August 2017 Board Notes

Date:

08/08/2017

Attendance:

Board Attended: Andy Tso, Renee Vandervelde, Kim Hofer, Kevin Ehrler, Troy MacDonald, Megan Petersen
Board Absent: Stephen Gifford, Joe Opsahl
Observers: Jayson Stob, Heather Bufkin, Matt Sexton, Ali Cassel, Diana Sneve

Notes:

Agenda

  • Open Session
  • Coordinator Updates
    • Anime Detour
    • Charities
    • Clubs
    • Finance
    • Media Relations
    • SOS
  • Presentation on Ai-Kon
  • 2D Con Plans
  • Coordinator Reviews cont. 
  • Bios
  • Follow-Up/Ratify Vote for ATC Branding Procedure
  • Attendance Cap Discussion

Open Session

  • We received an email from John Koniges about suggesting that Anime Detour and Anime Twin Cities should look at Two Factor Authentication for their emails and social media accounts.
  • Motion: Within 30 Days time from the Sunday, August 13th Anime Detour Staff Meeting, force two-factor authentication on all users of Anime Detour or Anime Twin Cities Emails as well as all Social Media and IT account holders. Kevin Motions. Troy Seconded. All in Favor, no abstentions, Motion Passes.  

Coordinator Updates

Anime Detour:

  • Would like a policy put in place to define the chairman's roles regarding badges for Anime Detour. Would look like to look at exhibitor badges and who we give them to, for example, partners, and how we define those partners.
  • Example looking at 2 exhibitor badges will be set aside for each industry partner as defined by the coordinator. Once a full policy is in place a motion will occur. 

Finance:

  • Andy’s Anime Twin Cities Card came in the mail.
  • Reminders that the end of the fiscal year is in September, so it is important to get any checks cashed and any additional purchases made.
  • The Youth for Understand Check was cashed, and we received an email thanking us and they will update us when they have selected the student going to Japan for a year.
  • Currently, we have $218,741.03 in the checking account. $503.30 in the education fund. And $19,446.20 in the LEG fund.

SOS:

  • Had second staff picnic last Sunday; pretty good turnout. Cook the food before it poured rain.
  • On the horizon for the fall; space reserved here for. Movie marathon in September. Potential new events, researching spaces and other potential opportunities. 

Agenda: Presentation on Ai-Kon

  • Last month; Winnipeg for Ai-Kon, had a great time.
  • Observations: situated next to Anime Fargo, had a bunch of cheap swag to give away. Info cards, buttons, stickers, and coloring pages. Pre-convention checklist of what to bring (keep track of what we should have)
  • Canadian conventions can apply for government grants that help mitigate shortfalls. Anything here? Help offset costs?
  • When we have conventions visiting detour have them all situated together; have a map with locations of conventions in relation to where detour is to show distance
  • Spent a lot of time in the dealer's room, to get contact information for Emily.
  • Made contacts with 3 of the voice actors. 2 of whom actually emailed back.
  • Got something signed for the charity auction.
  • Really impressed with their 18+ panels and how they would run. Explore in asking them to come to Detour.

Agenda: 2D Con Plans·         

  • At 2D con, we have a table as part of our sponsorship level and looking at activities for the tables to have throughout the weekend.
  • Have not received the rental fee for the Radios, Megan to call and chat with Shanna. 

Agenda: Coordinator Reviews Cont.

  • Touched on SMART Feedback
  • Each coordinator to read through feedback and if they have questions to specifically discuss those; we will not be reading the feedback out fully.
  • Feedback will be sent to the coordinators prior to the board meeting to review them.  
  • This year, we will remove the anonymity of feedback; if we are able to stick to SMART feedback we should be able to avoid personal feedback that is not constructive. We should all be able to take in constructive feedback. Rather than just general characterizations.
  • Per the bylaws. The people from the previous board can be involved (Dave, Michele, and Lauren)
  • Staff can have the opportunity to submit feedback to Andy (andy.tso@animedetour.com)
  • The deadline is August 31st. All feedback per Megan’s request will be compiled by Rachel Tippett in her stead. Please send to Rachel at rachel.tippett@animedetour.com
  • Coordinators themselves (if you could Review yourselves using SMART Feedback) to serve as a contrast as to what the board sends you. This is a Self-exercise, and time permitting your own reviews should be submitted to the board. Good for the board to review how we review ourselves. 

Agenda: Bios

  • The Secretary Megan will compile all of the bios plus photos of each board member and coordinator to be put on the ATC website.
  • The October meeting is the deadline for the Bios. 

Agenda: Follow-up/Ratify Vote for ATC Branding Procedure 

  • Andy Submitted a fully worded policy on a branding procedure for ATC and other branches.

This procedure outlines the steps involved in considering possible changes to Anime Twin Cities’ branding elements, which include, but are not limited to, logos and mascots. This procedure has three stages: Ideation, Development, and Review & Approve.

1. Ideation

How the Ideation stage starts depends on whether an ATC Coordinator is actively looking to change any part of the branding associated with that Coordinator’s branch.

  • If so, the Coordinator engages the general ATC staff to solicit proposals and selects one idea among those submitted to work with further.
  • If not, anyone can submit an idea to the relevant Coordinator. The Coordinator decides whether the idea is feasible for further consideration, with the idea being dismissed if it’s not deemed feasible.

In either case, the Ideation stage continues with the Coordinator refining the chosen idea with the person who proposed it.

When the proposal has advanced sufficiently in terms of concept (not necessarily in terms of visuals), the Coordinator asks to be on the agenda of the next ATC Board meeting, at which the Coordinator makes an introductory presentation on the proposal, followed by a Q&A session. This presentation should address why the branding should change, and why the proposal is superior to what is currently in place.

 

Within a reasonable timeframe after the introductory presentation, the ATC Board votes on whether the proposal is worth developing.

  • If the vote is not in favor of the proposal, the proposal can be dismissed.
  • If the vote is in favor of the proposal, it continues onto the Development stage.

 

2. Development

The ATC Board informs the general ATC staff that the proposal presented at the ATC Board meeting will be further developed.

 

The Coordinator is responsible for driving activities in the Development stage. These responsibilities include, but is not limited to, setting timelines based on lead times for changes to take effect if the proposal is ultimately approved, and choosing the artist(s) to be on the development team. The artist(s) may be solicited among and selected from the general ATC staff per the Coordinator’s preference.

 

When the development team has finalized the visuals for the proposal, the finished proposal is submitted to the ATC Board for its approval to be presented to the general ATC staff.

  • If approval is not granted, the development team continues to work on the proposal, based on feedback from the ATC Board on what should be changed.
  • If approval is granted, the proposal advances to the Review & Approve stage.

 

3. Review & Approve

The ATC Board informs the general ATC staff that the finished proposal will be presented at the ATC Board meeting following the next Anime Detour staff meeting, with the idea that this plan is also conveyed in person at the next Anime Detour staff meeting.

 

At that ATC Board meeting, the Coordinator makes a final presentation on the finished proposal, followed by a Q&A session. This presentation should explain fully how the finalized visuals address the needs that the existing branding does not fulfill, as referenced in the introductory presentation.

 

Within a reasonable timeframe after the final presentation, the ATC Board votes on whether to approve the proposed branding change as it was presented. It may consider the opinions of those who do not have a vote as an ATC Board Officer, but the ATC Board makes the final determination.

  • If the vote is not in favor of the final proposal, it can be brought back to the Development stage and reworked per whatever feedback the Coordinator sees fit to incorporate, or dismissed altogether at the Coordinator’s discretion.
  • If the vote is in favor of the final proposal, the Coordinator enacts the branding change per the timelines established in the Development stage.

 

  • Troy Motions to approve the branding procedure as written. Kim Seconded. All in favor with Renee abstained. Motion Passes. 

Agenda: Attendance Cap Discussion 

  • We received emails from John Koniges, Alex Oswald, Joe Opsahl, and Morgan Niemeyer regarding their positions about the Cap. Emails were read aloud following introductory remarks from each of the board members.
  • Following this, a roundtable discussion occurred. 
  • Motion: To raise the cap by 500 to 6,500 total attendees excluding staff, vendors, guests and exhibitors for the 2018 convention cycle. Renee Motioned. Kevin Seconded. Troy, Renee, and Kevin all in favor. Andy and Kim opposed. Motion Passes. 

Agenda: Morgan Request for 2 badges for ATC panel at 2D con. Jayson not opposed. Conceptually common practice; if we have panels at other conventions do we want to give away badges. This is more of a game themed panel. There will be a winner. Better serviced to potential guests if we give away a pair.

  • Motion to approve for 1 badge as a stop gap not as a precedence. One time thing to figure out a general policy. Andy motions. Troy seconded. All in favor with no abstentions.  

Renee Motions to adjourn, Troy seconded all in favor. Meeting Ends.