International Association for the Fantastic in the Arts

Dear IAFA friends,

For the last two weeks, the IAFA Board has been monitoring the evolving COVID-19 situation. Until yesterday, we considered it our responsibility to keep the ICFA going for the more than 400 members who were still planning to attend, and to let each individual decide for themselves the risk.

The situation has changed drastically and quickly. The WHO has ruled this an official pandemic and, well, you’ve all seen the news. We believe it would be irresponsible for us to hold the conference because travel poses a public health threat, so ICFA is cancelled. We now must enter into negotiations with the hotel to try to minimize the financial damage. At this time, our policy to credit registration forward (as opposed to refunds) has not changed, but we will give you an update when the situation becomes clearer.

Dear IAFA members:

As you know, the ICFA will continue. A conference is not just about papers and readings, or even about receiving feedback on them, but about meeting people with similar interests. It is an environment in which new projects are hatched and new friends made. This will go on.

However, given the extreme circumstances and the fact that you all have invested time and money in the opportunity to present and to receive feedback on your work—and to receive professional credit for it—, the Board and Division Heads of the IAFA have been working to formulate a way to make this happen. The logistic challenges are many and daunting. We have come up with what we believe is the least imperfect solution (actually, solutions). More specifics will be forthcoming, but here is the general outline. These policies will be in place only for this year’s ICFA.

First, there will a new policy on chairing sessions, panels, roundtables, and readings. If the person scheduled to chair is not present, the first person scheduled to speak will take over (presenters can introduce themselves); if that person is absent, it befalls the next. Division Heads will not be scheduling new chairs as the situation is too fluid.

Registered scholars and authors have the option to:

1. Not participate and have registration credited forward to be applied within 2 years.

2. Participate by uploading their paper to a database that will be accessible to registered conference participants. Participants may then leave comments or questions for the author. Those choosing this option would be responsible for uploading their own paper and notifying the Division Head or 2nd VP that they’ve done so. This will then be posted on a list accessible from the IAFA web page that will be updated throughout the conference. These must be uploaded by midnight Saturday, the last day of the conference, and will be available for comment for one week after. Details forthcoming.

3. Participate by video recording their presentation and uploading it to YouTube, then providing us with the URL. This will then be posted on a list accessible from the IAFA web page that will be updated throughout the conference. Those choosing this option would be responsible for uploading their own paper and notifying the Division Head or 2nd VP that they’ve done so. These must be uploaded by midnight Saturday, the last day of the conference, and will be available for comment for one week after. Details forthcoming.

4. Participate via in absentia presentation. Participants who will not be present are responsible for finding their own reader. You can contact members of your panel (or any member of the IAFA) through the online Member Directory, available here:
https://iaftfita.wildapricot.org/Sys/Login?ReturnUrl=%2fDirectory. Just sign in with the information you normally use to access your membership and registration. The deadline for finding readers and informing the Division Head / 2nd VP will be 5:00 EST Friday the 13th of March to allow time to update the schedule. Authors wishing to have their papers read in absentia may Skype/videoconference/phone in and answer questions but may not present that way, as the rooms do not have reliable connectivitywifi. They would be responsible for finding someone present to do this, and for hardware, software, and an internet connection as needed. Details forthcoming.

We are limiting people to choosing only one option, as our Division Heads and 2nd VP will be dealing with considerable extra last minute work and we do not wish them to have to reduplicate their efforts.

If you have already cancelled but would like to participate remotely, please notify the Registrar.
Please note:

*No roundtables or panels can be done this way.
*Anyone participating through any of these procedures must pay registration.

View our previous communication about Cancellations and Credits/Refunds at this link: https://www.fantastic-arts.org/2020/icfa-41-covid-19-cancellations-and-credits-refunds/.

News from the Florida Department of Health:

If you have been to China, Iran, Italy, or South Korea in the last 14 days, you must self isolate for 14 days.

For up-to-date information of the situation in Florida (still no reported or suspected cases in the Orlando area), see: http://www.floridahealth.gov/

As a result of the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the news about COVID-19, the IAFA board would like to take this opportunity to issue an update on ICFA 41.

The conference will meet.

We have to meet certain guaranteed minimums for room occupancy, food and beverage expenditures, etc., specified in our contract with the hotel, or pay out of pocket. It is not an exaggeration to say that cancellation would jeopardize the very existence of the IAFA.

The first concern of the board members is members’ safety and well-being. We urge IAFA members to proactively research COVID-19 and consult status reports through reputable sources such as the World Health Organization (https://www.who.int/), the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (https://www.cdc.gov/), and the Florida department of health (http://www.floridahealth.gov/), whose websites are continually updated. We would also advise checking for updates with your travel provider and travel insurer.

So far, nothing that has been posted suggests that travel to Orlando poses any significant risk, so those who cancel travel to Orlando at this time may not be covered by their travel insurance. However, we do understand the current level of concern, and we also understand that some members may think that they cannot take any risk traveling at this time for personal health reasons or proximity to immunocompromised individuals.

Because of the extraordinary circumstances, we are crediting registration for those who cancel as a result of the outbreak. This credit must be used within 2 years. We will provide refunds to people from countries under travel restrictions. Because we are required to have final numbers for rooms and meals to the hotel a week before the conference, we will provide credits or refunds only to people who cancel by 5p EST on March 9, 2020.

If you are most comfortable canceling your attendance, do please email me at once, and I will inform all relevant stakeholders. If you have hotel reservations at the Marriott Orlando Airport Lakeside, please do NOT cancel your reservation directly through the hotel, or we will lose the room from our block. Instead, e-mail Jeri Zulli (jerzulli@live.com) with the date range and confirmation number. Jeri will take care of the paperwork. Likewise, if you need a room, please reach out to Jeri at once.

The board is discussing a number of ways to make it possible for people not able to attend physically but who wish to have their work included in some way to do so. We will make an official announcement before the March 9 deadline.

I will soon send around an email addressing logistical concerns for those traveling to attend the conference.

–Karen Hellekson, IAFA Registrar (iafareg@gmail.com)

Dear IAFA Members and Registered ICFA Attendees,

The ICFA will not be cancelled as there is not yet a widespread outbreak in the U.S. Obviously, the situation will continue to change; however, only in the most extreme case would we consider cancellation, due to our contractual obligations with the hotel. Both the Marriott and the IAFA are taking measures to minimize risk at the ICFA, as outlined in our last e-mail.

As of today, 3 March, this is the CDC threat assessment: “For the general American public, who are unlikely to be exposed to this virus at this time, the immediate health risk from COVID-19 is considered low. People in communities where ongoing community spread with the virus that causes COVID-19 has been reported are at elevated though still relatively low risk of exposure.” Keep up to date at: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/summary.html.

In Florida: according to the Florida Department of Public Health There are currently two confirmed and eight individuals are awaiting test results, none in the Orlando area. Florida Surgeon General Dr. Scott Rvikees said Florida is still considered low-risk. Keep up to date at: http://www.floridahealth.gov/.

Anyone at risk, or who thinks they may have been exposed to the virus, should certainly consider not traveling. If you feel that travel may jeopardize your health and need to cancel, please contact iafareg@gmail.com. Your registration fee, as well as any meal tickets or merchandise purchased, will be credited forward (it must be used within two years). If you want this year’s merchandise, we will send it to you. We will refund fees and purchases for anyone whose point of origin is a country where travel to or from has been restricted by any authority.

Important: If you have a reservation at the Marriott, please do not cancel your room directly with the hotel, but send your confirmation number to our Conference Director: jerizulli@live.com. If you cancel directly with the Marriott, we lose the room.

​We will certainly keep you up to date on any changes.

On behalf of the board and officers of the IAFA, our best wishes for your future health, and we hope to see you in Orlando!

Sincerely,
Dale Knickerbocker
IAFA President

Greetings from the Orlando Airport Marriott Lakeside!

I am down here making preparations for your arrival in just over two weeks. As part of our meetings with the hotel, we have been speaking with the general manager of the hotel, Mete Baykal, about the Marriott’s response to infection concerns over COVID-19. I share with you his response here:

We are currently closely monitoring the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization’s statements regarding the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) cases and following guidelines from these agencies as well as the local health department. The wellbeing of our guests and associates is of paramount importance. Operationally, we are reinforcing recommended measures on appropriate hygiene standards by Marriott International and following the guidelines of the CDC, the WHO, and local health authorities. Additionally, we make sure our associates understand the importance of frequent hand washing and they have been re-trained on using appropriate chemicals to sanitize our guestrooms, public areas, and the back of the house.

As of today, there is not a product made available which is designated to eliminate Coronavirus; therefore, we are currently using Ecolab Peroxide Multi Surface Cleaner and Disinfectant per Marriott International standards. According to the manufacturer, this product kills Norovirus, Influenza A and B virus, Salmonella enterica, MRSA among other organisms and is widely accepted by most establishments. This applies to the sleeping rooms as well.

I have also observed new sanitation stations at the lobby entrances, and the GM informs me these contain ethyl and isopropyl alcohol, in line with the latest CDC recommendations. The hotel is in the process of acquiring more of these stations. IAFA intends to supplement these stations with additional supplies for session rooms.

The CDC’s guidance for COVID-19 is here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/php/risk-assessment.html

Please feel free to reach out to me with any concerns.

Jeri Zulli
Conference Director
iafa.confchair [at] fantastic-arts.org

ICFA 41 “Climate Change and the Anthropocene”

When: March 18–21, 2020

Where: Marriott Orlando Airport Hotel, Orlando, Florida, USA

Guest Scholar: Stacy Alaimo, University of Oregon

Guest Author: Jeff VanderMeer

WE ARE NOW IN REGISTRATION BLACKOUT.

The (draft) program is online! It’s linked at IAFA’s home page (https://iaftfita.wildapricot.org/) and is continually updated.

Did your plans change? If you cannot attend after all, please email me at once.
Hotel: Both the conference hotel and the overflow hotel are sold out at conference rates; rooms may still be available at regular rates. The Marriott’s room block releases Wednesday; thereafter cancellations will not revert to us but to the hotel. Therefore, if you need to cancel rooms, gather together your confirmation numbers and dates, and email con director

Jeri Zulli (jerzulli AT live.com). Anyone canceling or needing a room should reach out at once.

Do you have an unpaid invoice? No worries! You can pay on site. However, I’ll be sending around an automated email to everyone with outstanding balances closer to the convention date, asking you to pay, in an attempt to ease the lines at reg. Of course you can log into your account and pay at any time. AmEx is not accepted on site.

MEALS

If you have decided that you wish to attend a particular meal that you haven’t signed up for, please email me at once. I can adjust your invoice to add these extras, but only within the next few days, because we have to commit meal numbers to the hotel.

Please also check your travel plans against the meals. If you discover that your travel plans mean that must miss a meal that you are signed up for, please email me at once.

Prepaid meal tickets are not refundable or exchangeable on site. Meal tickets will be available on site on a limited basis for purchase at a higher rate.

VOLUNTEERING

The volunteer form is live (https://forms.gle/w5STMcZonRB8RLB88). Volunteering is available for registration and AV. I will need people on Tuesday to help me prep packets and badges, so if your schedule permits, do please come early and help out. We pay 10 IAFA Bucks per hour for signed-up volunteers. More info available here: https://iaftfita.wildapricot.org/Volunteer

MENTORS NEEDED FOR STUDENT CAUCUS

The student caucus offers a mentoring program for those who are new to IAFA. They match up students with a long-standing member of IAFA, who will orient them and introduce them to people at the conference. We need SEVEN more mentors! Full info here: https://www.fantastic-arts.org/2020/icfa-41-update-hotel-information/.

NETWORKING

Conference hashtag: #ICFA41
IAFA Listserv: http://lists.iafa.org/listinfo.cgi/iafa-l-iafa.org
IAFA on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FantasticArts/?fref=ts
IAFA on Twitter: https://twitter.com/iafa_tw?lang=en
Student Caucus (SCIAFA) on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/833849033305627/

If you have any questions or need any help, please reach out. I’ll send around a final email closer to the con date with useful info.

See you in March!

Karen Hellekson

IAFA Membership Registrar

https://iaftfita.wildapricot.org/

iafareg AT gmail.com

The Student Caucus is in need of mentors!

The Student Caucus offers a mentoring program for those who are new to ICFA. They match up students who are new to ICFA with a long-standing member who will help introduce them to people at the conference. We already have some great students signed up for the program, but we need more mentors. If you will be at the conference on Wednesday night, and are willing to mentor a student — we need you!

To be a mentor, please email Kylie Korsnack at iafa.studentcaucus2@fantastic-arts.org. Please title your email SCIAFA Mentorship Program, and in your email, please answer the following questions:

1. What is your name?

2. What is your e-mail address?

3. What is your institutional affiliation?

4. What would you consider to be your main interests in the field of the fantastic?

5. When will you be arriving at the conference?

6. When will you be departing from the conference?

7. Are you currently planning to attend the conference reception on Wednesday evening?

(*Please inform us if your plans change and make every effort to follow through with whatever you commit.)

8. Which role are you signing up for, mentor or mentee?

ICFA FLASH PLAY FESTIVAL #5: Call for Plays

Counting down to ICFA with eager anticipation? What better way to fill the time than to write a play!

Here are the 2020 “given circumstances” to challenge you to theatrical creative heights:

No more than TEN pages
No more than THREE characters
Include one of the following props:
A SEVERED HAND
A GIANT EYE
A LEVITATION WAND
…and include the following line of dialogue
“Contrary to popular belief, I don’t enjoy being right about this stuff”

Flash plays should be submitted via email to carriejcole@gmail.com by March 8th.
The Flash Play performances are Friday, March 20th at 9:00pm.