Dear colleagues, Following the success of RIPE 80, and with the ongoing risks posed by large gatherings still very much in mind, I have decided together with the RIPE NCC Meeting staff and the RIPE NCC MD, that RIPE 81 will take place as a virtual meeting. We have the support from the RIPE Programme Committee and the RIPE Working Group Chairs in making this decision. This means we are no longer bound by the availability of the venue when setting the date of the event, so after careful consideration, we have decided to change the date of the event. RIPE 81 will now take place from 27-30 October 2020. This change will not only help to ensure that the timing of RIPE 81 is better aligned with other industry events, but it also gives the RIPE Programme Committee, RIPE Working Group Chairs and RIPE NCC staff an extra month to prepare for the meeting, and so to explore options on how to improve the overall virtual experience for all our attendees. We are making this decision now rather than later in the hopes that this will give everyone plenty of time to make plans and come take part in RIPE 81. Best regards, Hans Petter Holen ad-interim RIPE Chair