COAF Update: Feb. 24
A message from the convention chair:
My team at Colorado Anime Fest has a long track record of demonstrating care for the health and safety of our attendees, including canceling twice at great financial risk and putting tough vaccination rules in place this year. Our work to put on a show that we love in a fun and safe way didn't start with COVID and it doesn't end there. But to be blunt, we don't always get it right.
I want to be completely honest. I know that out there on social media, there are people unhappy with us, upset about a former staff member of ours and disappointed that it took us some time to address this personnel issue.
They are right to hold us accountable and expect better from us. I’m not here to offer excuses. I do, however, want to provide an explanation. While we were working on following up, not everyone on my team was aware that the process was going on, and others weren’t fully in the loop like they should’ve been. That made what seemed like a fast decision take longer than it should. We are truly sorry for that and the stress that some of those individual, uninformed responses caused in our community. COAF is a five year-old convention. We hope that our past work does a better job of showing the event we want to be.
Most importantly, I want you to know that I hear you. The convention hears you. We aim to get back to being a good member of the community. In that vein, please note the following updates:
We are currently in the process of making some internal organizational changes to better support responsiveness and a clear chain of communication. For all of you who have reached out and provided feedback, thank you. If you want to reach out with suggestions on how we can further grow and improve, we always welcome those. You can reach me directly at conchair@coanimefest.com.
We are seeking a neutral third-party expert to help us improve our policies and build on the training we provide our team for harassment and assault. The goal is to enhance awareness, response, and clarity of communication so that we are all able to best support you; our attendees and staff.
As always, Rocky Squad, thanks for being the best and pushing us to learn and grow. We will keep you updated with further updates. And we still hope to see you at the convention in April. But if you don’t feel comfortable attending because of this, we respect that and will make an exception to our refund policy. Please contact me directly if you have already purchased a badge.
— Rosa,
Convention Chair