Google Cloud has canceled Google Cloud Next, its biggest annual conference to be held in San Francisco from April 6 to 8 because of coronavirus threats.
It will now make its conference digital through breakout sessions, streamed keynotes, digital ‘ask an expert’, and interactive learning sessions with Google teams.
In a statement, a Google Cloud spokesperson said the health and well-being of Google Cloud partners, customers, employees, and the overall community is our biggest priority. The spokesperson added Google Cloud has decided to reimagine Google Cloud Next’20 because of the growing concern around the coronavirus (COVID-19) and in alignment with the best practices laid out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO), and other relevant entities.
In an announcement, Google Cloud said innovation is in Google’s DNA and we are leveraging this strength to bring you an immersive and inspiring event this year without the risk of travel.
The virtual event will be free and in an email to attendees. Google also remarked that it will automatically refund all tickets to this year’s conference apart from automatically canceling all hotel reservations made through its conference reservation system.
The threats of cancelations now loom over Google’s other major conference, I/O, which is slated to run from May 12 to 14 in Mountain View. The same holds true for Microsoft’s rival Build conference in Seattle that is scheduled to start on May 19.
In the recent past, CRM giant Salesforce also had canceled the Salesforce Sydney World Tour 2020 and turned it into an online experience.
