PAX West 2021 will require you to be vaccinated

ReedPop, the organisers of PAX events, has announced today that the in-person PAX West, scheduled to take place in early September, will require everyone to be vaccinated or to provide negative COVID-19 tests. 

As one of the first big industry events to not be moved to a digital venue or cancelled, PAX West 2021 will require all entrants to either be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or provide negative antigen tests on each day of the event. Face coverings will also be required to be worn while attending PAX West, which also applies to those in costumes and cosplay.

In a statement announcing the vaccination requirements, Kyle Marsden-Kish, Global Gaming Event Director at ReedPop stated that the “PAX team is steadfast in our commitment to health and safety.” 

“We will continue to evaluate our policies, listen to feedback from the community, follow the guidance of public health officials, and do everything in our power to make PAX West as safe as possible. We will always do what we can to support the global gaming community and the cities PAX calls home,” Marsden-Kish went on to say. 

ReedPop is in charge of running many of the industries biggest events, such as the UK’s EGX and EGX Rezzed events which are set to take place this October, so it’s likely that future ReedPop events will also require vaccinations or negative COVID-19 tests similar to this year’s PAX West unless the course of the pandemic dramatically changes. 

We're pleased to announce that, in line with the recommendations of state and local public health authorities, we will be implementing a vaccination or negative COVID-19 test requirement for everyone at #PAXWest. Read the full update at: https://t.co/1ZtYPOCQeI pic.twitter.com/hZJkFeRngR

— PAX (@pax) July 27, 2021

PAX West is set to take place between September 3rd and September 6th at the Washington State Convention Centre in Seattle. If you’ve been hankering to go back to a physical event, then luckily tickets are still available for every day of the event.

With PAX West being one of the first events to return to an in-person venue, it will undoubtedly be a test case that dictates the future of events for some time. With many people having acclimated to virtual events, both the safety and the number of attendants will play a huge role in shaping the events industry going forwards.