While Facebook was forced to cancel its annual F8 developer conference, Snapchat is going ahead with its Partner Summit, with a virtual event to be held on June 11th.

As explained by Snap:

“The virtual event will feature a keynote address by Snap Inc. co-founders Evan Spiegel, Chief Executive Officer, and Bobby Murphy, Chief Technology Officer, and other team members from across the company. New product features and partnerships will be announced around Snap’s augmented reality offerings, Discover content platform, developer and creator ecosystems, and more.”

Snapchat announced a heap of new updates at last year’s event – it’s first ever partner summit – including Landmarkers for Snap Lenses, the launch of its SnapKit developer platform, its games platform and more. As such, it may well be worth tuning in and seeing where the platform is headed. Snapchat also notes that video breakout sessions will be made publicly available following the conclusion of the keynote, so you can catch up on the key announcements in your own time.

One of the key announcements expected this year, as reported by The Information, is the expansion of its developer platform to allow companies to “build pared-down versions of their mobile apps within Snapchat”. The move would open Snap’s platform up to a range of new options, enabling app builders to connect with Snap’s audience, and providing a range of new functionalities for Snap users within its expanded eco-system. 

That could hold significant appeal for apps looking to reach younger markets, essentially piggy-backing on Snap’s established presence.

There are no officials details on this as yet, but that could be a major update – while you can also expect Snap to announce new AR tools, features, interactive options and more.

You can tune in on June 11th to find out (though, of course, we’ll also give you a rundown of the key details).