CONvergence Convention Committee Meeting Notes

Saturday, October 17, 2015

ConCom Meeting notes are sent out after each meeting via the ConCom Google Group.

Department’s Google Drive:
Log into your departments Google account to access the ConCom notes folder on Google Drive. (Those who have access to your Departments Google Account/Email is something determined within the department. If you are not sure who is responsible for the Google Account, please ask one of the Departments Heads and/or your Director.)

Google Group:
Log into your Google account to access the CVG ConCom Google Group. Here you can access any post that has been made on the Google Group.

The email addresses on the Google Group are the same as those on the ConCom List. If you need to change your email address, please do so through the ConCom List Update form.

Update 2016 ConCom List Request

If you have issues accessing your departments Drive, receiving posts from the Google Group, or using the ConCom List Update Form, please contact your Director for assistance.

Member Advocates:

For the first election of the Member Advocates, there will be three spots open:

  • One for a 6 month term
  • One for a 12 month term
  • One for an 18 month term

The First Election was held and the following Member Advocates were selected by the ConCom.

  • Felix Quinn- 18 Month Term
  • Becca Cook- 12 Month Term
  • David Kraft- 6 Month Term

You may contact the Member Advocates at memberadvocates@convergence-
con.org

Recap description of Member Advocates

  • This cannot be a department in the divisional structure or it is subject to influence by the board and invalidates part of the function
  • Need to answer/suggest to the board as a whole, not to an individual or it is subject to influence by one person and invalidates part of the function.
  • Needs to be answerable to the ConCom to be accountable and effective
  • 18 month cycle
  • One elected every six months by the ConCom
  • Makes reports to the board (in person or in email) as needed to advocate issues – If in person, they need to let the board know what issues they are bringing before the meeting so we can be ready to discuss them
  • The recommendations of the Member Advocate will be as a ‘non-binding arbitration’. The board will take the recommendations and work to find applicable solutions
  • Volunteers will submit their information to the board
  • The board will NOT select candidates, all volunteers for the position will be presented to the ConCom for election
  • In the case of a tie, the board will make a decisions between the two tied volunteers
  • This will be presented at the September ConCom meeting, and the first election will be at the October ConCom Meeting.
  • Term limits will not be enforced; the ConCom will have a right to choose their Advocates.
  • Elections will be done by show of hands
  • Elections of an Advocate will be October and April
  • There will be a total of three Member Advocates

Scaling Committee

We are now requesting self-nominations for Scaling Committee candidates through November 15th. 2015. The Board of Directors will appoint members to this committee by December 7th, 2015. Please submit self-nominations via email to [email protected].

Recap description of Scaling Committee

  • We agree that this is needed not only to address growth to “10,000 attendees” but also address the items that haven’t scaled from growth already experienced.
  • We will be forming a committee, during the 2016 cycle to do so.
    • Five to Ten members – reviewed and re-appointed annually
    • Limit of one former director (0 or 1)
    • Limit of one current director (0 or 1)
    • The rest of the positions should be made up by members of the ConCom and other CONvergence Volunteers
    • Leadership of the committee to be decided by the committee, but former and current directors are disqualified from leading.
    • Recommendations are to be presented to the Board for consideration. The board is not compelled to accept the recommendations. However, we feel the board should be strongly urged to accept them unless there are good and compelling reasons not to.
    • Tasked to compile, evaluate, and help implement items that will secure the ongoing growth of the convention and community in a proactive way.

Board of Directors Elections:

Held Sunday, January 17, 2016 also our annual membership meeting.

Board of Director seats up for Election in 2016:

Membership Communications
Term: 8/16/2016-8/15/2017
Departments:

  • Advertising
  • Creative Services
  • Web Team
  • Social Media
  • Publications
  • Photography

Productions
Term: 8/16/2016-8/15/2019
Departments:

  • Ceremonies
  • CVG-TV & Video
  • MainStage (including Green Room)
  • Masquerade
  • Harmonic Convergence

Systems
Term: 8/16/2016-8/15/2019
Departments:

  • IT (Including Web Master)
  • Finance
  • Meeting Childcare
  • Accessibility

Facilities
Term: 8/16/2016-8/15/2019
Departments:

  • Dock
  • First Advisors
  • Hotel
  • Decor
  • Nerf Herders
  • Resume

We are now accepting self-nominations for Board of Directors candidates through 11:59 PM CT on Sunday, November 15, 2015. Please indicate which position you are seeking. Please send self-nominations to [email protected] and/or [email protected]

Department Announcements

Facilities

Resume
DoubleTree Resume Gurus for the 2016 cycles include: Jennifer Hummel, Theresa Bennett, and Kathy Peck.

We’re going back to the traditional way of sending and gathering Resume information. We’ll once again email the Department-specific Resume documents from the 2015 cycle to each Department by the November Con-Com.
The Resume Deadline remains the April Con-com and the May Con-Com continues to be the Final Sign-off date.

Nerf Herders
As in years past, we will be doing a bulk tape order for the convention, but you need to account for the tape in your own department’s budget. The order will be placed in April and tape distributed at the June Concom meetings, same as last year.

Speaking of tape, Nerf Herders are working with other departments to settle on a standard set of colors to use for different roles. For example, Nerf Herders use yellow for the primary line and pink for the backup line. Our members and guests deserve a consistent experience so that they know what the various colors of tape mean. For example, many departments use tape to mark off places that should be left empty in order to, for example, have space for video to set up, so a ‘Do not go here’ color would be one that we standardized on. Accessibility is another area we need to have a standard color for throughout the convention, and they’ve already spoken to us about that.

If your department uses tape, please talk to us so we can discuss how to provide a consistent experience for our membership.

Hospitality

Operations
The current version of the revised member conduct policies was sent to the members of the ConCom e-mail list on October 12. If you were not on the ConCom list at the time and would like to review the policies and provide your feedback, please send an e-mail to [email protected]. We would like to receive all comments no later than November 1, so that the policies can be finalized and presented to the membership before the end of 2015.

As a part of Operations focus on member safety issues for 2016, CONvergence Safe Space has officially been defined. See http://www.convergence-con.org/at-the-con/services/safe-space/

Guests of Honor
The Guests department would like to announce that we have seven confirmed guests for CONvergence 2016.

Our confirmed guests are:

  • Voice Actor Khary Payton,
  • Comedian and Writer Joseph Scrimshaw,
  • Author, Poet and Critic Amal El-Mohtar,
  • Author, Advocate, Critic and Pop Culture Geek Mark Oshiro,
  • Comic Book Artist Christopher Jones,
  • Space Historian and Journalist Amy Shira Teitel,
  • Producer, Director, Author and Afrofuturist Ytasha L. Womack

Administration

Logistics
Storage Unit guidelines

We no longer use the Waterbury location for any storage. Items are either stored in the pods and are not accessible during the year. Or they are in secure storage and are accessible when arranged for with the quartermaster (see below).

We are using Lock-up Secure Storage in Bloomington located at 221 American Blvd. West Bloomington, MN 55420.

Reason:
In the past most of our locations have not been truly secure. We are getting in more expensive equipment for various departments and it was felt a more secure location needed to be acquired. We also needed a temperature-controlled site for electronics.

Access:
Lock-up is available year round to those that require access.
The following individuals have keys to the facilities:

  1. To gain access (please start with the Quartermaster): Fill out the following form which can be found at http://www.convergenceevents.org/departments/logistics/logisticsrequests/ The form will be automatically be sent back to the Logistics Email at logistics.convergence-con.org, Make sure to include:
    1. Date: you would like access
    2. Time: you would like to meet to gain access. The preferred time to go over to the storage unit would be during the working portion of the Concom meeting. If this is not possible the Quartermaster requests times to be after 4:30 week nights or before noon on weekends.
    3. Your department
    4. What is being removed from the unit
    5. Expected length of time you will have the item(s)
    6. Date: You will be returning the item(s)
    7. Time: You will be returning the item(s)
  2. Try to contact us at least a week in advance.
  3. 3. Either a department head or sub-head needs to be present.
  4. 4. Please make sure your vehicle is large enough to care your item(s).

You should expect a reply within 24-48 hours of the form being sent. If you do not please contact the Administration Director for follow up.

Membership Communications

Publications
* Waiting on write up. Follow up email with announcement will be sent when it is available. *

Activities

Sandbox
Connie’s Quantum Sandbox is a creative hands-on activity room that requires a specific amount of data for activities, and we are accepting input for activities for the 2016 season. You can find our activity leader suggestion form on the Convergence website – http://www.convergence-con.org/get-involved/sandbox-activity-leaders/ and search for the USE THIS FORM option under the Suggesting an Activity or Demonstration.

Sandbox is in need of materials for donations for 2016. #1 is cardboard boxes (preferably small size – shoebox, Think geek/Amazon size basic sizes) for the construction of a transportation system that will be destroyed by small costumed minions. We are looking to have a video session that equals the 24-hr film festival. Please save these boxes in a collapsed form and we will let you know the estimated delivery and stay tuned for updates regarding media release forms.

Programming
Programming would like to remind the ConCom that while the official Brainstorming sessions have come and gone, all members are welcome and encouraged to submit ideas for Programming using the online form: http://www.convergence-con.org/get-involved/panels/panel-suggestion-
form/

Also, Programming would like to remind the ConCom that we are forming a team to map the convention-usable space in the hotel. To that end, we are asking all Departments for two things:

  1. Your Department’s specific needs, if any.
    This includes the level of detail and accuracy we need for the drawings of the space you use. Our default precision is to the full inch. Many Departments have also requested outlet placement be mapped. Please be advised we are unable to map anything beyond the 2-D floor plan, so outlet/countertop height is not something we will be including in this iteration, only their location on the wall.
  2. Any volunteers willing to help with the measurement of your and other Department spaces.We will begin coordinating with the Hotel Department soon to arrange dates/times for on-site measuring. Any ConCom members with 100-foot or greater tape or laser measures willing to lend such to the cause would receive our thanks. We expect several on-site visits will be required to map all we would like to so there will be several opportunities to aid in this endeavor.

Productions

Video
The video department is having another editing retreat day on Sunday, November 15. We are in need of editors with their own equipment and editing software for that day who may want some extra volunteer hours. Anyone interested can contact us at [email protected]

Systems

Accessibility

Partners

JOF

The Journeyfolk of Fandom – aims to bring together people who are interested in running conventions and we’re launching JOFShop, a monthly series of get-togethers, workshops, and salons to bring together the local con running community. We also have a Slack Chat – an online chat system – open to all who are interested. Please email M Waterhouse ([email protected]) if you’d like to join. Our first salon is 5pm on11/29/2015 at the Chatterbox Pub in St Paul (in the banquet room).

GPS

Auction Donations Are Being Accepted – We’ve got our upcoming auction at CONvergence (this year’s theme is dystopia). We’ll be taking donations at CVG concom meetings, and can make arrangements to take them at the center. If you plan on delivering your donation to a convention, we’ll be taking them Friday and Saturday at CONsole Room, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at CONvergence. Do you have items you want to donate? Please complete the Donation Online Submission Form so we can arrange delivery and have the bid sheet for your item ready.

Reminder that funds raised go to supporting our mission, including the Space Camp Scholarship and our educational grants program, Project Lighthouse.

Howdy Partners – YOU ARE INVITED!

June 27-28 | Geeks@Pride
Once again we are sponsoring a booth at the festival and have invited our partners and geeky organizations to provide volunteers to represent their organization. This year we will also be in the Parade on Sunday! To volunteer to help build the float, staff the booth, or participate in the parade please email [email protected].

Upcoming for GPS

Mark your Calendars

  • July 12 – Renfest Booth Garb Day – come work on your garb, find out about booth volunteering.
  • mid July – we’ll start accepting donations for the Great Geek Garage Sale, watch for dates and times.
  • 7/31-8/2 – U.G.G. Weekend of Gaming – in case you didn’t get enough gaming at con…
  • August 1 – GPS Ice Cream Social – Phalen Regional Park noon-5
  • August 8 – GPS Movie Night
  • August 18 – GPS Open Forum – want to know what the money is going toward? Come and find out.
  • August 22 – ReCon – Minnesota Miniatures Gaming Association quarterly event

Below is a current calendar listing of upcoming meetings, events, and deadlines.

November ConCom Meeting 11/8/2015 (tentative)
Approved Department Budgets should be provided and communicated to the Departments by this Meeting.

Sunday, November 15th 11:59PM
Deadline for self-nominations for the Board Positions up for Election. Send to [email protected] and/or [email protected]

The following Board seats are up for Election
Productions
Systems
Facilities
Membership Communications
(Special One Year Term 8/16/16-8/15/17)

Deadline for self-nomination for the Scaling Committee positions. Send to [email protected] and/or [email protected]

Monday, December 7th
Board of Director will appoint Scaling Committee Members by this date.

Thursday, December 31st
Logistics would like to have any unused or no longer wanted equipment removed from the storage unit by this date. Please work with your Director on what to do with equipment your department no longer needs or wants. If possible, we would like to repurpose or recycle these items. Please plan on making arrangements to discuss with your Director and schedule time at the storage unit before the end of the calendar year. Questions? Contact your Director and/or [email protected]

Sunday, January 17, 2016
Annual Meeting and Elections

List of 2016 Convention Committee Meetings. All are tentative unless stated otherwise.

  • Sun, 9/20/2015 (Confirmed, Location: DoubleTree)
  • Sat, 10/17/2015 (Confirmed, Location: DoubleTree)
  • Sun, 11/8/2015
  • Sun, 1/17/2016
  • Sun, 2/21/2016
  • Sat, 3/19/2016
  • Sun, 4/17/2016
  • Sat, 5/14/2016
  • Sun, 6/5/2016
  • Sat, 6/18/2016
  • Sat, 7/16/2016 (Post Mortem and Volunteer Party)