Sign up for our daily briefing
Make your busy days simpler with Axios AM/PM. Catch up on what's new and why it matters in just 5 minutes.
Catch up on the day's biggest business stories
Subscribe to Axios Closer for insights into the day’s business news and trends and why they matter
Sign up for Axios Pro Rata
Dive into the world of dealmakers across VC, PE and M&A with Axios Pro Rata. Delivered daily to your inbox by Dan Primack and Kia Kokalitcheva.
Sports news worthy of your time
Binge on the stats and stories that drive the sports world with Axios Sports. Sign up for free.
Tech news worthy of your time
Get our smart take on technology from the Valley and D.C. with Axios Login. Sign up for free.
Get the inside stories
Get an insider's guide to the new White House with Axios Sneak Peek. Sign up for free.
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Want a daily digest of the top Denver news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Want a daily digest of the top Des Moines news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines
Want a daily digest of the top Twin Cities news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities
Want a daily digest of the top Tampa Bay news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa Bay
Want a daily digest of the top Charlotte news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte
Want a daily digest of the top Nashville news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Nashville newsletter.
Want a daily digest of the top Columbus news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Columbus newsletter.
Want a daily digest of the top Dallas news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Dallas newsletter.
Want a daily digest of the top Austin news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Austin newsletter.
Want a daily digest of the top Atlanta news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Atlanta newsletter.
Want a daily digest of the top Philadelphia news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Philadelphia newsletter.
Want a daily digest of the top Chicago news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Chicago newsletter.
Sign up for Axios NW Arkansas
Stay up-to-date on the most important and interesting stories affecting NW Arkansas, authored by local reporters
Want a daily digest of the top DC news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios DC newsletter.
Intel, Mashable and TikTok are the latest to pull out of SXSW. Photo: Amy E. Price/FilmMagic
It's looking like most big tech events will be postponed or canceled for the coming couple months, creating new work patterns for an industry that thrives on gatherings.
Between the lines: In-person events carry long-term value as attendees share ideas and build deeper relationships. In the short term, though, workers may find that less travel for events helps them focus and be more productive.
Driving the news: Among the latest round of cancellations and pullouts:
- Google scrapped the in-person version of its I/O developer conference, saying it would come up with some sort of digital replacement.
- Lesbians Who Tech postponed its San Francisco Summit until August.
- Intel, Mashable and TikTok joined Facebook and Twitter in pulling out of SXSW, but organizers continue to insist the Austin gathering — due to start March 13 — will go on.
- A number of tech firms, including Amazon, Intel, Cisco and Salesforce, pulled out of HIMSS, the big medical tech trade show slated for next week in Orlando. (Amazon also confirmed that a worker at its South Lake Union campus in Seattle has tested positive for COVID-19.)
Meanwhile: Google and Microsoft both said they are offering free versions of workplace communications software to help businesses deal with travel limits.
- Google CEO Sundar Pichai said the company is providing its G Suite customers with free access to its Hangouts Meet video conferencing tool, through July 1.
- Microsoft is globally extending an offer of a free six-month trial for the business version of its Teams collaboration software. It had previously made it available in China. "By making Teams available to all for free for six months, we hope that we can support public health and safety by making remote work even easier," a Microsoft representative told Axios.
- Constellation Research has a timely series of webinars on how tech companies can deal with a coronavirus-altered landscape, as well as a long (and growing) list of the tech events canceled so far.