We started discussing the CONvergence 2023 COVID-19 safety policies at the beginning of 2023. With the CDC still recommending masks and vaccinations to help stop the spread of disease, we wanted to be sure that our policies supported this and would be feasible with our available resources.

• When developing the CONvergence 2023 Vaccination and Masking policy, we first set a minimum of where we would require masks: in audience areas where folks sit in close spaces for long periods of time.
• Vaccination and testing requirements are no longer supported by government resources, and pose a cost burden to those without access to insurance or free options.
• We felt it was important to continue to recommend that our community stay up to date with vaccination and testing.

At the February and March 2023 Convention Committee (ConCom) meetings, we asked department heads to tell us whether their spaces at the convention should require masks because we value input from our core group of volunteers.

• As part of this process, we had several meetings and discussions with individual department heads around which areas of the convention to mask or not.
• Each department made the decision about whether or not to require masks based on internal departmental needs.
• Parties, Dealers Room, and Artists Alley spaces have more complex issues around enforcement due to the nature of said areas.
  • Party Room hallways intersect with areas going in and out of private rooms
  • Dealers Room and Artists Alley have a very small staff and very large area with a constantly shifting population
  • The Exhibitor Hall is very noisy, making it very difficult for vendors to interact with customers with the addition of masks and no option for speech reading

The Masking and Vaccination policy we announced in early April 2023 was the result of this collaboration. We welcome and encourage everyone to wear their mask everywhere, even and especially where masks are not mandated. As in 2021 and 2022, N95 masks will be available at the door to Dealers Room & Artists Alley.

We understand and acknowledge that these conditions are not ideal. They are a compromise. We are doing our best with the resources we have. We ask that you help us be as inclusive as possible by doing your best, too. All of our members are irreplaceable, and we want to see all of you back whenever you feel comfortable returning.

Please contact the CONvergence board of directors with any feedback you have with regard to the CONvergence 2023 Masking and Vaccination policy, or and especially if you would like to offer assistance to Convergence Events, Inc. for navigating this complicated topic in the future.

The post Answers to Your Questions About the CONvergence 2023 Masking Policy appeared first on Convergence Events, Inc..

Last week, we sent you a communication regarding this year’s plans for the CONvergence convention. As you might imagine, it generated a lot of buzz and excitement, as well as a wide range of emotions. We know that we’re not going to be able to please everyone this year and some of you may be downright sad or angry.  If you are, we’re very sorry for that. The choices we are making are hard ones that we never imagined we’d have to make. We’re still in a pandemic, and our most important priority is the wellbeing of our community. We will stand by that, even at the cost of making some people frustrated or sad.

So much of what we have been navigating is uncharted territory. There was no CONvergence Pandemic Plan in the bottom of a locked filing cabinet stuck in a disused lavatory with a sign on the door saying “Beware of the Leopard.” Instead we have conducted research, spoken with various State agencies, and consulted experts around what we can do and what makes the most sense.  We ask you to understand that the rules we have decided to implement are coming from that place. We don’t claim them to be perfect, and we don’t believe any of them are wrong, but we do welcome your feedback and additional information.

We’ve laid out plans for our 2021 convention, but there is still more work to be done and we have not stopped researching and checking in with the Minnesota Department of Health, the Center for Disease Control, and the Governor’s office, to name a few.  As new information emerges that tells us better ways to accomplish our goals or informs us of a measure that should not be implemented, we will analyze and consider that information. We may implement new rules/guidelines that we can verify are the right thing to do.

We have no intention to do anything but the best for our community, and as a community we need you to work with us, both to help us be aware and cognizant of information we don’t have, and also to give us the benefit of the doubt in working to support one another. If we become aware that safety measures should not be done, you have our commitment that we will update them—but as of now these rules and measures stand.

We received a number of questions on a few short topics. Below are answers to some of the most common questions we’ve received.

Why are we requiring masks if everyone attending is vaccinated?

One of the greatest misconceptions of COVID-19 precautions and vaccines are that either are 100%-guaranteed effective. They are not.

• While the vaccines are very effective, we are still learning how effective they are for different people with different health circumstances, how long they last, and what holistically they can protect against. You can be vaccinated and still catch COVID-19, still be a carrier, or still be asymptomatic. It is still possible to pass the infection to another person, who can take it home to their unvaccinated loved ones.
• Likewise, masks are not 100% effective, but being vaccinated and wearing a mask together represents the greatest percentage chance of preventing transmission.

Our community includes many people with health conditions such as immunodeficiencies, cancer, breathing disorders, diabetes, etc. that could reduce the efficacy of their vaccination and/or make them more susceptible to becoming severely ill or dying from COVID-19. While we are requiring people to be vaccinated and masked, we cannot guarantee that no one will encounter anyone or anything that is not free of COVID-19 contamination. The common spaces in the hotel do not require vaccination; people in the streets will not all be vaccinated; vaccinated people can contract the virus and carry it; and some of our members coming from out of town will create different levels of risk for our community. And so, while nothing we can do is 100% guaranteed to prevent COVID-19 transmission, we feel it is important to do everything we can to minimize the chance that anyone can become infected.

Some may ask: why, since we can’t guarantee 100% protection, would we add a measure that seems like it would only have a small effect? In our opinion, a small effect may make all the difference to a member of our community, and if something seemingly so small saves the life of even one person, then it is worth doing. Our hope and belief is that everyone in our community feels the same and would prioritize the life of even one of our members over the convenience of not wearing a mask.

Finally, while the CDC does say that vaccinated people can go back to “regular” activities, for the average person, regular activities don’t include large conventions. Thus, the CDC has additional specific guidance for large events like ours and actually does recommend masks:

Guidance for Organizing Large Events and Gatherings

Updated May 20, 2021

[…]

Promoting Healthy Behaviors that Reduce Spread

Event planners should consider implementing strategies to encourage behaviors that reduce the spread of COVID-19 among staff and attendees.

[…]

Masks

• Require that staff and attendees wear well-fitting masks that fit completely over their nose and mouth. Make a plan beforehand for how compliance will be monitored and ensured.
• Encourage attendees ahead of the event to bring and use masks at the event. Consider having masks on-hand to provide to staff and attendees who do not bring their own.

[…]

Click here to read the full CDC guidance for large events.

Rolling Over Memberships

If you purchased a membership for CONvergence 2020 in 2019 or 2020, and you did not request a refund when the convention was postponed, your membership has been automatically rolled forward for the 2021 membership cycle and this year’s convention. You can verify your membership status by logging into your account as if you were going to register and check under “My Registered Events” on the pull down menu. Click here for help using the registration system. If you have further questions, contact the CONvergence Registration department at [email protected].

Membership Transfers

If you do not plan to attend CONvergence 2021 and do not need to retain your voting rights for Convergence Events elections, you can transfer your membership to someone else and recoup the cost just like in any other Convention year. All transactions are the responsibility of yourself and the other party. You can find information on how to do this on the CONvergence Registration Page.

We hope this helps answer some of your questions regarding last week’s announcement, and would like to sincerely thank you for your patience and support. This convention, our community, only works when we work together.

Convergence Events Board of Directors

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Thank you for your patience over the past months! The Convergence Events Board of Directors has been working hard to discern how best to proceed this year. There were many decisions to be made based upon information that has been slow in coming and not always clear. We have gathered as much information as possible, which has resulted in a need to innovate and be creative—as well as make some tough decisions. We know you will understand.

Our first priority is the safety and well-being of our community. This has guided our decision-making and is the basis for some of the choices we have made.

Our next priority is the health of the organization, of which you all are members. While many people choose to participate by just attending the CONvergence convention, the annual  membership you purchase actually sustains the year-round Convergence Events organization.  The convention is one of the events we put on, one of the benefits of your membership, and one of the things that brings so many of us joy.

Because COVID-19 restrictions are being lifted, and because we have agreements and contracts in place with financial penalties for cancellation, we are faced with this choice:

• We can proceed with holding a convention.
• We can dissolve Convergence Events permanently.

We have therefore made the decision to proceed with holding a convention.

However…

Our community still remains our first priority. Not everyone feels or even is safe gathering for an in person event.  Herein is where our geekiness becomes one of our greatest assets. While we are proceeding, we have developed a couple alternatives to allow everyone to choose an option to participate in the way they feel comfortable. Please read on to see the plans for this year.

CONvergence 2021: The Stuff of Legends

To accommodate the needs and well-being of our community, we will offer three ways to participate in a unique model for CONvergence 2021: In person, Online and Staycation, each explained below.

• In-Person CONvergence Convention
  The in-person convention event will include most of the fun things you have come to expect from CONvergence: Guests of Honor, panels, performances, Dealers Room, Artists Alley, Art Show, Gaming, Parties, ConSuite, and more. They may just be a little different and a little more spread out for everyone’s safety. Future communications will include more specific details about what you can expect for each area and event, so stay tuned!
• Online CONvergence Convention
  For those who want a CONvergence experience, but do not want to gather in person, we will be offering online programming throughout the convention that will include some of the in-person events, as well as some online-only programming. More details about online programming will be forthcoming!
• CONvergence Staycation
  For those who do not want to attend the in-person convention but still have a need to get a break from being in quarantine, we encourage you to come stay at the hotel, but remain in the comfort and safety of your room. In addition to the online programming, you can enjoy special closed-circuit CONvergence programming exclusive to hotel guests, and you will get special activity kits from the Quantum Sandbox and more (to be determined) CONvergence fun and treats delivered to your room!

In-Person COVID-19 Safety Protocols and Restrictions

Attendees must wear masks in all convention spaces, and all attendees must be fully vaccinated.  We will have check-in stations for showing proof of your vaccination. You will be provided with a wristband, sticker, or pin (to be determined) that will affirm your vaccinated status. This will need to be worn throughout the convention, along with your mask and your badge.

Rooms will be set up with social distancing protocols in mind, and there will be sanitizing stations throughout the convention.

In order to support the members of our Convention Committee (ConCom) who may not feel comfortable or be safe attending, we are not requiring their participation. As such, there will be some necessary restrictions to facilitate a smaller group organizing and running the convention this year, in addition to COVID-19 safety. We will be capping attendance at 3,500 members and closing pre-registration on June 15th, 2021. No memberships will be sold after this date and there will be no at-the-door registrations.

Membership Refunds

Last year, due to the pandemic, we made the decision to postpone the convention and extend everyone’s membership forward to include 2021 or offer an exception to our standard No Refunds policy because of COVID-19 conditions. This was the right thing to do for our community, but it did have an impact on the organization financially. The loss of revenue from rolling memberships forward and offering refunds impacts our financial position this year, and the flexibility available to us if we want CONvergence to happen in future years.

We will not be offering refunds for most Adult or Teen memberships because doing so would financially endanger Convergence Events even further. Your membership, whether or not you use it to attend CONvergence 2021, ensures CONvergence can continue next year and into future years.

Unfortunately, because we are requiring in-person attendees to be vaccinated, those under 12 years of age will not be permitted to attend. We recognize this will be hard for families who love attending CONvergence together, but we believe the safety and health of our membership must take precedence. We hope some families will take advantage of the Staycation option to have CONvergence fun together, but understand this will not work for everyone. Thus we are making an exception to our No Refunds policy for families who have purchased childrens’ memberships. Additionally, if you have a medical condition that prohibits you from being vaccinated, please email [email protected] for accommodations. No other refunds will be given.

We Really Need Volunteers

Because of the unique circumstances around this year’s convention, and the decreased number of ConCom Members during this convention cycle, we are looking for volunteers that will be necessary in order to put on the convention. Without enough volunteers, we will have to cut some areas of programming and services.

While we need help for the in-person convention, there are also many volunteer opportunities that will not require attending the in-person CONvergence event. And volunteers also get some great CONvergence swag! If you are interested in volunteering to help make CONvergence 2021 the best that it can be for everyone, please contact the Volunteers Department at [email protected].

Donations Always Accepted

If you are not planning to participate in CONvergence 2021 and would like to convert your membership into a tax-deductible donation, simply email [email protected] and we will issue a receipt for your taxes. If you would like to make an additional donation to Convergence Events in any amount, please use the button below.

You will receive a tax receipt and the gratitude of a community that needs your support.

Again, thank you for your patience and we hope that you will find something in this year’s convention that will appeal to you. As a community, we will improvise, adapt, and overcome the obstacles. Together, we will make CONvergence 2021 the best we can, and continue to build towards a better future.

Thank you for supporting our community.

Sincerely,

Convergence Events Board of Directors

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We know that COVID-19 is foremost in the news and in a lot of people’s minds right now; Much like you, we are deeply concerned about the impact to the health and well being of our membership from the Coronavirus (COVID-19). We are closely monitoring information on a national and local level and we are proceeding accordingly. While the situation is very fluid, we are currently strongly committed to proceeding with CONvergence August 2020.

We have heard from a number of you with concerns, and we wanted to make sure to address these concerns as best we can. Rest assured, our priority is the health and welfare of all of our community and we will take the best measures we can to ensure everyone’s wellbeing. While we want you to attend, we still urge you to do what you think is in the best interests of your health and the welfare of you and your family because that, ultimately, is more important than anything else.  

We will continue to monitor the situation, and are prepared to update our plans as the situation changes. We promise that we will keep you all informed as best we can with information as it becomes available.  

We also want you to know that your input means a lot, and makes a difference, so please feel free to reach out with concerns and ideas you might have.

Sincerely,

CONvergence Board of Directors

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