The panel discussion was a part of an online discussion under the header Leadership in Crisis. The panelists were past or current Event Chairs. It was presented through Essence of Wonder.
Panelists Christopher Garcia, Vincent Dochety Gaddi Wells, David Kennedy, Colette Fozard, Patti Wells. Steve Kelner, Randall Shepard. (Many chairs of past cons)

Any misinformation is the fault of the note taker.

David Kennedy (security conference had an issue at the convention: How do we handle outside influences.
– Had a domestic incident occur years early. People wanted to get one participant removed from the conference. The social media frenzy was incredible. Planned in advance a code of conduct for potential responses to a possible situation.
– Durvey con sold 3k membership in 13 sec. We were a relaxed con with a friendly open conference.
– When people don’t get along with each other they lash at each other in social media.
– Confusion can be caused when different committee leaders respond in different ways to the same thing. Needed a streamlined response worked when we responded to a man harassing a woman and having to remove that man from the conference.
– After nine years, it was a time that the con no longer brings the joy it once did. You discontinue or transfer leadership to other people. There was much work was involved it was like a full-time job. Having people on social medial consistently dumping on them each year the same people became demotivating.

Randall Shepherd: came late six months before con in Texas.
– There were cochairs that were not getting along. All of the committee was unhappy and people delayed projects. Budgets were behind.
– Having several confidants that will give you blunt and honest responses that others may be afraid to tell you.

Q: what levers did you need to push?
– To give a good public message.
– Get to know the different heads. People didn’t want to bring their friends to volunteer until the mood was less toxic.
– This part of the conversation, they referenced the movie: I believe Song of the South
– We had good marketing to get the message out that the game had changed and things are looking good.

Colette Fozard: co-chair of WA world con. Crisis at cons?
– Dublin 2019: when an issue came up technical challenges and closed captioning of the Hugo nominee. Stopped closed captioning.
– World con 75: joke gotten assigned to the challenged dept. Set a time to meet with each group. What help did they need to get on track? Helped manage a technical basis. Go to one dept. head to talk and another division head to help. Defined the weakness and strengths.
– Patty Wells: world con in Reno: In 2011 twitter was still a toy.
– Need to realize that the obvious things are not obvious to others. The creator of Charly Brown had died. And he would be guest of honor of honorism.

Vincent Docherty: 95 world con in Glasgow.
– Friday of the event, John Brenner died at the convention. We brought Robert Silverberg to do an elegy for John.
– One needs speed in their response and clarity of which responses need to be defined.

Steve Kelner: you communicate that you don’t know everything. This is what we know. You also state what you don’t know.
– You need to be responsive to people’s hot buttons during a crisis.
– You should not make a decision all by yourself.
– Size and Scope of a convention can drown people and you need to know your limits.
– Every leader needs to keep everyone engaged.
– Organize a communication outlet. Someone must always be the leader. It may be different at different times.
– Focus what are the most important things to do now. See what is important going to know.
– Give specific assignments to the committee. From the core team then delegated to further down the chain of commandment.

Collette Fozard: how to manage an online world con.
– New Zealand’s con went virtual. Committee began in execrative groups, then chairs, and then brought in division heads. Bringing world con was a 10 yr. effort.
– I needed to give leadership time to adjust to the change of doing things virtually.

Patty Wells: leadership response
– Write things short and clear. We don’t have all the answers but this is what we have.
– Have co-chairs provide the pros and cons of a decision.
– How to keep people on your side? Thank people for their contribution. Recognize what they’ve done.
– We’ve been working on responses to things that happened. How to define risks in advance. It’s better to prevent something than having to respond.
– How to be a stronger, more resilient organization:
David Kennedy: had a core committee that went through practice sessions of different scenarios.
– Did security training on all personnel every year. Had responses to criterial and standard responses. Notified hotel staff of responses. And had police personnel on-site. (ZooCon Game issue)
– Told members what to expect on security at the conference.
– Our incidents at the conference were low. If a woman was drunk, it was a woman staff member who was the one who took them to their room.

Q: How can different committees have a sense of the experience of staff members that do the same con each year?
– Randall Shepherd: there is a floating committee for World Con. New cons at new locations use the same protocols of the con in previous locations.
– Colette Fozard: build capacity before they happen without intuitional memory?
– Dublin did a good job giving clear instructions.
– New con members can be volunteers of a previous con of that con to get experience.
– I found past leadership that did a good job and ask them to work on a new project. And she trusts those leaders to come to her if they are not able to handle something.

Q: make sure organizations in managing and prevent a crisis.
– Patty wells: you need to have enough staff. The biggest challenge are there is not enough staff or there is a lack of sleep and mistakes could be made. Wham moving from a local con you need more people and you need more sleep. You need to have fresh decision-makers on the last night/day of the con.
– Vincent Docherty: need to remember self-care.
– Steve Kelner: you have to focus clearly on your objective ahead of time despite the chaos.
– Think and plan and prioritize rapidly. In advance as much as possible.
– When working with people, communicate, and encourage people. Assign them the right task; communicate continually to keep them motivated.
– Experience really matters. It’s better to have experienced so you don’t have to think.
– Vincent: be kind to yourself and to others.
– Gadi Evron: We have a plan. No matter what you prepare for, you are measured by how you respond. A comparison was made to Isaac Asimov’s first foundation. Responses to the first foundation created the response that created the second foundation.

Also: Conversations from the end of the world, are projects to see what others are doing while at home.

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