A first look at COVID-19 and Meeting C++ 2020

published at 09.06.2020 09:52 by Jens Weller
Save to Instapaper Pocket

With this news entry I want to give you an overview on the current situation with this years Meeting C++ conference regarding the ongoing pandemic.

In the early stages of the outbreak, it was very quickly clear to me, that following this in the news was now also part of my job. To be well informed and hence be able to get a first impression on how this may play out in Fall when Meeting C++ 2020 happens. It also became very quickly apparent, that for the first months of the outbreak it was impossible to know where this goes and hence I postponed this first planning phase for the event into June.

It is clear that we will not have a vaccine in Fall, so the current rules for anything in the public apply. This years conference will be very different from what it has been in the last years. It will also be a unique and one of its kind event. I expect further details on this in July and then a monthly cycle of updates to adjust the plans to the unfolding reality of this epidemic.

I've stopped the sales for the early bird tickets, as they do not reflect this years situation. In July the next ticket batch is likely to become available, if you bought an early bird ticket already: Thank you very much! Your ticket will stay valid of course.

Worst case to best case

Meeting C++ 2020 will have an online component, which is at least an online ticket to watch a planned livestream. So in case of a lock down, the event will be a pure online event with no one in Berlin attending or speaking. The next step is that its only the event crew and speakers in Berlin, or a mix of on site and online speakers. I prefer to have the speakers in Berlin, but travel might be difficult for many of us in this year, so both options will have to be accounted for.

Attendees are the next step. Right now the limit for this is difficult to plan, some events do 50 only, the large rooms at the Andels would allow for ~300 persons in seats each 1.5 Meters apart. But as far as I know the current legal limit would be 150, which likely goes up to 300 or more in Fall. And then might go down again with an outbreak, so I haven't decided at which limit I want to sell the first ticket batch in July. Unlike the last years, I can't offer free students or support tickets, this has always been funded by the ticket sale it self in the last years. I hope to be able to offer a few tickets for the live stream for both student and support programs though.

In case the event does not happen in Berlin or your ticket is above the maximum legal attendance level, I will of course offer a refund or an optional conversion to a ticket for 2021.

Call for Talks

The call for talks still goes until Sunday, but I am thinking about extending it, as the planning for the event will go on in June anyways. There will be less tracks this year, and maybe even only one track. As I already wrote, this years event will have to deal with speakers on site and others comming from online, so submit also if you already know you can't be there in person.

There will be a voting on the talks, but the selection will be also guided by this years different conditions for Meeting C++ 2020.

Join the Meeting C++ patreon community!
This and other posts on Meeting C++ are enabled by my supporters on patreon!