[UPDATE: Confirmed] Build 2020 Might be Cancelled Because of Conronavirus

Having already shifted its MVP Summit online and cancelled multiple stops on its Ignite 2020 tour because of the global coronavirus outbreak, Microsoft has now warned that some of its upcoming events, including the Build 2020 developer conference in May, the Ignite convention in New Orleans and the Inspire symposium in Las Vegas, could also be either rescheduled or cancelled because of the crisis. The company last month reduced its revenue forecast once the scope and the scale of the outbreak started becoming more apparent.

In virtually identical statements posted across the official websites of these events, Microsoft said: .“In light of the global health concerns due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), Microsoft is monitoring public health guidance in relation to in-person events. At this time, global health authorities have not issued guidance to avoid travel to this location. We are looking carefully at our event calendar as well as our presence at industry events in the coming months. We are not taking decisions lightly, but the health and well-being of our employees, partners, customers and other guests remain our ultimate priority. We will continue to monitor and make any necessary changes as the situation evolves”.

A large number of conferences and expos across almost all sectors and industries have been cancelled globally over the past few weeks because of the coronavirus crisis. The tech industry has not been spared either, with several events already either cancelled, like Google I/O, MWC 2020, SXSW 2020 and Facebook’s F8 developer conference, or postponed indefinitely, like the Black Hat summit, GDC, Recode Code Conference and more. Here’s a rundown of some of the leading tech shows and conferences that have been affected by the coronavirus crisis thus far.