Dealing with a Cancelled or Postponed Convention – How To’s and Tips

The past couple of weeks, the news is all about the Coronavirus. As each day goes by, a lot of events have either been cancelled or postponed as health safety measures to prevent the spread of the virus.

We understand that some of us don’t really accept cancelled and postponed events immediately but always put in mind that everything is for the best. As a congoer myself, here are some possible how to’s and tips on what you should do when a convention that you plan to attend soon is cancelled or postponed.

Stay Calm and Just Accept It

The first tip is of course to stay calm and just accept the announcement related to the convention to heart. We know it’s very hard to accept since we understand that a lot of congoers take more or less a year of preparation for the big con. This year is probably not the right time. So for now, take a deep breath, stay calm. You are free to release your frustration that everything didn’t go well as planned. Always remember though at the end of the day, we have to accept the announcement whether we like it or not.

The bottom line here is that there is a very valid reason for the postponement and cancellation. More will be explained further.

Always Get Announcements and Updates from the Convention’s Official Social Networking Sites

It’s best to be fully informed and be properly prepared by only following the convention’s official social network sites. In this time of health crisis, it’s very important to only limit yourself to following verified accounts of the conventions you’re going and you must not settle in listening to fan sites or questionable websites. Fact checking always does wonders and following real accounts will always help you know what to do next.

Your Cosplay Can Wait

We understand how frustrating it is that you cannot debut your awesome cosplay this year. However, that can wait. While we wait for updates (or perhaps in the next con), you can use the time to finish up the missing parts of the costume or do some upgrades. That way when the con does happen again soon, you wouldn’t have to worry about cramming them. More time for you to sleep and prepare the other stuff for your trip.

Understand the Organizers

During this time, the organizers are doing the best they can not only for their convention staff and guests, but also to you as congoers. Please understand them and be patient because they are doing their best efforts to address your concerns regarding the postponed or cancelled event.

Here’s a tip: if ever there is an announcement for a cancellation or postponement of the con you were supposed to go, feel free to leave them a message on their official social media page or email. Then wait for 24 hours. Do not flood or spam or pages or inbox because they are definitely going to answer your concerns the soonest.

Contact Your Airline and Hotel Immediately

This tip is for those who booked flights and hotel rooms for the convention weekend. Be sure to reach out to them about the matter so that you can request for a refund. Sometimes they also give you the option of booking your flight and room reservation on another date without the extra fees. We highly suggest that you get into this option because you wouldn’t have line up or book again when new schedules to the con are set.

If ever you decide to just refund your bookings, just make sure to accurately provide all the important information so that both the airline company and hotel will be able to process your refunds immediately. Usually refunds take around 30 days. But just to be sure, keep reaching out to them from time to time about the status.

Contact Organizers About Your Convention Pass Refund

Usually after the announcement of the postponement or cancellation of the convention, there is an option for you to refund the passes that you bought. This is in case you have bought them in advanced. Be sure to follow the instructions that was mentioned in their official announcements on how to get the refund. Make sure to double check on the information that you input before you send them so that you wouldn’t have to go through the process again. The organizers might request you to sent back the pass but conditions are different from every convention. Just follow the protocols and you will be fine.

Everything is For The Best of Everyone

While it’s very frustrating to know that the event that you are looking forward to isn’t pushing through as planned, always put it in your mind and heart that organizers are doing this for the best and safety of everyone. For now, we just have to follow all the necessary healthy safety protocols for us to stay safe and healthy.

Take care fellow cosplayers and congoers!