In light of the challenges presented by Covid-19, Microsoft are adjusting their event calendar and strategy. For the rest of 2020, the spokesperson added, Microsoft will be experimenting with digital-first experiences.
This means that Microsoft’s Ignite conference in 2020 will not be an in-person event. Last month, Microsoft eliminated the in-person aspect of its annual Build conference, vowing the event would carry on as a digital-only experience. That’s still slated to take place from May 19 – 21.
When asked specifically about events in the 2021 timeframe, the spokesperson told Foley that Microsoft will continue to evaluate the event landscape “but that is what we have to share at this time.”
It’s still far too early to know for certain but if a major player like Microsoft is already shifting its strategy this far out, it’s at least plausible that the traditional tech conference as we know it could be little more than a distant memory.
