[ACML] Etiquette between chairs

[Colin Keigher]

I can only hope that whatever this is about is handled in a manner where 
it is best for both parties.

- Colin

chairman at ani-magic.net wrote:
> You know, I believed and still do, that the community of chairpersons  
> is a unique fraternity, of brother/sisterhood, deserving of mutual  
> respect and support. These bonds of unity are based on the shared  
> feeling of joy and misery that come with organizing such events. I  
> have a lot of good friends that I can count here, always welcome at  
> Ani-Magic when they show their mugs, and to their credit, help out  
> where they can. On the road, I do likewise.
>
> Last convention, I had that feeling of comradery shaken. Another  
> chair, who runs an event a few months after mine, had come to  
> Ani-Magic to promote his own con, which I have no problem with. I  
> always support other efforts and do not view them as competition.  
> During the course of the weekend, this chair would come up ask either  
> me or my other co-organizers about where a list of the winners of  
> events, was, if it was announced anytime during the day (they were  
> announced at half time during the masq)etc. While he was pretending to  
> ask these questions quite innocently, he had another agenda, as if to  
> discredit our efforts in running our event. He could be seen asking  
> others what they thought of our event. Pointing out flaws here and  
> there, photographing our dealer hall, and posting a picture of a  
> broken window pane (the person responsible owned up).
>
> And during that time, I called him on that, asking why was critiquing  
> our event in such a fashion, when he had his own well known faux paux  
> (such as ejecting Kevin Lillard) all over the internet. "I did  
> appologize for those!" he said, also advising us to "follow through  
> with an event if your going have it". Now, we've been on the scene as  
> a con for 8 years running, and a relative newcomer proposes to give me  
> advice on how to run an event. I'll be the last to tell you we run a  
> flawless event. No con is run prefectly, (Merry's comes real close, as  
> does Anime Central). Those are my models. Our event this year suffered  
> low attendance for a number of reasons, and it appears said con chair  
> was taking advantage of that to overshadow the huge errors of his last  
> event at our expense to increase his attendance for his coming event.  
> That's the opinion we have right now. Some of his staff were openly  
> trying to recruit from ours during the event. Call me naive, but this  
> just isn't done. Imagine me visting your con trying to get your gaming  
> staff to come over to mine. That's what happened during our event.
>
> After our event ended, the annual blood letting on cosplay.com  
> commensed, and said chair was right there, providing ammunition where  
> he could. A strong clue to his motives to discredit us came when my  
> CFO said that we were a non-profit in california to a donor to our  
> event. He "thoughtfully" provided a link to the department of state,  
> stating we could not be found in the listiings. What he did show was  
> my filing as a corporation with my name and address for all to see.  
> While you can say that information is public knowledge, it is now  
> availble to the fan community, some of which have agendas of their  
> own, sometimes of ill will for some percieved wrong I might have done  
> (which is mostly speak my mind).
>
> When I PMed him on this and told him to lay off, he promptly went back  
> on the boards and said he's being silenced by me and my staff. This  
> put me in the postion of looking bad even when I'm defending the honor  
> of my event and myself. In the ensuing days after, he's made me and  
> our con the subject of discussion on his personal blog. I while I'd  
> like to spend time countering this nonsense, I have little energy to  
> do this raising three kids, coaching a soccer team, and working full  
> time. It's not worth that much effort, but it DOES annoy me that a  
> sitting chair is doing this to our event and to me personally.
>
> There hasn't been a con war since 91-92, but I am not about to start  
> another. But here, I'm going to have my say. No doubt it'll wind up on  
> some board, but if it does, I'll know your true intentions and so will  
> those in this community whom I have known far longer than you.
>
> I have said all that to say this:
>
> 1. You have behaved in the wrong way and to try to sink our event is  
> just dead wrong!
>
> 2. We are NOT competitors. I consider us companions in the grand  
> venture of running anime cons. Cease all efforts to discredit me, our  
> event, and its organizers.
>
> 3. During your rough patch, I watched what was taking place, but  
> refrained from commenting on it because its bad form and it's really  
> none of our affair. When we deal with our public issues regarding our  
> event, respond in kind.
>
> 4. I have hosted many chairs in Ani-Magic's existance, and none have  
> behaved during or after the event as you have. Don't do it again, here  
> or any other con you promote yours at.
>
> Now, we can talk this out here,or privately, but don't you dare  
> publish this in your blog. We're making improvements from that  
> turbulent feedback session, and I kindly request that you cease trying  
> to draw attendees from us or try to sabotage our event.
>
> Seeing my old friends here, I know there are people who know how to  
> provide suggestions to improve and I take them in the sprit given. But  
> NO chair should have to endure what I've gone through. Your not just  
> getting at me, but all the kids who work with me. You really want to  
> take that away from them?
>
> Revell
>
> _______________________________________________
> animecons mailing list. Unsubscribe at:
> animecons-request at lists.baka.org
> http://lists.baka.org/mailman/listinfo/animecons
>
>