Gen Con Event Registration Delayed

Gen Con is only 90 days away and we're in the middle of a global pandemic. UK Games Expo delayed until August, and then cancelled. Origins has delayed until October. Gen Con has just updated us on its plans -- for now, the event catalogue and event registration are delayed. At present the convention itself is going ahead as planned. Here's the full announcement.

We have been closely following the current outbreak of COVID-19, and we know that our attendees and community are as concerned as we are about the virus and the uncertainty that comes with it.

In light of announcements made by Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb, we want to assure our community that we are considering health guidelines from Indiana State officials as well as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as we monitor the situation and prepare for any contingencies.

While we evaluate safety measures related to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, both the release of the event catalog and the opening of event registration will be delayed. Thank you for your patience and understanding during this unprecedented time. We will update our community with the measures we are taking to keep everyone safe and healthy in the coming weeks.

In the meantime, please take care of yourselves and your loved ones. We wish you health and safety, and we will continue to post updates to this page as the situation develops.​

Personally, there's no force on earth that will get me to a massive convention or concert as soon as August!

 

[MGibster]

The best course of action in order to protect people is to go ahead and cancel. I realize the immense amount of work involved in organizing a convention of this size. And I can also appreciate how much this sucks for those who planned to attend this year as for some of them a trip to Gen Con is a once in the life opportunity.

 

[Umbran]

There is possibly some contractual issues involved as well - sometimes, cancelling because it is the right thing to do is not covered in your contract, and sites and hotels come after you for the money you promised them, and since the con didn't make any income on a cancelled event... it can hurt the organization badly.

If you wait to find out that the site is closed to large gatherings by the local authorities, there are no such issues.

 

[MGibster]

There is possibly some contractual issues involved as well - sometimes, cancelling because it is the right thing to do is not covered in your contract, and sites and hotels come after you for the money you promised them, and since the con didn't make any income on a cancelled event... it can hurt the organization badly.

If you wait to find out that the site is closed to large gatherings by the local authorities, there are no such issues.

Oh, I don't imagine any of the parties involved in the contract considered what action they should take in the event of a pandemic. And even if they did, well, we have a pandemic policy as part of our business continuity plan at work (hell, I manage it) and never in a million years did I think we'd actually use it. But I suspect you're correct. If GenCon cancels too soon and the state government says Indiana is open for business as usual then they're probably on the hook for cancellation fees. But if the government says they're still closed then that's something GenCon probably isn't on the hook for.

 

[ccs]

Even if GenCon is a go in a mere 90 days I just don't see how it'll work combined with the general social distancing of about 6 feet that'll no doubt still be in general (if not official) effect....

I hope it gets cancelled. That way my continuous attendance streak dating from 1990 won't be broken.

On the plus side? If it does run? I bet you'll be able to negotiate some damned good hotel rates.

 

[Parmandur]

Yeah, no way this doesn't get cancelled...

I've read that for a lot of convention organizations, though, cancellation for this year might mean never being able to open again, due to the financial fallout...

 

[CapnZapp]

The only question is whether to cancel early or cancel late.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

Sad but it's neccessary. When you read the news about the number of deaths by this epidemic, do you want to feel the weight on your conscience the damage you may cause?

 

[Alzrius]

I love Gen Con, and I've been going every year for well over twenty years now, but I really hope they cancel this year. It'd be a tragedy, but keeping the convention going in the middle of a pandemic would undoubtedly be a much worse tragedy.

 

[imagineGod]

Will anybody be courageous enough to cancel this already?