Are you wondering if a virtual MozFest can live up to the in-person festival that you know and love?

We admit, it’s going to be a difficult standard to reach. After all, the last ten years of MozFests have been fun, energetic, unique, collaborative, energizing, social, and transformative to not only careers, but every-day lives.

So how do we capture all of that into an online event when the world is suffering from virtual meeting fatigue?

It’s a question the production team has been working hard to answer for the last 10 months. We’ve been knee-deep in research, brainstorming, and trials, looking towards our peers, colleagues, and partners around the world for advice and learnings from their own experiences. The answers haven’t come easy but as we approach the last month before the festival, we’re confident that this MozFest will be no less MozFest than any that have come before.

4 Reasons A Virtual MozFest Will Live Up To The In Person Festival

So when someone asks, “can a virtual MozFest live up to the real thing?”, our answer is a resounding YES! This year’s virtual MozFest is going to be fun, social, experimental, and transformative. It will look different than years past, but the spirit of the festival will be threaded through every experience.

Here’s how:

1.Community - We’re coming together despite our circumstances. The last year has been difficult to say the least, from the global pandemic, to political and social unrest, to the climate crisis, and more – we need each other now more than ever. It’s a vital time for MozFest, and even though the festival will look differently than we expected, we’re excited to convene with like-minded advocates for a better digital world.

2. Inclusion - More people than ever before will be able to attend MozFest since travel restrictions will not hamper attendance. The festival will be anchored in Central European Time (CET), to honor Amsterdam, and the schedule will span times that allow for ease of access for all timezones.

For the first time ever, the ticket contribution amount is a sliding scale, giving you the option to help offset the cost of attendance for those who otherwise could not join. The production of the festival will also be anchored using accessible platforms and we’re taking extra steps to ensure accessibility throughout the festival experience. People from all locations, backgrounds, and circumstances are welcome to attend over the two weeks of the festival, when it works for their schedule.

3. Experimentation - Trying new things and thinking outside the box is the essence of MozFest! This year is an experiment, we’re producing a fully-virtual event for the first time. Things will go wrong. Things won’t work how we planned. And that’s OK. We’re all in this new experience together, and with a little grace, we’ll come out the other side having learned how to suit our virtual needs in the future. We’re excited to have our entire community join in this live experiment with us!

4. Open by design - We’re still a community-designed festival, with a group of X Wranglers designing and curating 11 Spaces, X Facilitators hosting interactive sessions, and X volunteers helping with logistics and community support. While the output of the festival is different - the design process is the same. Learn more about MozFest’s Federated Design.

We’re excited to see familiar things that remind of us the MozFest we love, we’re also excited about the new things too:

• We’re creating a festival that allows you to dip in and out as your day allows, and offering weekends to catch up – ultimately spreading it over 2 weeks. We will all hopefully get more sleep than we are used to during the festival since we won’t be trying to pack so much into one weekend together!
• There will be dozens of on-demand resources and recorded sessions, so that you can enjoy the festival on your own time as your schedule allows. You won’t feel like you want to be three places at once!
• You can bring your family to MozFest! Everyone is welcome to attend, and we will have resources for children at every age to participate in MozFest activities at home while you are attending a session. Learn more about the opportunities for families at MozFest this year.
• Since you’ll be attending from home, your favorite chair, favorite snack, and favorite beverage is guaranteed to be there!

MozFest Tickets are available now

Tickets are on sale now for the first-ever virtual MozFest in March, 2021!

MozFest - in person or online - is no ordinary tech conference. It is a whirl of people and ideas, sparks of curiosity and connection, and a vibe that is buzzing, dynamic and full of positive energy. The festival is one of a kind and we’d love to have you join us! Secure your ticket before January 31 and receive the opportunity for advanced session registration before general ticket holders.