Holly Winebarger – QFX East 2020

By starrymag | January 23, 2020

By: Maggie Stankiewicz

 

Q) QFX seems to put a lot of effort into making sure everyone behind the scenes is seen and heard. Was this kind of transparency important from the start? 

A) Absolutely – with the attendees, but also with each other internally. Good communication is so vital to making sure everyone’s thoughts, ideas and concerns are included in our conversations.

Q) Queer fandom is full of vibrant, passionate voices. Is it ever intimidating trying to please members of the community across so many different genres? 

A) Fandoms in general are very passionate. We appreciate and respect everyone’s feelings regarding their preferences and what they want to see come out of our convention. Realistically, we’re not going to make everyone happy but we’re going to try to make it a memorable event for everyone who attends.

Q) Is there a theme or motto that the QFX team has really taken to heart when putting the convention together?

A) Transparency. Honesty. Integrity. Be decent.

Q) How did you and the team begin coming up with the celebrity and media guest roster? The lineup this year has a lot of convention favorites and some who haven’t frequented the convention circuit, which is really exciting. 

A) We got together early on and threw around a bunch of names and who would like to have at the convention. We wanted to bring some favorites that everyone knows and loves, but then also reach out to a few who have never done the con before. We’re really proud of our lineup this year and we aren’t quite done!

Q) There’s no rule book on how to successfully run a fandom convention. How have you managed to curate such an impressive team while grabbing incredible guests for the con’s first year? 

A) We’re lucky enough to have some real all-star staff members; Our team has such a diverse set of skills and talents across the board. People are giving 110% and are truly committed to seeing this succeed.

Q) What factors led you to decide on Tampa for QFX’s location? 

A) We know that the West Coast usually dominates this type of fandom event. We wanted to give the folks on the East Coast a chance to experience this as well.

Q) What was your first queer fandom or fictional couple that got you involved and passionate about these kinds of events and the art that inspires them? 

A) Some staff picks: Willow/Tara, Clexa, BAM.

Q) What’s a typical day in the life of a convention coordinator look like? 

A) Lots of emails, phone calls, Slack conversations and Google Doc reviews.

Q) It seems like QFX is adding new guests every few days. Can you give us a teaser for any more exciting announcements to come? 

A) You want to see some people who have never done the convention circuit, right? 🙂

Q) What advice can you offer to fans attending QFX as their first convention experience? What should they look forward to?

A) They’ll be in a space that’s comfortable, accessible and mostly surrounded by like-minded individuals. We want to make sure all attendees know that our number one goal is for everyone to walk out of there feeling like they found a place to belong.

Q) What have you taken away from other fan centric and LGBT driven conventions that you have both adopted and adapted for QFX?

A) We’ve taken the good and the bad and are trying our best to right the wrongs and expand on the good. Facts of life.

Q) Your team makes it a point to have an ongoing interaction with fans and attendees. How significant and essential has this kind of social media engagement like the Q&As and clues for guests been for QFX?

A) At the end of the day, we just don’t want things to seem one dimensional because that’s so boring and impersonal. We enjoy being able to interact with our attendees and getting to know them on a different level.

Q) What’s been the most rewarding part so far of being on the QFX team? 

A) Being part of a big family and being able to say we took part in something huge and life-changing.

Q) Is there any more exciting news on the horizon for QFX?

A) We’re always working on things! Stay tuned for some announcements about programming, events and potentially even a new guest or two!