• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechGoogle

The Surprising Reason Behind Google I/O’s New Venue

By
Jason Cipriani
Jason Cipriani
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Jason Cipriani
Jason Cipriani
Down Arrow Button Icon
January 12, 2016, 5:04 PM ET
Cycling Routes And Directions Added To Google Maps
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA - MARCH 10: A bicyclist rides by a sign at the Google headquarters March 10, 2010 in Mountain View, California. Google announced today that they are adding bicycle routes to their popular Google Maps and is available in 150 U.S. cities. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)Phtotograph by Justin Sullivan — Getty Images

Google is always in a state of flux, so it’s no surprise that after 10 years the company’s premier annual event, Google I/O, is changing venues. Announced on Tuesday via Twitter by CEO Sundar Pichai, the annual developer conference will take place May 18–20 at the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, Calif., moving from downtown San Francisco’s Moscone Center, where it has been held since 2008.

This year’s developer conference marks the tenth anniversary of Google’s first developer day, a conference that was also held in Mountain View, one reason for changing the 2016 event site, said Pichai in a Google+ post. But Google I/O 2016 will also be the first developer conference hosted by the company under its new Alphabet corporate structure. The annual meeting may have been relocated to the original venue simply to mark a new beginning for the company.

SIGN UP: Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s daily newsletter about the business of technology.

Developer conferences like Google I/O usually consist of an opening day keynote during which exciting new products and services are demoed on stage. The following days consist of attendees shuffling between various classrooms, where they are walked through new tools and features by Google employees.

In prior years, Google (GOOD) has used Google I/O to demonstrate new software and hardware products. For instance, the company recently used the even to show off the next version of Android, its mobile operating system, along with enhancements to its Chrome OS computer operating system.

This year, it’s likely Google will preview an early build of Android N at the conference. It’s also possible the company will preview of a hybrid Chrome OS-Android operating system that the company has been rumored to have been working on.

MORE: Google Merging Chrome OS And Android? Not So Fast

However, when reports of the new operating system first surfaced in Oct., the company denied it was abandoning Chrome OS, stating it was committed to the lightweight, web-based system for the foreseeable future.

Another possible announcement slated for the conference is Google announcing its own line of smartphones, designed and manufactured entirely within the company, similar to the recently released Pixel C tablet.

And given that Google has chosen an outdoor venue to hold its event, it’s always possible that moonshot projects could land at the show. For instance, the company could preview Project Loon, its initiative to deliver wireless internet connectivity to remote locations via high-altitude balloons. And with a large parking lot and enough space to accommodate more than 20,000 people, Google self-driving car demonstrations aren’t a stretch, either.

WATCH: It’s a Bird! It’s a Plane! It’s a Google ‘Energy Kite’!

With this surprising venue choice, Google I/O has certainly raised eyebrows. And with enough resources to customize Shoreline Amphitheater however it sees fit, Google won’t be confined by space at the event. What will that lead to? As Pichai’s tweet indicated, we can expect Google to release more details in the coming weeks.

About the Author
By Jason Cipriani
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

startup team smiles in front of camera
CryptoCryptocurrency
Exclusive: Megapot raises $5 million to create a crypto-powered global lottery
By Carlos GarciaMarch 26, 2026
31 minutes ago
Water storage construction on the Meta data center site in Holly Ridge, Richland Parish, Louisiana.
AIEye on AI
Inside Meta’s chaotic AI boomtown in rural Louisiana
By Sharon GoldmanMarch 26, 2026
1 hour ago
Harvey CEO Winston Weinberg
SuccessCareers
30-year-old CEO of $11 billion Harvey earned the backing of OpenAI and Sam Altman. He says you have to ‘re-earn’ your role every 6 months
By Preston ForeMarch 26, 2026
3 hours ago
SuccessHiring
Duolingo CEO’s taxi driver test decides who gets hired—before the interview even starts
By Sydney LakeMarch 26, 2026
3 hours ago
chaplin
AIAI agents
‘Intelligence may be scalable, but accountability is not’: A new report exposes the hidden cost of the AI agent revolution
By Nick LichtenbergMarch 26, 2026
4 hours ago
wyle
HealthTV
‘The Pitt’ shows an ER getting shut down by a cyberattack that is totally true to life
By Jeffrey Tully, Christian Dameff and The ConversationMarch 26, 2026
5 hours ago

Most Popular

Success
Palantir’s billionaire CEO says only two kinds of people will succeed in the AI era: trade workers — ‘or you’re neurodivergent’
By Fortune EditorsMarch 24, 2026
2 days ago
C-Suite
'I didn’t want anybody shooting me': Five Guys CEO gave away $1.5 million bonus to employees over botched BOGO burger birthday celebration
By Fortune EditorsMarch 25, 2026
22 hours ago
Magazine
The youngest-ever female CEO of a Fortune 500 company is fighting Trump's cuts to keep Medicaid strong
By Fortune EditorsMarch 24, 2026
2 days ago
Commentary
The Treasury just declared the U.S. insolvent. The media missed it
By Fortune EditorsMarch 23, 2026
3 days ago
Success
JPMorgan’s Jamie Dimon says remote work breeds ‘rope-a-dope politics’ and stunts young workers’ growth
By Fortune EditorsMarch 25, 2026
1 day ago
Environment
Vail Resorts' CEO says it's time to think beyond the $1,000 ski pass that helped build the empire
By Fortune EditorsMarch 26, 2026
11 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.