09/16/2026
Neeeeew Acheieevement! You survived the convention crowd and the enthusiasm of the Dungeon Crawler Carl Fans!!
REWARD? - You are Hilton Family! You have earned the respect of your fellow volunteers for being able to hold up to the boundless enthusiasm of Dragon Con Members.
Hi Folks!
Once again the Dragon has been tamed. And now that the dust has settled, and my mind is revisiting the week of con, I wanted to reach out to all of you spectacular volunteers who step up to the challenge, and make the convention we love to be a great success.
I appreciate all of you and the energy you bring to the Hilton Safety team. Your commitment to the team and the convention did not go unnoticed, and it is in fact your personal effort which makes the difference in our outcomes as a team. This effort was seen in your cooperation with, and support of, our relationship working with our Hilton volunteer partners in TechOps and Disability Services. But most importantly it was seen in support of your fellow Safety volunteers among our Hilton team.
This year I saw brand new rookies in some key roles who started out reserved and by the end of their shift were rocking their position, completely in the swing with those duties, and fully owning them as if they have been volunteering with the Hilton for years. I saw some of our established volunteers who were previously uncomfortable with tense exchanges who were handling those kinds of situations with grace. And I saw our veteran volunteers pouring their hearts out. We never like asking anyone to stay past their scheduled time, but these folks (who are accustomed to giving a little more) simply refused to leave, and were willing to go the extra distance because they did not want to leave their fellow volunteers short handed. And I saw our team backing each other up and working together despite the challenges that we faced.
Our team of volunteers in the Hilton is getting stronger every year, and it is because of you, and your contribution to our team. Thank you for showing up with a positive attitude and the willingness to work together to meet the goals of our Safety team, our Hilton Volunteer Family, and the convention we love. It is only because of caring and dedicated volunteers like you that Dragon Con is a success, so bask in the glory of your achievement.
And Your Hilton team is looking forward to you being with us again as we look towards 2027!
Thank you for being awesome,
~ jaster
