I was there last year.  It was ok, but not great.

Gen Con can, of course, do as they choose.

My choice will be to wait and see.  I just don't want to go if I have to wear a mask.  I skipped events last year because I was exhausted with it. 

For me, the bottom line is that I don't want to wear a mask for 16 hours for 4 days in a row.  That's a job, not a vacation.  Maybe it bothers others less than it does me, but I just don't want to use up my vacation time like that.

It's too bad because it seems like housing is going to be very rough again and my wait-and-see plan isn't helping in that regard.  

Hoping for vaccines but not masks.  Then I'll try to cobble something together at the last minute, I guess.

I do feel for the "game all day every day" Gen-Con people, certainly, with mask requirements.  But if you ask me it is just a good excuse to do more eating outdoors for a break!  I know not everyone agrees, but I definitely felt that even 15 minutes without a mask after a few hours was enough to go back for another game-length event.

It did bring back memories of working at the FEMA mass vaccination center earlier in the year, though, and yeah definitely the first time Gen-Con ever reminded me of working, so fair enough.

Require masks? Fine. Require vaccine? Fine. No mask? Fine. No vaccine? Fine.
I am in. Game on!

Fine.
Game on.
My Apathy Super Power rules!

The May 15 event registration is really the point of no return in my opinion, not July.  Groups like ours (12+ with vax/non-vax participants) who want to play together will make a decision then. If nothing further changes, we will lose most (80%) of the group since a late change will mean event tickets won’t be available.  Some can’t get in, some won’t go because the group won’t be there, etc.  We’re hopeful a testing/masking option emerges.  I’d bet it happens but more in the June time frame. 

I can see that it is wise for Gen Con to start with max-protect rules and (possibly) relax them later.  That's going to result in fewer complaints by badge-holders and vendors than to start with minimal rules and possibly having to impose stricter rules because of a Covid flare-up.

Plus, we don't know what things will look like in July/August.  Last summer things were looking good . . . until they weren't!

I attended last year, will do so again this year, and will comply with whatever rules are in place.

I honestly don't mind a vaccine mandate in the slightest, but is there a way to enforce it that doesn't substantially slow things down?  I've been to concerts and ball games - and the stricter the vaccine policy was enforced, the longer the lines into the venue became.  

I strongly prefer masks optional, but I recognize that sometimes circumstances trump preferences.

Right now, I am in a holding pattern.  I respect that a company, or organization, has the right to set their policies.  It saddens me that my feels and opinion has been marginalized because of the "greater good".  Any mandate is discriminatory and it hurts to find myself on the "wrong" side of that discrimination.

If there is a mask mandate still in effect in mid-May, when is the cut off date for me to cancel my already rolled over badge and get a refund, I will be forced to cancel my trip. 

I guess a silver lining for someone is that my downtown room will go back to the block.

It seems incredibly unlikely they would make any final decisions that early (early in the scheme of COVID-19 predictions I mean)

I do know some immunocompromised people who are waiting for final decisions on what constitutes medical exemptions, but something tells me those guidelines are going to take a while to come out, too.

You either trust the science or you don't.  If someone says "trust the science" only when the science agrees with their personal preferences, then they don't trust the science.  

Are there really people that would cancel if the CDC says masks are unnecessary and Gen Con goes with masks optional?  I can't relate to that at all.

Are there really people that would cancel if the CDC says masks are unnecessary and Gen Con goes with masks optional?  I can't relate to that at all.

Let us know how Gary Con goes

It is a no win.

But I do think it would be an ironic & comedic twist if we had one group sitting out in 2021 because they were unhappy about following then-current CDC recommendations and having an entirely different group sitting out in 2022 because they are unhappy about following then-current CDC recommendations.

For what it's worth, the current CDC recommendation for Marion County Indiana is "Wear a mask based on your personal preference, informed by your personal level of risk".  That could change between now and August, so there is no reason for Gen Con to adjust their policies yet.  I think the most they could do is say something like "We will adopt whatever policy is recommended by the CDC at the time."  That way people wouldn't be trying to predict what the Gen Con admins will do (or trying to lobby them).    

It's actually a head scratcher to me as that also removes much of the vitriol because it's basically a "hey, we don't know pandemics so we are just going to follow the lead of the CDC. If you don't like it, take it up with them." 

Couldn't agree more, follow the guidelines.  Why companies, schools, etc are deciding on their own confuses me.  When we masked up they pointed to the CDC, now they ignore the CDC and do what they 'think' is better.  

Gen Con takes this approach because there are a lot more contributing factors to the decision.
 
There are local and state regulations. Not to mention what may be put in place by the venue.

Then there are the logistics of running a convention and all that entails. 

Plus the attendees are not the only ones that Gen Con needs to be concerned about. There are exhibitors, GM's, support staff and other agencies and organizations.

Following the guidelines of any one entity at the time is just not possible in practice.

When we feel comfortable making the final decision we will. 

Mike