Google won’t be holding the I/O 2020 event “in any capacity”

Just before the weekend, Google came up with a sad announcement - there won’t be an I/O event in 2020. The annual developer conference was initially scheduled for May 12-14 but at the beginning of March, the company canceled the physical sessions at the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, California amid health concerns around the coronavirus spread in the area.

In the first official announcement, Google said that “it will look at various alternatives to the physical event so that it can stay in touch with its developer community”. Apparently, even online alternatives are now out of the question, as most of the developers who were presenting in the sessions are now bound to their homes, rendering the organization of the event impossible.
 

A #GoogleIO update: Out of concern for the health and safety of our developers, employees, and local communities — and in line with “shelter in place” requirements by the local Bay Area government — we sadly will not be holding an I/O event in any capacity this year. (1/3)

— Google Developers (@googledevs) March 20, 2020

Google issued full refunds to everyone who purchased tickets for the I/O 2020 event. All the registered guests will have the option to buy tickets for next year’s I/O 2021 without the need to participate in the usual lottery drawings. The company will rely on developer blogs and forums to deliver Android updates to the community.

The Google I/O event had been home to every new Android release and many anticipated Android 11 to be revealed during this year’s conference. Google can still manage to offer a live stream keynote via the Google I/O app or opt for a simple press release in the middle of May.