The story of Hangout starts with founders Lilly and Shaul Zislin, who expanded the festival out from their Hangout restaurant in Gulf Shores. The couple has had O'Connell pushing buttons from behind the curtain since the event's inception. In 2013, he left a festival consulting company he started to dig into Hangout full-time.
In 2016, crackdowns on Spring Break partying, by young people, in the Florida Panhandle, led to many choosing to flock to Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, in Baldwin County, Alabama, near the port city of Mobile. This year, local law enforcement officials have issued official warnings, in the local press, that young people engaging in underage drinking, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and general rowdiness, will face a zero tolerance policy. The area has long attempted to cultivate a “family friendly” atmosphere, and the local climate is no longer favorable for young people who come to the beautiful local beaches to cut loose.