James Norris is Founder of The Digital Legacy Association (the professional body for digital assets planning and digital legacy safeguarding). Here, he unveils plans for their annual conference, which will examine how Covid-19 has changed and accelerated society’s attitudes around end-of-life planning, death and bereavement, and invites you to help shape the conference by submitting your abstract.

James Norris.
We are delighted to announce that The Digital Legacy Conference 2021 will take place online on 5 October 2021. The conference will feature as part of the 17th World Congress Online of the European Association for Palliative Care and the theme of the Digital Legacy Conference will be ‘PalliCovid & Exploring New Dimensions’.
The world we knew has changed. Covid-19 has unleashed chaos and the new normal is yet to be defined. The importance that communication technologies have had on our lives and the ways in which people think about death, say their goodbyes and remember their loved ones are changing.
“I tell you: one must still have chaos in oneself to give birth to a dancing star. I tell you: you still have chaos in yourselves.” Friedrich Nietzsche, Thus Spoke Zarathustra

Nilay Erdem: Stakeholder and Engagement (EMEA) Facebook speaking at the Digital Legacy Conference 2019, EAPC 2019 in Berlin, Germany.
Despite the chaos, moving and memorable moments have taken place. Compassionate, person-centred care by professionals, final goodbyes being said through mobile phones and care home residents being reunited with their loved ones following months of social distancing measures. Palliative care, healthcare and social care professionals have developed new, online communication skills, innovations have launched and new ways of working adopted.
The Digital Legacy Conference 2021 will examine how Covid-19 has changed and accelerated society’s attitudes around end-of-life planning, death and bereavement. It will review the impact of Covid-19 on Palliative Care (#PalliCovid), whilst ‘exploring new dimensions’ in the online and digital space. An array of international speakers will share their experiences, discuss research, highlight new ways of working and examine areas of best practice.

Dr Ros Taylor MBE and Dr Mark Taubert speaking at the Digital Legacy Conference 2019, EAPC 2019 in Berlin, Germany.
Following a series of conferences in London, New York and Berlin, the Digital Legacy Association will be running this year’s Digital Legacy Conference online. The event will be streamed live from Michael Sobell Hospice (North London), and available simultaneously on the Digital Legacy Association website and on the EAPC website.
Call for abstracts opens today – 18 January 2021
We welcome abstract submissions from professionals, academics and the general public in areas relating to:
- Death in today’s digital world
- Digital death and Covid-19
- Digital legacy, digital assets and digital estates
- Grieving online
- Digital graveyards
- Utilising technology to deal with death
- Digital memory loss
- Funeral streaming
- Laws and terms of service around digital assets and digital legacy
- Preparing for a digital death
- Artificial Intelligence and death
- Robotics and death
- Death, Cryptocurrency and other digital financial assets
- Death and Virtual Reality
- Best practice in the wake of Covid-19
- Diffusion of information and adoption
- The patient’s perspective
- The changing role of the professional.
Please submit your abstract here.
The Digital Legacy Conference is a not-for-profit event run by the Digital Legacy Association. It is able to take place each year due to the kind support provided by sponsors, supporters and volunteers. If you or your organisation is interested in sponsoring this year’s conference please call +44 (0) 20 3286 6812 or email: sponsorship2021@digitallegacyconference.com
Please join us live on 5 October at The Digital Legacy Conference 2021
Delegates who register for the EAPC World Congress will also be granted free access to the live stream of this year’s Digital Legacy Conference. Those unable to attend the EAPC World Congress can purchase tickets for the Digital Legacy Conference for £20 from their website.
Links
- To learn more about the Digital Legacy Conference and submit an abstract, visit DigitalLegacyConference.com
- To follow the ‘Digital Legacy Conference 2021 – PalliCovid & Exploring New Dimensions’ on Twitter visit Twitter.com/PalliCovid
- To learn more about the Digital Legacy Association visit: DigitalLegacyAssociation.org
- Read more posts about the 17th EAPC World Congress here.
Call for Abstracts for 17th EAPC World Congress Online #EAPC2021 now open. We welcome research abstracts and also abstracts about exciting new initiatives in service delivery. Deadline: 14 February 2021. Please join us at the 17th EAPC World Congress Online – interactive live sessions 6 to 8 October 2021. Find out more, register and submit your abstract here.