Mar 9, 2020 - Technology

Coronavirus pushes TED conference back to July

Photo: Glenn Chapman/AFP via Getty Images

This year's TED conference is being rescheduled to July, organizers told Axios, marking the latest incident of the coronavirus derailing a tech event.

Why it matters: Postponing the conference, originally slated to take place in Vancouver next month, denies major players in tech and business a chance to assemble in one place to talk big ideas just as the coronavirus crisis heats up and global markets grow volatile.

Context: As Axios first reported, TED last week told attendees it would either move the conference to July or go virtual. Organizers said they were going with the first option after a large number of attendees told them TED should be an in-person event.

What's next: The conference will now run from July 26 to 30.

  • If COVID-19 makes even those later dates impossible, the conference will switch to an online-only event.
  • TED will also hold a one-day virtual session on April 22.

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