COVID-19 coronavirus has claimed another event victim, as AltConf, the alternative developer conference that normally takes place at the same time as Apple’s official Worldwide Developers Conference has been canceled for 2020.
AltConf was created for developers that are unable to score a ticket to WWDC, and usually is an event that’s held in San Jose, California along with satellite events around the globe.
AltConf organizer Rob Elkin yesterday announced the official cancelation of AltConf gatherings.
Much like many of our contemporaries, AltConf has been watching carefully the spread of the COVID-19 virus throughout the world, and assessing how this potentially affects the many worldwide AltConf events.
Unfortunately, we’ve come to the conclusion that it would not be prudent or safe to put on any AltConf events in 2020. It’s been a tough call to make, but the safety of our team, our attendees, and the public as a whole is our most important priority.
AltConf events had been planned for San Jose, London, Paris, Berlin, Madrid, Lisbon, NYC, Tokyo, and São Paulo. All of the events will be canceled instead of being made digital-only, like Apple’s WWDC 2020 event will be. WWDC will be available to all who desire to “attend” it this year, as it is a digital-only event available to all registered developers.
Elkin says his group will keep monitoring the situation and if there is an opportunity to bring satellite events to their cities, in a safe way, they “may jump on that short notice.” But for now, that’s not the plan, and San Jose will definitely not be happening.
AltConf events will take place in 2021 alongside Apple’s WWDC 2021 event.
