As has been outlined on previous messages about this, the KansasFest board has been deliberating on what to do about this year’s annual gathering. Initially it was hoped that the world and national situation would be sufficiently improved by July that we could proceed as usual. However, it has become clear that the economic disruption and potential health risks make gathering in Kansas City this year no longer viable.

Rather than completely canceling this year’s event, the Board has decided to move in the same direction as many others have done, and that is to have a gathering via group meeting software, a sort of “Virtual KansasFest”.

We plan to hold this online event Friday and Saturday, July 24-25, 2020, for about six hours each day (with breaks included as usual). Since this is an abbreviated event, speaker times will also be abbreviated, each running from 15 to 30 minutes (session announcement to follow separately).

The registration cost for Virtual KansasFest 2020 will be $20 per person. This will guarantee a login spot to attend all talks and participate in online activities, as well as a commemorative 2020 KFest pin which will be mailed separately (postage paid). This will also include a discount coupon for an optional T-shirt, to be ordered separately. Session recordings will be available free of charge (as usual) on YouTube and the Internet Archive.

We have been in communication with our previously announced keynote speaker, Robert Woodhead of Wizardry fame, and have decided to postpone his keynote until KFest 2021, when we expect we will be back to our usual meeting together in Kansas City at Rockhurst.

Further information will be provided in the near future, and we expect to open registration on April 30th. Put it on your calendar, and plan to meet online with us in July!

For More Information: http://www.kansasfest.org

From the europlus zone blog:

Wow, what a month! When I announced WOzFest COLOR=15 I was looking forward to another fun get-together of fellow Apple ][ enthusiasts, and I’d already started planning to stream the day for those who couldn’t make it.

Now, communities around the world are in lockdown (Australia is heading down that path) and people’s lives are being turned upside down.

By mid-last week, I decided to go stream-only for WOzFest COLOR=15. While a difficult personal decision, it’s nothing compared to what some people are experiencing.

I love hosting WOzFest and I love having enthusiasts here at WOzFest HQ – but for the next short(?) while, we all have to pull our head in.

I still need help, though – while I won’t have physical attendees, I’d like to do Skypes during the day. If you’re tinkering, if you have something to share or say, if you’re releasing a new product, if you’re lonely, whatever – let me know what time suits between 01:00-11:00 UTC 4 April 2020 and I’ll try and schedule you in. Let’s go around the world, let’s go around Australia, let’s show this stupid virus it won’t dampen our enthusiasm for the Apple ][!

So, via Skype or Twitch chat, I’m looking forward to talking to some of you on 4 April and sharing some of the work I’ll be doing on the day. If I can I’ll try and draw up a schedule – for example, I wanted to do an Applesaucing session and discuss usage tips, etc.

Further details on the announcement post, and updates will be posted under the europlus zone’s WOzFest tag.