SmashingConf Austin and COVID-19
Tuesday, April 14.
Over the past month, the Smashing Team has been following the CDC and WHO policies, as well as the Orders from the Texas Governor’s office and the Austin Mayoral office. As of March 31st, Austin has issued a “Stay-At-Home” order not to be lifted until at least May 1st. In addition, they have commented that social-distancing ordinances will not be relaxed after this date.
There are plenty of additional restrictions in place, including travel for many of our attendees, speakers, sponsors, and team. And, even if these begin to relax in the coming weeks, we cannot guarantee there will not be limits on group size, nor can we guarantee that restrictions will not increase in the coming weeks. SmashingConf is about the people, so we would rather reschedule to a time where more of us can be together.
For this, and many other reasons, SmashingConf Austin will be postponed until October 13–14, with workshops on the 12th and 15th.
We hope we can fully express how hard this decision has been for the team, but we do believe it is the best way forward for our event, and the safety and health of you, our dearest Smashing Family.
What Does This Mean For You?
We would love your support and, if possible, transfer your ticket to the new date or another event. But, of course, there are options!
Keep Your Ticket And Attend The Austin Conference On October 13–14
If our new date works for you, then we can’t wait to see you in Austin! Can you please send us a quick email to hello@smashingconf.com and tell us the name you have booked under and ticket reference and confirm you will attend at our future Austin date?
Our goal is to keep the same line-up, but some speakers / workshop leaders may not be available. This may mean you will be asked to change your workshop choice, but we will contact you as soon as we have all of the information available. However, if you don’t see the workshop you were hoping to attend on the new list, you can get a refund for that portion of your ticket as well.
If keeping your ticket for the future conference doesn’t work for you then we have the following options:
Swap To Another Conference
We do still have tickets available for our Freiburg conference (September 7–8), our NY conference (October 20–21), and our postponed San Francisco conference (November 10–11) plus all workshops at these events.
To swap, please email hello@smashingconf.com with the name you booked under, your ticket reference, and the conference and/or workshop you would like to be moved into. (You will find all that information at smashingconf.com.)
Transfer Your Ticket
Can’t come to any of the future dates but have a colleague or friend who can? No problem! Just email hello@smashingconf.com with the name you booked under and your ticket reference, and let us know who you would like to take your place. Easy as that!
Donate Your Ticket
Can’t come, but don’t want a refund? We’ve got some amazing scholarship candidates that would love to take your spot. Just email hello@smashingconf.com with the name you booked under and your ticket reference, and we’d be happy to give your seat away to someone who can’t afford to join us at a later date.
Smashing Voucher
Not sure what works best for you, but know you still want to attend a conference? We understand! With so much up in the air, many are finding it hard to plan that far in advance. We’d be happy to give you a Smashing Voucher equal to the amount you paid.
You can use your voucher for:
- Any Conference in 2020 or 2021
- Any In-Person Workshop in 2020 or 2021
- Any Online Workshops in 2020 or 2021
Just email us at hello@smashingconf.com with your name and ticket reference, and let us know you’d like to transfer to a Smashing Voucher, and we’ll get that set up for you!
Full Refund
Can’t come, and would like a refund? We understand that you registered for a specific date / time that we cannot proceed with, and you are eligible for a full refund.
We do hope that you’ll be able to join us later in the year, but we know some people already have commitments and that’s just not possible. If that’s the case, please email at hello@smashingconf.com with your name, which conference you are attending, and ticket reference, and state that would like a full refund due to postponement.
We’ll Get Back To You As Soon As We Can
We ask that you give us up to 72 hours to reply to any email. While we still aim to get back to you as quickly as possible, with the influx of emails, it might take us a bit longer to respond. Also, please note our office is based in Europe, so time zones may affect response time.
Accommodation And Travel Advice
We know many of you have your accommodations and flights already sorted. In our research, most airlines are offering free changes to flights, instead of cancelation. In addition, if your airline isn’t offering this yet, it may be worth waiting a little bit, as more airlines have announced upcoming cancelations.
For in depth resources on flight tips, we’ve been following: www.cntraveler.com/story/… and www.thepointsguy.co.uk/news/….
Staying at the Carpenter Hotel?
As our partner hotel, they are aware we are moving our dates, and have made rooms available to us. Due to the time of year, the rates may be slightly higher. They ask you to modify your reservation online with the updated code, “SMASHING”. If you have any questions, you can call the hotel at 512-682-5300.
