JSConf Budapest is rescheduled to 2021

More than a month ago, we promised that we’ll update you on this year’s edition of JSConf Budapest when we see how the COVID-19 situation escalates for events like ours. Unfortunately, the general safety conditions for such a conference is not improving as fast as we hoped.

Based on these observations, the team decided to reschedule JSConf Budapest to 2021.

The new date for our event is September 23-24, 2021

What does this mean for ticket holders?

No need to worry, your ticket is still valid for the rescheduled event. If the new date is still working for you, you don’t need to do anything. If not, and you can’t sell/reassign the ticket (for a co-worker or member of your community), get in touch with us for a refund while it’s possible. Note that Paypal allows refunds for 180 days.

What does this mean for CFP submitters?

Probably the hardest decision of all, but we decided to stop the shortlisting and cancel this year’s CFP.

We know this is a tough situation, we’ve seen the amount of work our CFP submitters had put into all these proposals. We feel terrible that we have to tell all of them that this year none of their talks will be selected.

Still, we feel this is the right decision, no matter how hard it is. During a year, so many things change in this industry, and speakers might find a new, exciting topic and would like to speak about that. Another thing we’re seeing is events and meetups moving online, providing a virtual platform for more people and new faces. We hope after a year, many of these new speakers will want to try themselves on a physical stage and submit proposals for conferences like ours.

Why not sooner?

We wish that JSConf Budapest should be a safe experience for everybody who participates in any way, attendees, speakers, sponsors, volunteers the team. By safe, we usually mean physical, psychological, and emotional safety. We continuously consider these as a factor during the organizing phase of the event and uphold it at the conference by enforcing our Code of Conduct.

But these days, we can see that safety can mean more: biological, financial, and organizational. We wish that coming to JSConf Budapest should not be a risk for your health or your job. That your employer is able, and can safely invest in improving your career in this way. A sponsor can safely participate in the event and interact with attendees.

Moving the conference at a too-early time on the calendar could pose risks like being a focal point of infection before a second-wave, or being shut down by the authorities completely, either directly or indirectly, by new travel and social distancing restrictions.

As we see it, the world needs to heal a bit more.

Keep everyone safe out there, and let’s meet and celebrate next year!