CONvergence Convention Committee Meeting Notes

Sunday, June 7th, 2015

Remaining 2015 ConCom Meeting Dates (2pm):

  • 6/20/15: Saturday, June 20th
  • 7/25/15: Saturday, July 25th Post Mortem

Remaining 2015 Open Committee Meeting:

  • 7/3/15: Friday, 5pm-6pm during the Convention.

Introductions and Entries into the Room Drawing

We will be going around the meeting room, having the ConCom Members enter into the Room Drawing and introduce themselves as they do so. Please announce your First Name, Last Name, and your Department only please.

Room Drawing: Drawing to have the cost of one room night covered by the organization. Eligible for any of the CONvergence Hotels.

There will be another Room Drawing during the last ConCom Meeting on June 20th, at which time 2 names will be drawn.

6/7 Room Drawing winner:
Matt Waterhouse (Nerf Herders, Cohead)

Communication

We are aware that there are communication issues at all levels of the organization and we are working towards improving those issues. With that, we have some reminders that will assist all of us with improving communication across the organization.

Please be mindful of not only your department’s timeline/deadlines, but also other department’s timelines/deadlines.

  • We are all connected and a missed deadline does affect many other departments.
  • Communicate changes and time availability early and often.
  • Be respectful of others time. Remember, we are all volunteers

If you have issue that you don’t think that your Divisional Director has addressed you may utilize any of the following options:

  • Contact your Director’s Backup (via email and during the working portion are acceptable options to utilize).
    • Amy Mills (Productions) is backed up by Margaret Eastman
    • Margaret Eastman (Activities) is backed up by Ishmael Williams
    • Ishmael Williams (H.o.M.E.) is backed up by Thomas Keeley
    • Thomas Keeley (Systems) is backed up by Liz Hernandez.
    • Liz Hernandez (Administration) is backed up by Matt Resong
    • Matt Resong (Data Transmissions) is backed up by Amy Mills
  • Contact the Board of Directors
    • Via email: [email protected]
    • Some/all during the working portion of the ConCom Meetings

Parties

Recently, it has come to our attention that a decision to no longer provide volunteer hours to those hosting Parties was not being enforced for several years. This year, communication has gone out to the Parity host informing them of this decision. We still wanted to provide support and show our appreciation to those who choose to host a party at CONvergence, so we have decided to provide the following to the Party hosts for the 2015 Convention:

  • $100 per party room toward the bed removal fee
  • A Parties Den, providing a small amount a room and a quiet space
  • An invitation to our Parties hosts to our Volunteer Party on July 25th.

Transportation: Buses

We will have buses available that will be able to transport up to 65 members at a time.

We have two buses making the rounds to all of the satellite hotels.

We have one accessible van that will make the rounds to all the satellite hotels.

We have one bus that will be transport members just between the DoubleTree and the Crowne.

Please visit our website for more information

Convergence Recruitment Sessions

Reminder that the Volunteer Recruitment Session will be taking place in Plaza 1 from 2pm-3pm.

If you are able to send a representative that is on the ConCom, they will still get credit for attending the ConCom meeting as long as they still log in. To those not on the ConCom this session will not count towards the 2 meeting requirement for voting rights.

This is the last recruitment session for the 2015 cycle.

Department Announcements

H.o.M.E. (Hospitality and Member Experience)

Hotel Department
At Con Communication with Hotel: All departments should contact Hotel directly for hotel-related needs. Calls for hotel should no longer be relayed through Ops. If you aren’t getting a response from Hotel, especially if you’re in an area that often gets bad radio reception, you can ask Ops to relay your message.

Hotel (Resume)
The Resume documents have been submitted to the DoubleTree. YAY!

THANK YOU to all everyone in all Departments for working with us this year (especially for any last minute clarifications) as we enacted and refined new Ways of Doing Things (TM).

Nerf Herders
We are all members of this convention; everyone in this room and the other five to seven thousand people who aren’t here right now. Members have to wait in lines, and that includes ConCom and Board members. If you are not on duty, you do not get to jump the line. We have had problems with this in the past, so if you do need to skip the line, please identify yourself to the Nerf Herder volunteer (in a green vest/smock): “I’m so-and-so with [Department]. I’m on duty and I need to get to the 22nd floor.” Don’t expect the volunteer to recognize you.

Also, although I just reminded you that when you are off-duty you’re the same as all the other members, we are aware that you love this convention more than anyone else, and at our peak, there are sixteen people making sure that everyone at the convention has a badge. That’s sixteen people dealing with, give or take, six thousand people walking through. Please remind yourselves and other people (including your volunteers) to wear their badges and to show them to the badgers as they walk by. If you happen to see someone who does not have a badge, please tell the Nerf Herders and we will deal with it as we can.

In response to feedback that we got from the post-mortem as well as from the general membership and a survey posted on Facebook, we are trying something new on the 22nd floor this year. We will only be taking four people plus the elevator operator down from the 22nd floor, so that we can pick up people on the in-between floors, and everyone must get off on the 22nd floor. Before anyone asks, yes, we are aware of the fireworks on Friday and Saturday night and we have a plan for that as well.

If you ordered gaff tape in the big gaff tape order, it will be available at the next ConCom (June 20) or in Nerf Herder Central (formerly the Nine Mile Grille) the Tuesday evening and Wednesday before CONvergence.

Operations
Radio Training:

  • If you will make use of a radio during the convention, Radio Training for 2015 is required. Training will take place during the working portion of the remaining 2 ConComs as well as Wednesday July 1 at 4pm.
  • If you would like for someone from Operations to provide Radio Training specifically for your department at an alternate time, please let us know. There will be scheduled Radio Training sessions during the convention for volunteers, but we ask that all members of ConCom be radio trained in advance so that there is no delay in getting radios to you when you need them. The Convention Radio Training Schedule will be provided at the June 20th meeting.
  • Radio Training sessions that are included as a part our department volunteer training will occur Tuesday, June 23 around 7pm and Saturday, June 27around 1pm. The ConCom is welcome to attend these as well.

Schedules, Contact and Blackout Times:
All individuals or departments that may need to be contacted by Operations directly during the course of the convention should send information related to shared or centralized phone numbers and schedules to Opera…@convergence-con.org.

Guest
The Guest of Honor Reception will take place on Wednesday, July 1st from 7:00PM to 10:00PM in Atrium 4.

All ConCom members are invited and may bring a Plus 1. Children are also allowed. There will be food and non-alcoholic drinks, as well as a chance to meet the Guests of Honor before we all dive into the convention and surface again sometime Sunday night.

Please extend this invitation to all ConCom members in your department. This invitation is NOT open to anyone who is not a member of ConCom and not a Plus 1 of someone on ConCom.

Administration

Registration
Numbers

Adult 4,717
Child 131
GoH/PGoH 12
Teen 210
Young Child 94
Total 5,164

Please provide all “comp” badge requests by the Saturday 6/20 Concom Meeting to give us sufficient time to enter into the database before CONvergence.

As a reminder our location has changed to Veranda 2, 3 & 4

Hours are

ON CALL Open Open ON CALL
Wednesday 9:00AM-6:00PM 9:00PM-11:59PM
Thursday 7:00AM-9:00AM 9:00AM-10:00PM 10:00PM-11:59PM
Friday 7:00AM-9:00AM 9:00AM-10:00PM 10:00PM-11:59PM
Saturday 7:00AM-9:00AM 9:00AM-10:00PM 10:00PM-11:59PM
Sunday 7:00AM-12:00PM 12:00PM-3:00PM

Merchandise
Women’s 2x will be available at con. The women’s at-con shirt will be crewneck, as it will work better with the design.

Volunteer Den
Please have the head of your department fill out the following form in order to request food from mobile volunteer den during the Con.

http://goo.gl/forms/pQW3Va2W3W

Please fill out this form before June the 15th. If you do not fill out this form your department will not receive food from us at Con. On June the 15th another form will open. This form is for errors and corrections to your order. This second form will close right before con. A head of a department may ask us for there numbers from last year; however we will not “autofill” your numbers from last year. If you have any questions please email the volunteer department.

Logistics
I would like to thank everyone that was able to update your contact information at the last meeting.

As I mentioned at the meeting we will be using the information to contact departments on when we will be dropping your equipment to your program area.

We really need departments to check in with us when they have received their stuff and at the end of the convention when you have packed up and are ready to go.

This will help my team make sure that all equipment gets put to correct storage location and does not get left behind.

Totes will be handed out at the convention to your program room a long with instructions, department colored tape, and a Sharpie.

Logistics has gotten each department again there color of tap which should be use to mark your equipment. This again is so we store to the proper location.

As with the totes; after this year your department will need plan and budget for replacement tape as needed.

Data Transmissions

Publications
Banners are on their way – I will be bringing to next meeting for handoff.

Final stage of layout and proofing. By Tuesday evening (6/9), will be sending out pages to those departments in the guide – this is NOT an invitation to re-write or do major edits, but to check spellings of names and proper dates/times.

There will be a hard deadline of Thursday evening (6/11) for response – after that, it will be assumed all is ok and we can go to print.

Systems

Finance
If you will need a check at-con, please notify Finance ASAP, even if you don’t know details, just that you will need a check.

If you need a reimbursement at-con, contact the finance department directly. Reimbursement requests dropped off at the Bridge will not be processed until after the convention.

IT

Deadline for network designs from each department is June 20th.

Partners

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!

Sat June 13 | noon – 5pm | GPS Annual Picnic

Cherokee Park large pavilion, we’ll be providing the basics – bring something to share. Hopefully it will be less tornadic this year.

Sat. June 13 6pm start | GPS Movie Night – the Rise of the Zombie Apocalypse |

In 1954, American writer Richard Matheson published a horror novel that was very influential in the development of the zombie genre and in popularizing the concept of a worldwide apocalypse due to disease. His novel has been the basis of the screenplay for four feature films and inspired George Romero’s 1968 classic zombie flick. For June’s Movie Night event, we invite you to read this ground breaking story and come join us as we screen two of the films based directly on Matheson’s work.

As Always, feel free to bring a comfy chair and snacks/beverages. A limited number of items will be made available for purchase at the event. Still not sure you’ve figured out the titles? RSVP through the Eventbrite link and get them emailed to you.

June 15 | 6:30pm – 9:30pm | GPS Arts Initiative – Figure Drawing Salon

If you sketch, draw, or paint, mark your calendar. Every third Monday of the month, the GPS Arts Initiative hosts a Figure Drawing Salon. From 6:00 until 9:00 PM, artists of all skill levels will have the chance to draw a live model and hone their craft. Classroom (106A) at Event Horizon. A small contribution will be requested to help cover the model’s honorarium. So bring your friends — the more artists join us, the smaller everyone’s contribution will need to be. For questions email [email protected].

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