It seems as though coronavirus is everywhere — not only geographically, but also in the news and media.
Concerns about the fast-spreading disease have hit the corporate world particularly hard. With gatherings of large numbers of people now being discouraged, there are many events being canceled out of the fear of bringing in vectors.
Here’s a list of the major events canceled (or postponed) due to the coronavirus.
Adobe’s Annual Live Summit
Online technology is making it a lot easier to cancel an event. Every year, Adobe holds a summit regarding its popular technology, both in-person and online. This year, the summit is going to be held online only. With the summit occurring in Las Vegas, it’s a uniquely dangerous premise: any conferences and seminars held specifically in high tourism areas will be more likely to lead to exposure.
Facebook’s Developer Conference
Facebook is canceling its developer conference, as well as its global marketing summit. Again, these things are going to be held mostly online, and that might create a wave of new, online-only conferences as technology grows. But it’s a shame that Facebook isn’t having its development and marketing conferences, as Facebook itself has had a tumultuous past year,a nd there’s likely much to address.
Mobile World Congress
Held in Barcelona, this annual smartphone conference is being pulled. The Mobile World Congress is a collection of the biggest smartphone brands in the world, and a place where new technology is often introduced.
GDC San Francisco
San Francisco’s Game Developers Conference is being canceled, largely due to companies such as Microsoft and Sony declining to attend during the outbreak. GDC is a major conference for both professional and independent game developers, and is often where new games are announced and games in development are showcased.
Coronavirus Fears Continue to Grow
Testing for coronavirus has been introduced, making coronavirus a little more manageable. Some believe that coronavirus may prove to be less deadly than thought, as those who are only getting slightly ill are not likely to report that they were sick. Moreover, coronavirus may not be as devastating as previously thought because not everyone may get sick at once, letting hospitals and hospital staff have the breathing room they need to treat it more effectively.
Nevertheless, with 9 dead in the United States, and cases growing by the day, many are trying to avoid any potential risk factors. These risk factors currently include being in large groups of people and traveling.
It may be easier to note the major events that haven’t been canceled due to the virus. E3 2020, a major technology conference, is still moving ahead. E3 isn’t scheduled until June, and promoters say they are keeping an eye on the situation. For now, everyone thinking of attending a major event should check and double check regarding its status.
