With Hot Lead approaching and worries about COVID-19 rising, some have been voicing their worries. I have been fielding many emails and messages all week asking "what is Hot Lead going to do?" Some being helpful have pointed me to HMGS-E post about Cold Wars.
I've resisted issuing any kind of officious wafflegab, not wanting to ratchet up people's feelings of anxiety. I mean really, what can I say that the Ministry of Health hasn't already? And do I really need to be telling people to stay home if they're sick and wash the hands? Apparently so.
It is a concern. Mrs. Rabbitman and I clearly remember a couple of years ago when some Plaguebearer spread their germs through the convention making a lot of us sick; staff, dealers, GMs all contacted me after the fact.
Friday the 13th my phone was exploding. Email, SMS messages, Facebook posts, a text. Gamemasters cancelling, a couple of vendors too. The provincial Chief Medical Officer recommended cancelling any event with more than 250 people. Facebook exploded.
So with regret, and even some tears from Mrs. Rabbitman, we arrived at the difficult decision to cancel last night.
It's a shame. With 95 events scheduled it was going to be the biggest yet.
But all those Game Masters are already for next year. So I guess there's a silver lining.
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My condolences for the cancellation. A SF/Fantasy convention near Cleveland my wife and I attend every year cancelled this week with only a few days notice. It's a hard decision, but in these strange times, I don't think there's much choice. Better luck for next year.
ReplyDeleteI support your decision; it is the right thing to do. Builds my appitite for 2021 Hot Lead.
ReplyDeleteThere is a lot of that these days. Best going with the greater good so the right call I think, no matter how hard.
ReplyDeleteWhile it is sad to cancel Hot Lead, I think you made the right decision. I'm just waiting for the inevitable announcement of the cancellation of Trumpeter Salute next month in Burnaby. I'm sure that the organizers are going through the same agony in making that decision as you have.
ReplyDeleteMaybe there will be an opportunity to run a scaled down con in the fall: Warm Lead ;)
You aren't the first to suggest that.
DeleteBut until I retire from cadets I'm too busy in the fall to think of planning anything.