Will and Should Adepticon 2020 be Cancelled?

What seemed like a minor disruption just a few weeks ago here in America, has quickly turned into a crisis as the Coronavirus has just been declared a pandemic. Regardless what the real level of danger ends up being; local, state, and commercial entities are taking this virus very seriously. Just tonight the unprecedented step was taken by the NBA to suspend all games until further notice, because just one player has confirmed to have contracted Coronavirus. Exposure to large crowds of people at once has always been the nightmare situation for any contagious virus, so even if one person has it, it can exponentially infect many more.

So as kids and parents alike are being forced to work from home and avoid the elderly; it is time to for us to take a look at our own community and the largest event when it comes to raw numbers: Adepticon which happens in two weeks. Adepticon has always been the granddaddy of Wargaming conventions and now it is facing a possible existential threat.  As many communities are banning events larger than 1,000, it is only a matter of time before Adepticon will either have to make a tough decision itself or have it made for them.

Thankfully, Adepticon seems to finally be really taking this threat seriously because as of tonight they have made this statement!

UPDATE [March 11th, 2020] AdeptiCon is processing all the latest information around the COVID-19 virus. We are aware of the recent travel ban and that the State of Illinois is considering restriction on large scale events. We remain in direct contact with all the relevant parties and expect to make a final determination shortly. We understand that many of you have questions and concerns, and we appreciate the input and feedback we have received. We ask that you bear with us while we speak with all involved and gather the necessary information required to make a responsible decision. It cannot be stressed enough that our only priority is the safety and health of our attendees, volunteers, exhibitors, and staff. Thank you for your patience while we maneuver this very fluid situation.

It seems pretty clear to me that Adepticon is going to let government officials make the decision for them, instead of doing what now seems inevitable to save attendees, volunteers, and exhibitors the trouble. I get it, even a large event like Adepticon doesn’t make money hand over fist, because without looking at the financials we have no idea if cancelling the event even just once will doom it going forward. The monetary hit no matter what will be substantial and letting the government take the blame seems like the right decision. I also wonder if Adepticon has insurance that covers this sort of thing, if there is even such a thing?

Adepticon getting ahead of this now and allowing people to cancel plans with the longest lead time I feel will be best for everyone. I am sorry Adepticon providing just a credit for “future” events isn’t enough if someone doesn’t feel safe attending.

What also about Games Workshop even if Adepticon goes on? The American federal government just instituted a travel ban for Europe, with a exception carve out for the United Kingdom. Even with Brits allowed to travel here, I have a feeling Games Workshop won’t be sending employees here for the presentation. What about all the other European exhibitors who now can’t attend?

This is really a terrible situation for everyone, but one you can’t place blame, unless the choices made end up putting people at risk just for financial gain. It is up to Adepticon to just do the right thing and cancel the event, because it is not like our community is the healthiest and simply it is better to be safe than sorry.