Google IO 2020 will go as planned despite Coronavirus scare

Google is slated to host the Google I/O 2020 from May 12 to May 14. It is unlikely to get cancelled due to the Coronavirus outbreak.

The Google I/O 2020 will begin on May 12. (Google)

The recent Coronavirus outbreak has led to several changes in the tech calendar. Earlier this month, MWC 2020 got cancelled owing to the ongoing pandemic. More recently, GDC 2020 and Facebook's F8 2020 got cancelled due to the virus scare. At a time when tech companies are either pulling out of tech events or cancelling their own events, Google has decided to stick to its schedule as far as its annual developers conference is concerned.

Google is scheduled to host the Google I/O 2020 between May 12 and May 14 at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California. Now, the company in a statement to The Verge executive editor Dieter Bohn has confirmed that it is planning to host its annual developers conference as per the original schedule. That said, the company is keeping an eye on the developments surrounding the recent outbreak and the announcements made by the WHO, CDC and other organisations.

 

As of yesterday, Google has told me it is still planning to hold Google IO May 12-14, but that it's obviously going to keep an eye on recommendations from CDC, WHO, etc.

— Dieter Bohn (@backlon) February 28, 2020

The company, according to a report by 9To5 Google, has started contacting I/O 2020 ticket winners. The winners who have been selected to attend the upcoming event will be charged $1150 for general tickets and $375 for academic tickets.

It has also updated the FAQ session of its I/O 2020 website notifying all the attendees that they would be allowed to cancel their registration without a monetary penalty up to April 15. "We will allow all I/O registrants to cancel their registration up to April 15, 2020, without financial penalty, so that travel decisions can be made based on what is best for the health and safety of all attendees. If you are not able to attend Google I/O, we will continue to offer livestream to join remotely," Google wrote in the FAQ session of its I/O 2020 website.