Today, our senior community manager, Alan or “Uncle Alan” to my daughters, and Steve to our founding attendees announced that he is leaving the KupoCon team. Alan has been with us from the very beginning. He’s experienced every single KupoCon event right beside me. From his initial volunteer application in 2016, all the way through to now as my right-hand man. I am incredibly and deeply sad to see him go.

Words will absolutely fail me today, because I don’t think there are sufficient words to describe the immense impact that Alan has had on KupoCon and me as an individual. Anyone who has ever been to a KupoCon will know that Alan gives it his all. He has put everything into this project from day one. I, of all people can relate to the massive impact that KupoCon has on your life and the heavy load and responsibility that comes with it. It’s an incredibly demanding project. He was always the first to arrive and always the last to leave when preparing for an event. While we often questioned his work ethic and his inability to leave something alone, ultimately he was just as determined to deliver an event to our maximum potential as me. You see, while me and Alan are similar in ways, we are actually very different from each-other, but that is what made us work together so well. I like to think we grounded each-other. Yes, we had our moments, but ultimately it was the perfect combination.

When Alan first mentioned to me that he was considering stepping back from KupoCon a few years ago I put up a fight and made it clear that I couldn’t do KupoCon without him. That I wouldn’t do KupoCon without him. In the years that followed, I realized that it was a selfish reaction. That I owed it to myself, to Alan and most of all, to the community to continue. We have made something so special in KupoCon. So special that it is bigger than any one person. We are a thriving community of thoughtful and considerate fans spanning a globe with a shared interest, Final Fantasy. That’s something really special.

I often refer to KupoCon as my third child, and it’s true because my job is to help it grow and nurture it as it does so. I could never stop. I’ve experienced some really hard lows with KupoCon, this is surely one, but I’ve experienced many highs and for those I am truly thankful. I believe that the things we value most, are the things we work hardest on. Without KupoCon, I would have never met Alan and had the opportunity to experience so many wonderful things. Truly, the list of antics is endless and I wouldn’t trade them for anything.

In the last few years the welfare of ones mental health has been the forefront of our support efforts and I know that deep down this is the right choice and the right time for Alan, and as hard as it will be for me to see him go, I must respect his choice and let him do what is right for him and his family. I’ve been preparing for this day for some time, so it will be business as usual for KupoCon as we begin the next chapter of our story.

With all my heart, I wish him the best in all his future endeavours and want him to know that he’ll always have a home at KupoCon.

While the famous dynamic bromance ends here, I’ll treasure what we built and everything we have experienced. It may be slightly cheesy to say this, but it seems more fitting now than ever to say…

Walk tall, my friend.

-Alex