Q: Is it really a conference if it's online only?

Q: Is it really "35,000 attendees" if no one is actually in attendance?

Just reacting to this because it seems a bit silly on the face of it. I know I'm being contrarian... but if I don't, and no one else does... are we in unhealthy denial?

Pubcon ceased... the meeting was cancelled. For reasons, perhaps, but it was cancelled. Will I be cancelled now for questioning things? lol.

Maybe you missed the earlier announcement:

Great news to hear that Pubcon, live, is returning, with an event on August 3-5, 2021, in North Miami, Florida.

It is a live event: [webmasterworld.com...]

Skipping a year will make counting easier in the future, because the one that takes place X years after the first whatever-it-may-be can now be called the Xth annual. (Without the omission, the 20th Annual Whatever would be the one that comes 19 years after the first one, while the one that comes 20 years after is the 21st Annual.)

the Xth annual

while there have been a couple of years with only one event it isn't really an annual event.
the only "annual" thing about pubcon was the fall event in vegas between 2004 and 2019, which was the primary event on pubcon's calendar each year during those years.

for quite a few years, coachella and pubcon vegas were the first 2 spots marked off on my calendar each year...