I am sad to announce that I have, with the agreement of my Advisory Council, taken the difficult decision to cancel the Ada Lovelace Day Live! 2020 event at The IET on 13 October.
This was not an easy decision to take, but I believe that it is the most responsible one.
At this point in the COVID-19 pandemic it is impossible to plan ahead to October and say for sure that we will be able to travel freely – we may well find ourselves dipping in and out of lockdowns for months to come. Even if we aren’t in lockdown, it may be inadvisable for people to congregate in large groups until we have widespread vaccination. It is our duty to consider the safety and health not just of our audience but also our speakers and those who work at the venue, so we believe that cancellation is the right decision.
We will still find ways to celebrate Ada Lovelace Day online, and will be taking the next couple of months to look at what that celebration might look like. We will let you know what our plans are as soon as we have worked them out.
For now, our thoughts are with everyone who has been affected, and our gratitude goes to all the staff of the NHS and other frontline health workers around the world, and all the essential workers who are keeping society going whilst the rest of us stay at home. These are difficult times, but we will get through them by working together and supporting each other.
– Suw Charman-Anderson, Founder, Ada Lovelace Day