A MESSAGE FROM ALEX CRADDOCK, METROCON CEO

To say that I never, ever thought I would write a message like this is an understatement.

To say these are “unprecedented times” is a cliche.

To say that this will be our “new normal” is untrue.

But we do have to say something.

It is with a heavy but compassionate heart that we have made the decision to cancel METROCON 2020, scheduled previously for July 23-26, 2020, due to the continued concerns around COVID-19 and the impact the pandemic has had and will continue to have on the viability of large public events like ours. No worries, though – this isn’t the end by any means – METROCON 2021 is already booked and confirmed – more information on that below.

I have tried to be nothing if not transparent over the years, and I feel that is the best I can offer you in this situation. At the forefront of the decision process was what would be best for fans and the local community, as well as the event – from a health and safety perspective, a financial perspective, and a “METROCON is something really important to a lot of people” perspective. If you’ve been following our continuing updates, you’ve been following the story as quickly as I’ve written it (or in some cases, received it from the powers that be).

At this time COVID-19 continues to be a public health risk of gross proportions, and it is irresponsible for us to encourage not only patrons, but merchants, performers, voice actors, volunteers, and staff to put their health and safety on the line to make this event happen. Additionally, with attendance/capacity restrictions, a lack of confidence in the travel and public event industries in general from attendees, hesitation from merchants and celebrity guests alike – not only do we feel that there’s no way we could bring you the quality you deserve from a METROCON event, but we could be in a position if we do move forward that we dig ourselves into a hole we can’t climb out of, and METROCON goes away forever.

To avoid ALL of these risks, I have made this decision with input from fans, vendors, artists, cast members, volunteers, city officials, medical professionals, department heads, and anyone else who was willing to share their voice with me. I take the ultimate responsibility for a decision like this, but I hope you know that I’ve weighed this decision based on the needs and voices of a community – our community. These voices run as diverse a spectrum as the fandoms that bring us together – those who are new to conventions, those who were around at the first METROCON, people who are immunocompromised or high risk, folks that make their living at conventions or moonlight as voice actors, people who care for family members that could be significantly affected by the virus, those who work their day jobs as healthcare workers, the people who publish the anime and games we lovingly consume – these are the voices that deserve to be considered and heard in a situation like this, and I’ve done my best to listen when they spoke.

Ultimately, there is no decision in a situation like this that can please everyone, but I’m hopeful – confident, even – that even if this is devastating, or isn’t what you think we should do, you understand where our decision comes from and will continue to be a part of the METROCON family when we return in 2021.

My thanks to you as always for your patience as we worked through this process – it’s been a bit of a rollercoaster on our end, so I’m sure it has been on yours as well. We have a lot of information to convey, and we’ve tried to cover as much of it as we can below, as organized as we can make it.

Thank you, again, truly, for bringing this idea to life with me every year. We all know it from closing ceremonies – the spirit of METROCON never dies – this year, for the good of everyone, it just needs a brief rest.

Stay safe, healthy, and loved.

“Yet, even amidst the hatred and carnage, life is still worth living. It is possible for wonderful encounters and beautiful things to exist.”

― Hayao Miyazaki

For more information about refunds, logistics, METROCON 2021, and more – continue reading below.