The following definitions apply to all LAcon V Policies.
Activity
An Activity is any organized space where two or more LAcon participants gather, either virtually or in-person, to try to fulfill the varied purposes of LAcon V.
This generally includes not only the LAcon V convention itself, but also any pre- and post-convention spaces that meet the overall description as well as all LAcon V social media. This incomplete definition covers events that are both large and small, from a local tour or happy hour to an LAcon V branded space at a different event (e.g., convention tables, fan tables, room parties, panels, etc. that may appear at another convention).
Participant
A Participant is anyone who takes part in any LAcon activity.
This generally includes convention members; convention committee; staff; contractors; volunteers; artists and dealers, their agents, and their booth staff; Hugo finalists; convention guests; media representatives; and anyone else who takes part in any LAcon activity or activities, whether their participation is virtual, in-person, or both. Those who choose to interact with official LAcon V social media accounts will also be considered participants for purposes of these Policies.
Staff Members (“Staff”)
Staff Members are the volunteer organizers and operational personnel who plan, manage, and execute LAcon V Events.
Their responsibilities include everything from creating, publicizing, and promoting the original bid; upgrading the bid into a convention; pre-convention planning, budgeting, and communications and logistics; and providing points of contact and direction for all aspects of the convention, both virtual and in-person. Each member of Staff has been vetted by the convention committee before being permitted to perform their specific role. All staff members will have a staff badge that is visually distinct from attendee badges.
Volunteer
A Volunteer is any participant who dedicates a portion of their time to the success of any LAcon V event, whether virtually or in-person.
LAcon V requires the time and energy of hundreds of volunteers, only a fraction of whom are Staff members. Some volunteer tasks may involve sitting at a table and answering questions, some may involve walking around a specific area to watch for anything amiss, and others may involve spending some time in one or more chat rooms. All tasks are important to the success of the event.
Violation
A Violation is a potential problem or infraction of either the Code or of any other Policy.
Each of these will be judged individually on its own merits by the Code of Conduct team and, where appropriate, escalated to the convention committee and/or its designated representatives. All violations that are reported by any person will be recorded, regardless of outcome.
