This could be informative in terms of what Gen Con might do.
Colossalcon 2021 is officially a go (it's June 2-6, in Sandusky, Ohio), and they just released their health procedures today.
Granted, it's a different convention that takes place three months before Gen Con, but it could still be a sign of what's to come for Gen Con.
Honestly, aside from gencon having a larger attendance cap than 7k, I feel all the guidelines and restrictions are rational and completely doable to insure a successful and enjoyable Gencon.
When we've seen 60+ thousand before, having just a 7k cap, seems a little small.. 25k i could see being better.
My bold prediction is that COVID will mutate in early September to the zombie virus and the first major outbreak will occur at Gencon. No one will realize what is happening because everyone will assume that they are simply LARPing.
(Just kidding- Don't take this seriously!)
^love this
Given that, the chances are reduced that it will be ready in time. Plus, as the IN governor is conservative, it's less likely to mandate one as HI has.
Really hoping that's not a bad omen for us.
I Do not believe that vaccines will be required. It will be a nightmare to handle. Also requiring vaccine passport is being shot down in most states. It is not something that should be required outside of the medical field.
If there isn't an expectation of being vaccinated to attend (even just a checkmark "I have been vaccinated" without any proof required), it will likely be replaced with some giant pile of legalese that covers their... behinds thoroughly, both for those who may attend despite an unvaccinated status, and for anyone with a medical condition that would make contracting Covid particularly dangerous.
Yes, at some point society will go on with something resembling normalcy, but even with the leaps and bounds of improvement the US has seen in reducing its numbers, they're not low enough yet (or, the vaccination rate isn't high enough yet) that the idea of just winging it is sensible, not as an attendee and especially not as an organizer.
People should actively want to get a shot before entering a space with thousands of strangers, even if the reality is that there are some people who for whatever reason hesitant (in the US, sadly political ones) or are willing to risk their health and wellbeing to attend the event.
At some point Gencon LLC isn't required to protect people from themselves, and I imagine the policies and procedures will be guided by science to protect the community, and also their Legal representation's efforts to ensure that due diligence is done, i's dotted, t's crossed, etc.
Note that I state this conversationally, without judgement or derogatory tone. It's a reality of the world we live in, prior to Covid, and a company running events of this size would be insane not to have those considerations in place.
We, as potential attendees, need to be cognizant of such things, and respect that some of the choices may indeed be beneficial all around, others may simply be the medical equivalent of 'security theater' or "why we took off our shoes at airports for like a decade because". Nod, smile, accept it for what it is and don't make the day any tougher on the poor soul enforcing the policy.
Which, hopefully won't be something the staff have to deal with much over the weekend, but it'd also be absurd to expect tens of thousands of people to attend and not have someone lose their cool over being asked to mask up or sanitize their hands for the Nth time that day, or whatever the trigger point might be. Or getting called out on one of those 'I don't have to wear a mask, see I laminated my own card and everything' types.
Let's all strive to not be 'that guy/gal', because some will fail at that goal.
I predict that I know nothing. But I have my shot, and my time off has been put in. Sooo we shall see what happens.
By showing your cdc vaccine card you receive after you get vaccinated
"Update that fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear a mask or physically distance in any setting, except where required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules, and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance"
Which adds a wee bit more nuance to the statement.
