ACFI 2020 Postponed
(and what does that mean?)
Dear ACFI friends and family...
We are saddened to announce that we will not be holding Alamo City Furry Invasion, “Fire and Furry,” in 2020. In the interest of the safety of our community—attendees and their families, staff, vendors—we know that this is the right course of action, and we make this decision with the support of the ACFI team. Texas is currently facing an increase in COVID-19 cases, and it seems increasingly unlikely that an event held this year would be safe, or of the quality we want to share with our community.
Our mission is to support and build the San Antonio and Central Texas furry community. This year, along with so many of our sister conventions, we must prioritize health and safety first, and that means postponing our convention, and looking forward to the best possible ACFI 2021.
We know this raises a lot of questions, and we hope we can answer them here! If we’ve missed something, please reach out to us at acfipostponed@gmail.com and we’ll get back to you as soon as we have information. Thank you for your understanding and support, and if there’s a bright light in 2020, it’s that we have our friends with us as we look to 2021. Thank you!
And now, the questions...
Most Frequent Frequently Asked Questions
I reserved a Hotel Room for ACFI 2020. Do I need to cancel or change my reservation directly with the hotel in order to not be charged for it?
If you booked your hotel through the ACFI Room Block the hotel will transfer your reservation automatically to 2021. Please DO NOT CALL the hotel. If you are unsure if you will be able to attend ACFI 2021 or have any question regarding your reservation please contact the hotel via email at Reservations@sawyn.com and allow 72 hours for a cancellation confirmation or a response to your inquiry. If you booked outside of the ACFI Room Block such as with a third party such as Hotel Direct or Expedia you will want to contact them for cancellation and refund policies.
Do I need to reregister for ACFI 2021?
No, our current registrations will be rolled over to 2021, including all attendee and vendor/artist registrations.
I am a vendor and paid for a table. If you are postponing the event does this mean I still have a table spot for 2021 or will I be refunded and have to re apply?
You will not need to reapply. Those vendors that were approved for 2020 will be automatically chosen for 2021. However, if you determine that you will not be able to be a part of ACFI 2021, please let our Artist’s Alley/Dealer’s Den lead know.
It’s still going to be “Fire and Furry,” right? No change to the theme?
No change to the theme! When we open ACFI 2021, Fire and Furry will be a celebration of a return to Alamo City and the outside world ...a celebration that we overcame something far worse than what Chymeracorp could hit us with!
ACFI 2020 and 2021
When and where will the next Alamo City Furry Invasion be held?
October 8-10, 2021, at the Marriott Plaza of the San Antonio Riverwalk.
It’s only June and the convention is not until the end of October. Why are you postponing so early?
This was not an easy decision for us, and one we made with input from the ACFI team. We know that October seems like a long way off but in light of recent reports that COVID-19 is still actively spreading throughout the country, it is unlikely that the situation will be happily resolved by October.
While we might be able to hold a modified convention with social distancing rules and masks, we need to look out for the health and well-being of our guests, staffers, and families, and give them time to change their travel plans as well. Current local guidelines and recommendations from the Center for Disease Control require safe distances, reduced capacities, and personal protection that would be difficult to enforce and reduce the quality of the event. We feel that it would be better and safer to focus on 2021 and put on the best ACFI ever.
You keep saying the ACFI is postponed until 2021. Wouldn't that mean you are cancelling 2020?
We say “postponed” because we will hold ACFI: Fire and Furry in 2021, and carry the concept and theme into 2021. We’ll also move our convention registrations, room block, vendor and artist tables and selections into 2021, and if their schedules permit, our current Guests of Honor will join us in 2021. It’s true that we won’t be able to hold a convention in 2020, but we think “postponed” is more accurate.
Why not just move the convention a few months out, until the new year?
Lots of reasons! ACFI is an October convention, and we want to keep that as a part of our convention identity. The furry convention calendar is very full, and it’s hard to move into a new month without poaching a time slot from another furry convention (or worse still, one of the other Texas conventions!) Serious reschedules like this often interfere with our friends and family’s plans as well, and we don’t want to force our friends and the ACFI team to choose between supporting us or another of their favorite conventions.
Unfortunately, we are still in the middle of a pandemic, and this may not change in the near future, or even over the next year. Other pandemics have gotten worse in the fall and winter, and we expect the Spring convention will be facing the same issues and uncertainties we are now. The risk and cost of another postponement six months down the road is too high.
Will the same Guests of Honor be returning for 2021?
We hope so! That depends on their plans and commitments, and we’ll announce any changes in our Guest of Honor line-up if someone has to cancel.
It’s still going to be “Fire and Furry,” right? No change to the theme?
No change to the theme! When we open ACFI 2021, Fire and Furry will be a celebration of a return to Alamo City and the outside world ...a celebration that we overcame something far worse than what Chymeracorp could hit us with!
I signed up as a Panelist, Volunteer, or DJ for 2020. Do I have to reapply?
Unfortunately, yes. We will reopen forms for panels, DJs, and volunteers closer to the 2021 event. Please keep an eye on our twitter and telegram announcement channels for more information.
I was signed up to be staff for ACFI 2020. Do I have to apply again?
We have always assumed that our staffers have joined the ACFI team and will join us at future conventions. This has been an unusual and challenging year and we’ll be reaching out to our staff to confirm that they will join us in 2021, but there’s no need to reapply...and new members of the team will be very welcome as we recover from 2020 and the gap between conventions, and reach out toward new goals. If you can’t make 2021, please contact your team lead or department lead.
Registration
Do I need to reregister for ACFI 2021?
No, our current registrations will be rolled over to 2021, including all attendee and vendor/artist registrations.
Will my registration that I purchased for ACFI 2020 Fire & Furry be refunded?
All current registrations will be moved to 2021. Whether the event is held in 2020 or 2021, we have a number of contractual expenses (vendors, hotel, etc.) and equipment/venue investments for our upcoming convention, and cannot offer refunds. Some of our attendees have offered to donate their registration to help us with the extra costs of postponing “Fire and Furry,” for which we are extremely grateful, and we are discussing ways to recognize their generosity. If you would like to discuss this or otherwise get more information on your 2020 registration, please email acfipostponed@gmail.com
If I choose to Rollover my registration for 2021 and the cost for Registration goes up will I have to pay more?
No. Your paid registration will remain as paid in full for the registration level you paid for. If you choose to upgrade for 2021 we will have information when we reopen registration for 2021.
I am a vendor and paid for a table. If you are postponing the event does this mean I still have a table spot for 2021 or will I be refunded and have to re apply?
You will not need to reapply. Those vendors that were approved for 2020 will be automatically chosen for 2021. However, if you determine that you will not be able to be a part of ACFI 2021, please let our Artist’s Alley/Dealer’s Den lead know.
Hotel
I reserved a Hotel Room for ACFI 2020. Do I need to cancel or change my reservation directly with the hotel in order to not be charged for it?
If you booked your hotel through the ACFI Room Block the hotel will transfer your reservation automatically to 2021. Please DO NOT CALL the hotel. If you are unsure if you will be able to attend ACFI 2021 or have any question regarding your reservation please contact the hotel via email at Reservations@sawyn.com and allow 72 hours for a cancellation confirmation or a response to your inquiry. If you booked outside of the ACFI Room Block such as with a third party such as Hotel Direct or Expedia you will want to contact them for cancellation and refund policies.
Will next year's hotel rates remain the same as they were this year?
YES… we have negotiated the same $149 + Taxes per night rate for our event in 2021. Room Rates will apply to stays from Sunday October 3, 2021 to October 14, 2021 Check Out. There is no minimum night requirement to book. We will be posting a link to the room block in the future so please stay tuned for that.
Looking Forward
Be honest...will there be another Alamo City Furry Invasion?
Absolutely. We are thankful for our supportive community and our donors, and our hotel has been understanding of our need to postpone and looks forward to ACFI 2021. This will be a painful year, and every convention is feeling the extra financial costs and the loss of momentum, but we know the Central Texas furry community is resilient and strong, and because they are, we can be too. We’ll see you in 2021!
What about your charity?
San Antonio Pets Alive is still working hard to find forever homes for Alamo City cats and dogs, follow them on twitter And Facebook to see what they’re up to and stay up to date on the latest puppy pictures and kitty videos. They have set up a special donation site for visitors who want to help them deal with the extra expense and challenges of the pandemic, you can support San Antonio Pets Alive at their donation page.
What can I do until the next convention?
Join our Telegram community (@FurryInvasion) and get involved in the conversation! Remember to be kind to your neighbors, furry or otherwise. Financial problems, cultural change and strife, and social isolation are all a lot for any community to deal with, but we can help each other by being a community. Together, we’re stronger, and we’ll make it through all this mess. Please listen to the recommendations of our public health officials: practice safe distances, wash your hands, wear a mask. And share your convention memories and stories!
Stay safe, stay healthy, find happiness where and when you can, and we'll all look forward to the party next year.
Until then, best wishes,
The Alamo City Furry Invasion Family