To the Animazement Community:
We wanted to update everyone on the status of the convention. As everyone knows the COVID-19 pandemic has left so much uncertainty in our daily lives, and in our foreseeable future. The City of Raleigh has placed a ban on all large gatherings of over 100 people or more through April 15th. We do not know what will happen in a month. We do not know if things will calm down and be okay in time for Animazement. This has left us all in a state of confusion.
With deadlines fast approaching that need to be finalized in time for the convention in May, we are left with so much ambiguity. As a volunteer run convention, we have no full-time staffers and we all do this for the love of the convention and wanting to bring you all the best we can every year. All of our preparation is done in our spare time. Canceling or postponing the convention isn’t an easy choice. There are so many factors and parts that play into these decisions. If we delay the convention, will our hard-working volunteers even be able to make it on a different date? Will our artists and vendors be available? Our guests? Our translators? And most importantly, you – our attendees?
That being said, at this time we are not planning on canceling Animazement. We are still in constant communication with the RCC, who is working with the city to ensure the health and safety of us and our attendees. We are still monitoring all the CDC reports, as well as the guidance from state and federal policies. But again we have no certainty of where we will be a month from now.
So, what does this mean for you, our attendees/vendors/artists? As we said, we are still planning on having the convention in May, but we are not ruling out any options. In light of the situation and the uncertainty it has caused for many of our attendees, we will be offering full refunds to anyone who would like it. If you would like a refund, we ask that you please fill out this form rather than going through Eventbrite.
Alternatively, should we choose to postpone the convention to a later date, all badges and booths will transfer to the new date. You will not need to do anything and all registrations will be automatically transferred to the new date. Again if you prefer a refund instead, please use the link above to request one. Please note that if you request a refund now and the convention is postponed, you would have to purchase a new badge.
If we were to cancel the convention – you would have two choices. You could opt to have your badge transferred to next year’s event, or you could request a full refund.
- For vendors – you would have the option of keeping your same booth spaces/reservations for next year’s convention if you wish – no need to reapply for next year. Or you could request a full refund and will have to reapply next year.
- For artists – you would also have the option of keeping your acceptance into Artist Alley for the next convention, no need to reapply next year. Or you may request a full refund.
We hope everyone stays safe and healthy. We thank you for your continued support and hope to see you all soon!
– Animazement Directors