The unvaccinated people will be able to spread the disease. They will need masks and social distancing.

The vaccinated people dont want to have either. You cant have a convention where half have no restrictions and half must be distanced. Which means it must all be distanced. Which means limits and masks and temperature checks. Which is clearly less profitable. 

As long as 30% of the population wont get a vaccine there cannot be an unrestricted convention, unless the convention were limited only to vaccinated people. 

The science is simple. The more it spreads the greater the chance for a mutation. The greater the chance for a mutation, the greater the chance the mutation limits or eliminates the effectiveness of the vaccine. And then we are back to where we started. No one wants that outcome.

I don't think Gen Con needs to babysit people.  Thus far, all three vaccines have provided approximately 100% protection against hospitalization and death from Covid.  By the end of May it will available free of charge for any eligible person who wants it.  Regardless, a sizable minority of the population will never get it for one reason or another.

At some point, our collective responsibility to protect each other needs to give way to personal responsibility to protect ourselves.

some people wont get a vaccine. They have to live with that choice. But gencon is a business. They are going to do what is safest but also gets them the most money. They have reiterated it here several times. It wont be left up to individuals to decide. There will be health policies people will be required to comply with. 

Or simply dont go.

Okay keep in mind now this is only my 2 cents!  Somebody mentioned providing a badge mark of some sort for the vaccinated people.   I love this idea, I have a severely compromised immune system.  Crohns and cancer both, lucky me.  Anyway I would absolutely love to be able to look at someone else and notice a very brightly-colored sticker stuck to their badge that said something like "I've been vaccinated" or something like that.  You can't require the vaccine just to attend Gen Con BUT I do believe masks MUST be mandated.  I'm sure that Gen Con management as well as ICC management can come together and make some sort of plan for mandated mask wearing.  NO EXCEPTIONS NO EXCUSES without some sort of medical verification and those who provide the appropriate medical verification that they can't wear a mask.  Those people will receive a different brightly-colored sticker to apply to there badge.  I know legally you can't make someone disclose their medical issues, all the letters need to say on the Dr's letter head is that for medical reasons you can't.   ALSO, make sure when registering that everyone knows that the people that provide such a letter are going to be spot checked by calling the Dr listed on the letter head.  If the letter turns out to be fraudulent then you will be banned from the 2021 convention.  Yes that's harsh, but people need to know that they better be honest or loose a lot of money and fun.  I know you can't make a very small child wear a mask.  Up to say 8 or whatever should be exempt.  I'm sure I pissed someone off.  Don't be an ass about it just try not being arrogant and talk it out.  Hell I might even be willing to pay for all the stickers!

Which is why the rules should be uniform. If people cannot wear a mask, then this Gencon is probably not for them. They should put their own health first after all.

Sorry about your own health issues. I wish you well.

All of this may be moot at this point.  The major gaming companies need months to prepare for this.  Many of them will not attend if they cannot get their people vaccinated.  Looking at the kinds of preparations involved, their costs, the reduced size of the audience, and whether they will have enough volunteers or employees who can safely attend, many may make the choice not to attend.  Many of the vendors in the dealer's hall may not be there either for safety reasons.  There may not be enough exhibitors attending to justify the convention.

don't forget the GM's need time to prepare.  I usually run 2 to 3 events each con (a 40person LARP and a tabletop RPG)  My time is very limited so I have to start working on my events usually in January and we sometimes are still putting props together the night before we leave.  I know that my contribution is small compared to say, Pazio, but I hope GenCon staff take this into account.  I can't be the only one.

I agree on Gencon needing to make a call by Easter.  If we're doing this onsite in August, or even online that month, folks will need time to prepare and make plans.  Certainty should be had one way or another by that holiday, with everything then having smaller windows to make happen:).

I mean, my spouse is playtesting his completely original RPG runs this month, but he's an optimist:).  I doubt others will be as ready to go once a call is made if it goes too late.
 

I see a lot of misrepresentation of the vaccine and what it does to justify a mandatory vaccine to attend:
The only thing the current ones do is prevent the symptoms; they don't prevent transmission and they don't prevent you from getting COVID-19.

I want to add that those who have antibodies to COVID-19 because they previously had it should be grouped in with any that would have been vaccinated; they are less likely to transmit it to others and less like to have symptoms, and that assumes they are the small minority that get sick from it twice.

Besides a break in March/April 2020, I have been flying 1-2 times a months for work during the rest of 2020 and into 2021. Despite what the news would like to have us think, I have yet to see a "situation" in the airport or on the airplane regarding policy/mask compliance that escalated beyond someone being gently reminded and then complying. Peer pressure works wonders. All that is to say that I agree that the rate of compliance with easy-to-follow policies such as masking -should those policies be put in place- will likely be higher than people may think. 

That being said, even with a protocol to address non-compliance, will full compliance be 100% at all times and will there be Gencon/security staff available to run up and ring the shame-bell at a non-compliant person as soon as you see them? Of course not; only casinos have the money and infrastructure to monitor large groups like that. 

Whatever people think regarding a vaccination requirement, I do not believe GenCon has the resources to implement such a policy beyond a questionnaire or waiver. I have traveled to several states that require proof of a recent negative Covid19 test or proof of recovered infection to enter the state without quarantining. I have been compliant in having the proper documentation, but the only time I was asked to produce that documentation was a request to email it to someone at a health department; however, failure to do this would not have prevented me from leaving the airport or going about my business. States can draw on public dollars and federal aid, and they have had a year to get their existing policies where they are- if they don't have the resources for in-depth monitoring, document collection, and follow up, I don't think it's likely that GenCon does.

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chaos62417 we are not going down the road of back and forth arguments about who is right or who is wrong, and we are certainly not going to start calling people foolish.

You're one and only warning.

Let's keep it civil folks.

Mike

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You post was directed at one person and most certainly did call them foolish for their beliefs. It is not acceptable on these boards.

We are not going to continue discussing your post here.

Mike

Please contact customerservice@gencon.com to discuss.

Mike

Do those messages go to you or an impartial party?

Mike

A liability waiver would do nothing as far as compliance with the ICC policies however. That is a matter of contract and as they have said several times, they will follow the ICC requirements.