
Salesforce has cancelled its physical regional World Tour event for Sydney due to coronavirus concerns and has replaced it with a “reimagined” version that will be streamed completely online.
Detailed in an email sent out on 19 February, a spokesperson for the company said the “evolving situation with the coronavirus outbreak” has caused Salesforce to essentially cancel the physical event.
“After careful consideration of our customers and reflection on our values, we’ve decided to change the format of our World Tour in person event on Wednesday 4th March to be an online experience,” the spokesperson said.
In its place is the “World Tour Sydney Reimagined” event, which will be streamed online.
According to a frequently asked questions (FAQ) post on Salesforce's website, an additional reason for digitising the event opens it up to those who could not attend in person.
"By making World Tour an online experience, it eliminates the need for attendees to attend in person and travel to Sydney while enabling them to still benefit from the event content," the FAQ stated.
Details regarding the 'reimagined' event are currently limited, with the spokesperson promising "the latest from our customers, partners, and the product innovations that can help you create connected customer experiences", as well as education on "how our community is disrupting industries, shaping the future, and transforming the world – and how you can too."
Information regarding news and sessions is expected to come in the future.
The cancelling of the physical World Tour Sydney is the latest in a number of technology-related events around the world. In Melbourne, Cisco cancelled its Cisco Live conference, originally scheduled for 3-6 March.
Trade show Mobile World Congress was also cancelled, which was expected to start from February 24.
While not an outright cancellation, IBM dropped out of the RSA cyber security conference, which is still on and scheduled for 24-28 February.