Relativity Fest 2019. Photo by Zach Warren/ALM. Relativity Fest 2019. Photo by Zach Warren/ALM

Relativity announced Tuesday that its user conference Relativity Fest, which has become a yearly gathering for e-discovery professionals, is set to move online this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. And with the move, it's making the conference's educational content available for free.

The dates for the conference will remain the same, taking place between Sept. 21-23. The content will be presented in a mix of live sessions and on-demand content, the company said on its blog post announcing the change.

"We'll do our best to make sure content is easy to consume in this digital format—helping you strike a balance between finding that rich, immersive experience you expect from Relativity Fest, without pressuring you to feel glued to your computer for hours at a time," wrote Relativity chief operating officer Nick Robertson.

The event will be presented free of cost, Relativity added, with registration for the event opening in mid-July. In addition to educational content, the company said it is still exploring ways to replicate in-person networking in a virtual setting.

Speaking with Legaltech News via email, a Relativity spokesperson added that the company is developing plans for business partners to exhibit as they would have in our Community Pavilion exhibit hall. RCE credits and Hands on Exercises will still be offered to virtual attendees, and the company is also working on a plan to offer certification exams. More information about the conference's Innovation Awards is also forthcoming, and the submissions for those awards open later this month.

In the blog post, Robertson added, "Relativity Fest will still be deeply committed to fostering connections between members of our community. We know the organic conversations held during the conference are part of what makes Relativity Fest so special. So, while we can't host in-person networking events or walk-up help desks, we're hard at work identifying ways we can help you get the most out of a digital Fest experience when it comes to interacting with your peers and our team."

Relativity Fest 2019 was the 10th version of the company's show, which originally began as a user conference and has since become a three-day event offering education and CLE. The event now hosts more than 2,000 live attendees, and often includes the company's biggest announcements of its latest features and releases.

The company added that its virtual Relativity Fest London in May had more than 2,100 sign-ups as well, and it is looking to the London event's registration and educational offerings as a model for the company's flagship fall event.

"Our goal for Relativity Fest each year is to provide all attendees with a unique opportunity to learn something they can't learn anywhere else," Robertson wrote. "That goal is unchanged, and we're excited to see what new and exciting ways we might be able to deliver on it in this format."