COVID-19 POLICY

TGIF/F staff acknowledges the COVID-19 pandemic is not over. We are creating policies with safety at the front of our minds. We also know that attendees feel a range of different opinions around COVID safety, but it is our responsibility to go a step beyond current CDC guidelines to protect our attendees, such as mandating masking.

We believe that a successful con can happen with a group of vaccinated individuals who collectively care about protecting [themselves and] each other and are willing to follow common sense policies. We acknowledge–as must our attendees–that any indoor group function carries an amount of risk, and that no possible policy can definitely prevent spread of illness. Everyone attends at their own risk. The job of keeping people safe falls not solely onto staff, but onto every participant in the con.

All attendees are required to be up to date on their COVID-19 vaccinations before they register for the con. “Up to date,” for our purposes, means the initial two-part vaccine, plus at least one booster, for a total of 3 (or more) shots.

As part of TGIF/F registration, you will confirm you are vaccinated. Once at the con, staff may ask to see proof of vaccination.

If you are coming to TGIF/F from outside the USA and have questions about your vaccine and con policy, you can email us at tgifemslash@gmail.com.

In 2020, we used the Crystal Ballroom as our primary con space for panels, events, and the Con Suite. The Marina Ballroom was our eating space. The hotel restaurant was open for business to anyone.

For 2024, because we are reducing our attendee cap, we are utilizing a smaller space in the hotel. We will not be using the Crystal Ballroom; instead, the Marina Ballroom will be our primary con space.

Also new this year, the hotel restaurant is now no longer open to the public and is instead a rentable space at the hotel. This will be our primary eating space for anyone who wants to use it. Note that food will be set out in the hallway and you will have the option to eat in the restaurant or take it to your room if you prefer. We will also have Club Femslash in the restaurant to provide for better ventilation during this high-energy event; the restaurant is much larger and open, and has doors to the outside to let in fresh air.

Because of these space changes, TGIF/F will control the entire building with the Marina, Sails, and restaurant spaces, as well as the bathrooms. There will be no outside foot traffic or other hotel guests in our spaces. (Vicki and the sales office are by the door, but that’s it.)

Masks are required at all times in these areas, just like your badge. These spaces will be clearly marked with the mask policy and are in RED on the map below. You may not enter these spaces without a mask on, nor remove your mask while in the space.

In primary spaces, food is not allowed, but water bottles are allowed, as we want attendees to stay hydrated. Because masks may not be removed, water bottles must have a straw. Attendees may drink from the straw under their mask while keeping their mask on. To help accommodate this, staff is looking into ordering water bottles with straws for all attendees to be distributed when picking up your registration materials.

Anyone who removes their mask in a primary con space will be given one warning. If you need more than one reminder, staff reserves the right to bar you from the con space for the day.

Some Party Rooms will be marked as following the rules of primary con spaces for folks who want to socialize in a stricter masked environment.

Masks are required at all times in these areas, just like your badge. These spaces will be clearly marked with the mask policy and are in BLUE in the map below. You may not enter these spaces without a mask on, nor fully remove your mask while in the space.

However you will be permitted to temporarily lift your mask to eat or drink in secondary spaces, then cover your mouth/nose again between bites/sips. You may not keep your face uncovered for extended periods of time, like keeping your mask down on your chin while you eat/drink/talk. This policy aims to find a compromise in keeping secondary spaces masked as much as possible while acknowledging the purpose of these spaces is for people to eat, drink, and socialize. These are higher risk spaces and are optional for all attendees; you can get a full convention experience without stepping into secondary spaces.

Please note that many areas of the hotel, such as the lobby, elevators, and sleeping rooms, are open to the public and outside our control. We strongly encourage attendees to wear masks in these areas but cannot mandate it.

Masks worn in con spaces must be well-fitted to your nose, face, and chin. Masks must be worn properly; if your mask is under your nose, we'll ask you to pull it up.

If your mask is poorly fitting and we have to ask you more than once to pull your mask up over your nose, you will be required to leave the con space until you can return with a better-fitting mask. If this becomes a recurring problem, and/or if we catch you deliberately wearing your mask under your nose, you will be barred from event spaces for the day. Please plan on having a well-fitting mask in con spaces.

Form-fitting masks such as N-95, KN-95, and similar are preferred. Surgical masks are allowed, but if you are wearing these types of masks, please wear the type with nose wires (to create a seal around your nose). Con staff will provide extra surgical masks for anyone who needs one. Double masking is encouraged if you can.

Cloth masks, bandanas, neck gaiters, and masks with valves are not allowed. Face shields are not a substitute for wearing a mask in con spaces.

This is subject to change depending on the circumstances at the hotel during the con, but our current plans for event set-up include:

-Keeping extra masks and rapid tests on-hand for anyone to take as needed

-Setting up chairs further apart, including when in circles and when in rows

-Providing anti-virus wipes for volunteers to wipe down doorknobs, chair backs, and other high-touch areas frequently, like at the end of each panel

-Air purifiers and/or Corsi-Rosenthal box filtration systems in every con space

-Hand sanitizer in every con space

-Latex-free gloves provided for anyone who wants to wear them during panels while handling shared microphones

-Keeping the restaurant’s door to the outside open during meal times and Club Femslash

-Running a parallel video feed from Club Femslash in the Con Suite for those who would prefer to watch the vids in a primary con space (stricter masking), as well as providing a link to the Club Femslash video file online for anyone who wants to watch it from their sleeping room

Staff is open to suggestions about how we can further protect attendees in our spaces.

If you receive a positive test result for COVID-19 in February, either before or during the con, you will not be allowed in the con space.

Anyone sharing a hotel room with someone who has a positive test result will also not be allowed back into the con space, regardless of whether or not they are symptomatic. If you are concerned about the possibility of transmission from con roommates, we encourage booking your own room if possible.

Any attendee, con staff included, who receives a positive test result during or in the two weeks after the con is asked to contact the staff COVID Supervisor right away. Attendees who report their positive test (with proof) before the con ends may be eligible for a partial refund of their registration fee.

If any positive tests are reported, that will be communicated to con attendees along with possible exposure sites and times. The con will not disclose the names / identities of attendees reporting positive test results.

We can't force anyone to share COVID-19 test results with the con, so this, like many aspects of con policy, is on the honor system. That said, if we find out you knowingly entered con space with a COVID-19 diagnosis and/or purposefully did not report a positive diagnosis during or in the two weeks after the con, you will receive an immediate lifetime ban from TGIF/F events. We take community safety seriously, and we ask that as a member of that community, you do too.

TGIF/F won't be requiring daily testing during the con weekend, but anyone who wishes to is encouraged to do so. We particularly recommend testing before you travel to the con if that is an option for you. Attendees will not be permitted to perform a rapid test while inside con spaces; please do your testing in your own room.

If you are able to do so, we strongly recommend you bring rapid tests with you to the con, so that you have them available in case you need them. As we are able to, TGIF/F may have a small stash of rapid tests on-site for the taking privately in your room. Staff will not administer their use or act as test administrators to con attendees.

If you are feeling ill and have possible COVID-19 symptoms you cannot attribute to another health condition, please do not enter or return to con space.

We strongly encourage anyone who has COVID-19 symptoms at the con to take a rapid or PCR test, both for your own health and that of your fellow attendees. If you are symptomatic and have not been tested for COVID-19, we ask that you quarantine in your hotel room to the extent possible.

If you have a positive test result at any point during the con, you will not be able to return to con space during the weekend. If you can provide proof of a positive test before the con ends, you may be eligible for a partial refund of your registration fee.

If you have a negative test result but remain symptomatic, keep in mind that rapid test results can sometimes give false negatives. Please do not enter the con space if you are symptomatic and do not have other conditions that may explain your symptoms.

If you feel unwell, rest in your hotel room and feel better, you are welcome to re-enter the con space.

During the con weekend, if at any point you need to isolate in your hotel room, we encourage you to keep in touch with other attendees on our private Discord server.

If quarantining causes you to miss catered meals, con staff can leave meals outside your door upon request. Outside of con catering, hotel room service and outside food delivery are options available during most of the day. All hotel rooms include minifridges and microwaves; it's not a bad idea to have things to eat on hand in case you need them.

If you are sharing a hotel room with anyone experiencing COVID-19 symptoms not attributable to another health condition, but are not symptomatic yourself, we ask that you treat it as a possible exposure and isolate until/unless your roommate has a negative test result.

If your roommate has a negative test result and you are not symptomatic, you can return to the con space if you feel comfortable doing so. Please use your best judgment as to whether or not you should enter con space, and take care to remain masked when socializing in areas outside the con space.