https://www.dragoncon.org/

Dragon Con 2021 is upon us and it’s going to be a huge experiment in fandom events in the age of COVID. We’re reaching a point where things have to start happening again both for the overall financial reasons that any event faces but, also, far more importantly, for our collective mental health. We have to start trying to live again. But, we have to do so while being aware that, yeah, we’re still in the age of COVID.

I’m happy to say that Dragon Con is trying to move forward with as much care and thought to the health of the convention attendees as they possibly can.

Yes, I’m biased and I have a long history of supporting Dragon Con in various ways. I’ve made no secret of my ties to the convention as a volunteer starting in 2014 or that many of my friends at the convention are people who I love like family. So, try to understand when I say this that it’s not based on any biased feeling I have for the event.

I am glad that Dragon Con is going trying to move forward with a live, in person event this year.

Such an endeavor could be a very bad idea if the people behind the event were not taking the coronavirus seriously; especially with the rise of the Delta variant. There have recently been several large events and large gatherings that I have been openly skeptical of and stated my misgivings about. Make no mistake, there are misgivings here. Well, more worries than misgivings. But they are not as numerous nor as strong as they have been with other recent events. There’s a reason for that. Unlike several events I’ve been critical of, Dragon Con- and, for that matter, New York Comic Con a month later -have been working overtime to try to figure out how to do this as safely as possible.

Now, I can’t speak on NYCC with any level of knowledge approaching what I can say about Dragon Con. As such, I’m going to limit my comments here to Dragon Con.

First, there’s just the basics of how many safety measures Dragon Con is implementing this year. Masks will be required in the convention areas, proof of vaccination or a recent negative COVID test will be required at badge pickup, the attendance is being capped this year, there are no onsite badge sales, there are no Saturday only badge sales, events and panels are being staggered so event areas can be cleaned multiple times each day, heavily trafficked areas will be rerouted this year to minimize clustering as people travel, panel room capacity will be capped, etc, etc, etc…

Getting ready for Dragon Con is a crazy time behind the scenes in normal years and this year it’s crazy as if crazy was on massive amounts of steroids. But it’s like that because they are looking at everything they can do to make this event as safe as it possibly can be and they’re following every bit of news and every update on the situation right up until the last hour of this year’s event. They want to have a big fandom event because it’s fun to do and they want to have an actual, in person convention again. But a big part of that is they also want to see their convention family again and, because they really do view the attendees and volunteers of Dragon Con as a giant convention family, they want to make sure they can do it as safely as possible for their convention family.

Fortunately, even in what can be the less than happy place known as the comment sections of social media platforms, the reactions to the 2021 guidelines have been largely positive and appreciative. There have been some grumbling voices along the way, but a number of them don’t appear to be actual convention attendees as much as they appear to be internet crap disturbers.

But, a request to those people who are actually going and have some misgivings about the guidelines…

Unless you’re talking about it around Leigh at X-Track, it’s only five days. Around her, it’s discussed as six. But for the rest of us, it’s just five days and for everyone going it’s going to be a great five days. But it’s only five days. Whatever your personal politics, your personal views on masks and social distancing and other mitigation efforts, or anything else where you feel like you want to contest some restriction or guideline… Just let that go for five days.

Not every one of those guidelines is a matter of choice for the convention because of city regulations. As for the ones that are a matter of choice for the convention? They’re not doing anything for a partisan political reason, to limit freedoms, or to lord power over anyone. They’re doing what they’re doing because they want to see as many of the 2021 attendees, guests, and volunteers be able to make it back in 2022. They’re doing it because they legitimately care about the attendees and are trying to make this event as safe as possible in an pandemic.

Keep that in mind. Make an extra effort to keep in it mind when dealing with the Dragon Con volunteers.

The Dragon Con volunteers don’t get to change the rules that the convention puts out there. If a volunteer tells you you have to mask up, you can’t go into a room, or you can’t go down a certain hallway, there’s a reason for that. They have to make sure everyone is doing what’s required of them as an attendee this year. If they don’t? Volunteers can have their badge revoked and be sent home just like attendees and this year there’s going to be less leeway on a lot of matters. The point of this?

Don’t give the volunteers any grief.

They can’t change the rules for you and all that will likely happen is you’ll get your attendance badge pulled. That’s a lot of wasted travel and money just to try to make a point about masks or other mitigation restrictions with someone who doesn’t have the authority to change any of them for you.

As a number of people have put it, be kind to each other.

Or, as it’s more bluntly said by some, don’t be a dick.

Try to understand, if we’re going to get to the other side of this pandemic but still have something like normal lives until we’re out of this thing, this is the way we’re going to have to do things. This is how we’re going to have to approach large events and large gatherings. There’s no way to do things like this and be 100% safe in a pandemic, but there is no reason to make it as unsafe as possible. If we want to start having normal lives again, we’re going to have to take these steps for a time in order to fully get there.

As for the last of the updates you may need to know before heading to Dragon Con this year?

One of the best places to look will be the updates page on the main website.

I’d also direct you to the ESO Network’s The 2021 Dragon Con Report Episode 8.5.

You can also get some additional updates in recent episodes of the Dragon Con Town Halls and the most recent episodes of The Unique Geek’s 50 Days of Dragon Con. 50 Days of Dragon Con can be found in audio form on most podcasting platforms, but there are also video versions of the recordings on YouTube that come out before the podcast is released.

But, more than anything else, keep an eye on the updates page, Dragon Con’s official social media, and, once you’re in Atlanta, the app.

Unfortunately, I can’t make it this year for family reasons that predated the realization that Coronapocalypse was going to drag on as long as it has. I wish I could be there, but, as I can’t, I just want to say to all of my convention family that I hope you stay safe and well. More than any other year prior to this one, watch out for each other, take care of each other, and be kind to each other. It’s going to be a crazy year, but if everyone does what they can we can all hopefully get back together in Atlanta over 2022’s Labor Day weekend.