It is with a heavy heart that I write this update about the proposed event in 2022. I wish I was coming here with confirmed dates and tickets on sales but sadly that is not the case. At this point in time I feel that it is not possible to hold a live event in 2022 for various reasons which I will try to explain.

Currently the Covid situation is the UK is one where we are all being encouraged to ignore that it exists. Over 400 people died of Covid just yesterday but the government wants everyone to get back to business and ignore those people dying. They are just an unfortunate glitch in proceedings and were probably unvaccinated, already sick or elderly, so you know, who cares?

I am one of those people who falls into the high risk Covid group. I have been tripled vaccinated. I am sure I would be fine. Maybe. Probably. But I am not that keen on finding out if that is the case or not when our health care system is under such huge pressure that maybe it might not be able to care for me if I needed it. So I stay at home. I am not exaggerating about that either. Apart from grocery shopping, walking the dog and seeing my parents. I go nowhere. I am hoping once the summer comes infection rates will fall and I can change that but it’s a wait and see situation.

Turns out I am not alone in that which is one of the big reasons why I have decided not to go ahead with an event in June

“Would you like to speak at Eroticon 2022 in June?”

“Umm, yes I would but can I confirm a bit nearer the time” Or words to that effect. Change that to would you like to be a sponsor or would you like to buy a ticket and you still get roughly the same answer. People are interested, they like the idea of it. They would probably, most likely come, maybe, but they don’t want to commit to it right now. Sadly I can’t plan, and most importantly make a huge financial commitment to an event where lots of people want to ‘wait and see’ before making a commitment.

I totally understand why people want to wait and see mind you. When I was approached by another event about speaking it was my response to them.

On top of this one has to add in the uncertainty around international travel. Eroticon attracts a fair number of delegates from outside the UK. Currently some of those countries have very strict travel rules meaning that whilst people can travel to the UK travelling back to their home country would potentially involve some element of quarantine when they get home. Clearly with so much uncertainty those folks are reluctant to commit to plans to travel.

Should I go on? Actually there is more.

Prior to Eroticon, if it was in June, it would mean that myself and Michael would have to go into a strict isolation about 2 weeks prior to the event because under current rules in the UK if one or both us just happened to catch it in the week before the event we would not be able to attend and there is absolutely no way Eroticon could take place certainly without us being there. That would mean having to cancel Eroticon yet again just prior to the event happening. That is not something I can risk, both emotionally and financially doing again. Since I wrote this the government is now planning to scrape the requirement to isolate so that means if we, or anyone else for that matter caught Covid we can now come to Eroticon and infect everyone else.

And to be honest these are just the big issues that are in the way, there are plenty of others such as, How to enforce a Covid vaccine rule? What to do if someone tests positive over the Eroticon weekend? Refund policies for those who contract Covid and are unable to attend? What of sponsors and speakers in this situation?

If, like many events, Eroticon was backed by a big company or organisation that would be able to absorb some of the potential risks then that might be a different matter but it is not. This is a small community project that is currently run solely by myself.

I understand that many people are going to be very sad and disappointed by this announcement. Trust me when I say I am one of those people. I have spent the last 3 months literally agonising over this decision. It is not one I have come to lightly or easily but I just can’t see anyway for the event to happen in June this year. Realistically I believe that it takes 9 months to bring the event together. That has been the case in the past but I think it could be done in 6 months. For Eroticon to happen I really need a 6 months clear run where people are happy to commit to the event and some of the other risks have reduced. I am not expecting them to vanish but become more manageable as we learn how to properly manage Covid in the long term.

So why not have in Eroticon in September?

This is where 2022 makes things tricky. Because of a family event I am unable to commit to September. If it had been 2021 or if it was 2023 then it could have worked but sadly not in 2022.

Will Eroticon ever truly happen again?

Yes! I am absolutely committed to bringing it back as a live in-person event but I am also committed to doing that when the time is right for both me as an individual and for the event as a whole so that it can actually take place and be successful.

So 2023 then?

Yes, 2023 and at this point in time the venue is booked for the 10th and 11th of June 2023. My plan is to confirm those dates in September 2022 and put tickets on sale this Autumn. My hope is that as this year progresses we will see a seasonal pattern emerge of vaccines and case numbers and that will enable people to plan better and commit to things and mean that we can proceed with confidence later this year to start working on the event for 2023.

For those few people who choose to roll their ticket over to 2022 I am hoping you will do the same for 2023 but if wish to apply for a refund at this time please email me info@eroticon.co

Online Events 2022

Last time I wrote one of these I mentioned running some online events. I didn’t decide to do that in the end as I was, wrongly, confident that 2022 event would take place. Now that is not the case I am going to look at this option again and I am hoping to bring you some of the speakers from 2020 in some form or other over the next year. Details will be posted here on the blog and shared on social media once I get that up and running.

Be safe and be well and I hope to see you all at Eroticon 2023

Molly Moore

Molly Moore

Author, Blogger, Photographer, Speaker. Director of Operations for Eroticon

mollysdailykiss.com