort to keep the next generation of sports enthusiasts engaged in college athletics, Dell will be donating tickets to Longhorns basketball games for the 2022 season to the Boys & Girls Club of the Austin Area – giving the leaders of tomorrow the ability to experience the magic and fun first-hand.
  • Green is Gold at Moody: Preserving our environment is a key shared priority for both Dell Technologies and the city of Austin. As we celebrate Earth Day today, I’m happy to share the Moody Center has been designed and developed with sustainability in mind and is on track to receive a LEED Gold certification.
  • Helping Live Music Thrive: Maintaining Austin’s status as the Live Music Capital of the World, the Moody Center will be home to top concert tours and international music shows from some of the world’s biggest artists.

So, who’s going to help us continue this momentum? We’re happy to share that Chris Ogbonnaya has recently joined our team to manage the partnership. Chris played college football at the University of Texas before heading to the NFL, then heading back to Longhorn country to earn his MBA. We’re excited to have someone with deep Texas roots help bring our long-term vision for our Moody Center partnership to life.

Propelling Austin into the future deserves a shared commitment from leaders across the city. Later today, I’ll be leading a discussion with key individuals with deep Austin roots – Matthew McConaughey; Emmanuel Acho; Charles Attal, Partner C3 Presents; Jody Conradt, special assistant and former UT Women’s Basketball Coach; and Chris Del Conte, UT Vice President and Director of Athletics – to discuss the city’s future and how we come together to drive progress.

There’s no slowing down the growth we’re experiencing here in Austin. What we can do is come together as a community to collectively preserve the very things we love about Austin while helping to drive new ideas and lead the city into its next chapter. As we do so, let’s remember to keep Austin weird…and innovative!

Liz Matthews

About the Author: Liz Matthews

Liz Matthews is the Senior Vice President of Dell Technologies Global Brand & Creative.  She is responsible for Dell Technologies’ verbal and visual articulation of its purpose and its brand strategy.  Her team’s charter includes inspiring passion and driving preference for the Dell Technologies brand and all its products through advertising, creative, content, digital, social, event experiences, product placement, customer stories and large-scale partnerships. Previously, Liz held multiple executive roles in Dell’s consumer and SMB business. She has a plethora of technology marketing experience from both large global brands like Sun Microsystems to brazen start-ups. Liz’s fruitful career, however, took off where she began her marketing journey at Johnson & Johnson. Liz sits on the Board of Directors for the Ad Council. She has won numerous awards for her work including Marketing Executive of the Year by Best in Biz. Liz holds a B.A. in communications from California Polytechnic State University and lives with her family and two rescue doggies in Austin TX.