O'Reilly Media, a prominent publisher and conference organizer in the tech industry, laid off 75 employees on March 24, 2020, representing 15% of its then 500-person workforce. The company permanently shut down its in-person events business, citing the severe disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced the cancellation of major conferences like Strata. While the pandemic accelerated the decision, the events division had reportedly been struggling financially and missed targets prior to the outbreak. The layoffs primarily affected the conferences team but also extended to other roles, including editors, engineers, and several vice presidents. O'Reilly, known for its programming books and online learning platform serving thousands of companies, will now focus on its digital content and learning services.
