Facebook is the latest organization to cancel a major conference as a result of the coronavirus, cancelling this year’s F8.
As COVID-19 continues to spread, its impact is being felt across industries. Companies, such as Apple and Microsoft, have issued warnings they will miss quarterly guidance as a result of the virus. Numerous companies pulled out of RSA Conference 2020, and MWC Barcelona was canceled over concerns. Now, Facebook joins the list of companies whose business and plans are being impacted.
“This was a tough call to make — F8 is an incredibly important event for Facebook and it’s one of our favorite ways to celebrate all of you from around the world — but we need to prioritize the health and safety of our developer partners, employees and everyone who helps put F8 on,” writes Konstantinos Papamiltiadis in a Facebook News for Developers post. “We explored other ways to keep the in-person part of F8, but it’s important to us to host an inclusive event and it didn’t feel right to have F8 without our international developers in attendance.
“We remain committed to the city of San Jose, where we’ve hosted F8, and its community. Every year, we donate a portion of F8 ticket sales to an organization working to diversify the tech industry. This year, we’re doubling that donation amount to $500,000 and will prioritize organizations serving local San Jose residents. We also typically host local students onsite at F8. Working with the next generation of developers is one of the highlights of what we do — and this year, we will still provide an F8-inspired experience for those students in lieu of hosting them at the event itself.”
