 So, as some of you may remember, last year we made a pretty big change to the Float Conference. We had been organizing this event for the last seven years and last year we decided that it was time to turn it over and give the reins to an actual industry run non-profit. And we did, so this Float Conference is a non-profit now, which is kind of cool, yeah. From the outside to someone who comes to this event kind of once a year, you know, a lot of this may seem familiar. There's a lot of friendly faces here and float tanks and all these great people, but in actuality what's going on behind the scenes is really a whole new world. This year the industry owns the conference, which means we all own the conference, which means, yeah, that's right, give yourselves a round of applause, yeah. So we're all both the guests and the hosts now, which means that if you think the parties are awesome, give yourself a nice pat on the back for them, you did it. And if you find a typo in the program, guess what, that's about 1,400th your fault now. So, when we set out to start this non-profit, we had a few goals. You know, number one, put on an event for the float industry. And that's it. That was actually really our only goal. So we did it, right? I mean, mission accomplished. Nailed it, I think. But really it did actually take a lot for us to turn this into a non-profit organization. And step one was actually existing as an organization. We had to get a lawyer. We had to actually form the organization and file for tax exempt status with the government. And that was going really well until all of a sudden in the middle of it, the government shut down for a month. So that was pretty great. We just kind of sent a letter off to nobody. But eventually several months later, we did finally get a response back and we officially became a 501C6 non-profit organization. So, as a non-profit, we needed to board of directors. And luckily we had this amazing pool of people to draw from in the industry, which is great. So, yeah, we put together a pretty killer float conference board of directors from the industry. Yeah, we have Andy Larson from Float Milwaukee. Jake and Kevin, of course, from Float STL. Gloria from Float 60. Tom Fine from Tom Fine. Matt and JP from Modern Gravity. And of course, John and Jesse from Float Toronto. And with the two of us, that makes up the current board of directors for the float conference. So, once we had a board, we needed to figure out what the heck we were doing and how to actually function as an organization. We needed to put together our bylaws to determine things like the term links needed for board seats and we needed to determine how people get elected. We decided that our board terms would last two years and that you could do up to three consecutive terms, so six years total, before you need to take at least one year off before you can be back on the board. And that each year we would have half of those board seats go up for election. And we actually just had our very first elections. So, we just added three new people to the board. Yeah, we have Roy Vor, James Harder and Kim Hannon, all amazing. We also needed to put together some actual board procedures to figure out how do we make decisions. You know, how do we work as a large group and actually still manage to get stuff done? So, this part was actually kind of fun because we really like systems and delving into them. So, there's a lot of conventions that are used for nonprofits and as you might know, we like turning a lot of those things on their head. So, mainly because some of them are kind of dumb. But we were forming this thing from scratch, which kind of meant we just got to do whatever we wanted. One example of that is boards often have to do a lot of voting for various decisions. And it's easy to go with just the kind of very standard method of voting that we're all used to where you have a list of options, you choose your one vote that you get to make and the option with the most votes is the one that wins. And that's called first past the post voting or winner take all voting. And there's actually, it turns out, a number of alternatives to this voting system that exist out there. And when you try to measure the effectiveness of different voting systems, the first past the post is actually one of the least effective systems that's out there. It falls prey to more fallacies than just about anything else. It often leads to people having to feel like they're making a strategic choice with their vote instead of actually just voting for the main thing they want to. Because sometimes if you vote for your top choice, it may potentially split the vote. We have a little example of that we put together for you. Yeah, so if we were trying to choose entertainment options for the conference, for example. Yeah, just to take a look at that. And the results of the vote ended up like this. Even though it's obvious that two-thirds of people want to see some Tom Fine entertainment, instead what the audience gets is an adult puppet show. If this sounds familiar to you is why this is such a bad idea. It's because this is the system of elections we use here in the United States. So for the conference we decided to use a totally different system called score voting, where you actually just take all of the options and rank them from one to five. You could rank everything a one, you could rank everything a five. And then you take the average of all of those points for each option and then whichever one of those comes in best you go with. So this might be an example of what a vote with score system would look like. And this means you can actually vote for each option the way you want to. And your top choice of vote is not going to sacrifice other votes that you also would have wanted to win if maybe your top choice wasn't going to get it. And we've already used this. It's how we elected new board members. It's how we decided on the speakers for the conference. And so far it's actually been working out really well for us. It's also really common for boards during their meetings to use a system for running the meetings called Robert's Rules of Order. Or as it was originally called, the Pocket Manual of Rules of Order for Deliberative Assemblies. You will be tested on that later. This is the really boring stuff that you hear all the time, the like I motion for this, I second that motion, all that kind of stuff that is very stuffy that we're kind of associate with these meetings. And it was actually originally written in the 1800s and is based off of the way that the House of Representatives here in the United States makes decisions and functions. And like even though this is really useful and I'm sure when you're running something like the House of Representatives having very strict rules makes sense, but it just felt a little formal for things like deciding what kind of dessert we're going to offer at the conference lunch, going through all of these formalities. So instead we decided to use a type of what's called consensus method for meetings where things can just be a lot more conversational and decisions can be a lot more streamlined when you're actually talking about them. So for topics that don't seem like they're big enough for us to actually take a formal vote, we basically just talk about them. We have a conversation, we stick to a topic and we go through it until it feels like pretty much everybody is on the same page. And it's not like it has to be everyone's first choice that we come to, but everyone at least has to be able to live with the decision. So it kind of stops these scenarios where two people on the board are just like really against something and everyone else is for it and they just have to kind of suck it up, you know. And it allows us to make decisions a lot more quickly, which is great. But making quick decisions in a group dynamic can have some unfortunate side effects. Since most meetings don't always have every single board member present, there's a chance that an important decision might kind of too quickly go through the process and not really have a chance to be questioned by everyone or get feedback from everyone. And we actually tried to put in a step into the process to make sure that even in that scenario we wouldn't be moving too fast to the actual harm of our kind of group decision-making method. And so anybody who's on the board at any point while we're making these kind of consensus decisions can actually elevate it to that to a formal vote if they think it's necessary. And that kind of like slows the process down, adds more time for people to review and just like creates a little safety check in the system. And for any of you who are... Yeah, so it's been working really well for us, I guess first of all I should say, like this has gone great. I really like it. We've had really productive meetings and giant conference calls that actually go smoothly. And yeah, for any of you who have tried to be on large conference calls or organized meetings, I'm sure you can appreciate how difficult that actually is to accomplish. So, so far so good. And all the details are spelled out in our board procedures called the Danger Rules, which actually in the spirit of Roberts Rules was named after the person who developed them. So this is up on our website for anybody who's interested in reading it, along with our bylaws. And there's actually a lot of information that is up on the Float Conference website that gives information about the organization and how it functions. This is a nonprofit and as a nonprofit, you know, we're accountable to all of us. Like all of us as an industry have to kind of look at this thing and make sure that it is the organization we want it to be. And a big part of that accountability has to be transparency. There just is no way to keep an organization like this accountable unless you have the insight to see what's going on in it so you can question decisions or participate in the process. So all of our board meeting minutes are also up on the website. So if you're looking for some insight as to how we decide to choose out the silly hats that go into registration photos, you can go check out those meeting minutes up there. And we've also put all of the finances for this new nonprofit conference. We'll also be posted up on the website. And it's not just a tax return, which can be dense and hard to go through. Like even if you want to review finances sometimes, it's difficult to wade through an entire tax return. So we're actually posting up more understandable kind of synopses of the conference finances to put up there. And if you haven't seen it as flowed on, we decided to kick this off by actually putting up all seven years of finances from the previous iteration of the flow conference online as well so people can get a sense for what it takes to make an organization like this function and what goes into putting on, you know, the kind of actual nuts and bolts of an event like this. So back to our story. Once we had the organization actually formed and the team in place, we had to start the crazy process of actually transferring everything from flowed on over to the flow conference, which actually looked like this. That's not just an artist representation. This is very real. So this involved legally transferring all of our assets, you know, so the actual, like, both the physical goods of the conference and the kind of intellectual property from flowed on over to the new nonprofit, as well as just switching over the whole infrastructure. So everything from our YouTube channel to the mailing list to about one-and-a-half terabytes of files, organizing a bunch of hard drives, just like, I mean, this was, like, pretty much the most tedious two weeks of my life doing this, but going through literally everything, all of our files and everything from the last seven years organizing them and actually transferring them to kind of be properly in the ownership of this new organization. And then we also had all of this stuff in our heads about how this event was functioning that wasn't documented anywhere, that we had to figure out how to document and how to pass on to the people who were going to do the legwork. And then in order to pass that knowledge on, we needed to actually find the people who were going to do the legwork to pass it on to. So we did already have the board members who did everything from actually helping choose the conference venue to choosing the speakers, to helping decide on the parties, making budget decisions, hosting the flow conference podcast, and basically just kind of setting the overall structure and direction and tone of this entire event. And in addition to that, though, we also needed people to just help with the actual logistics, you know, some of the just kind of get the, like, little tasks here and there that get your tote bag stuff and your name tags alphabetized and everything that actually just needed to make this whole thing happen. So you may remember, if you saw our talk from last year, we put out a call asking people to help make this vision a reality. And you guys really stepped forward. We got a lot of offers to help out. It's how we were able to put this entire thing on. And we're about to go through a big list of people that we're going to thank. So we'll hold applause to the end. Otherwise, we'd probably be here for an extra hour because there's so many amazing people on there. So just a heads up. We'll cue you when you're allowed to applause and you'll know that you're allowed because we made a little applause sign. That was the wrong time. You guys did it wrong, but... So we want to start with Paul and Heather Cliff to volunteer to be our local liaisons for this year. They've been an absolutely humongous help. They did everything from planning the awesome welcome party we had last night to orchestrating all these really cool John Lilly and other Lilly paintings that make up our stage. These are actually generated from them trading floats and some CBD products with artists who came out to the Crush Colorado Festival. And these were generated specifically for this event, the Float Conference. And we'd also just like to thank these artists, everything from Patrick Kane McGregor, who did this main John Lilly piece, to all of these other artists who helped create these Lilly paintings. And they're also available as a silent auction. So if anyone wants to go home with a little piece of the Float Conference, there's some papers in the back and you can bid on them, except for this one which Paul and Heather wanted for themselves. But if you want any prints of the actual John Lilly one, you can contact them and they'll get you set up with that. So there's Paul and Heather. James Harder has been handling all of the sponsorships, which is something that I was doing. So got to pass all that information on to him. And he's doing a killer job. So if you're enjoying the booths that you see out there, all the float tanks, that's thanks to James Harder. And make sure to go up and give him a big pat on the butt. There's also Stephen Johnson, of course, who we have deemed the MCS of the event, the master of conference shenanigans, who I think has been doing a pretty great job so far. And we had a handful of other people helping us lead up to the event as well. So Alex Rodriguez was helping with the conference website. The inestimable Kim Hannon has been helping us with our social media. Sandra Kalm has been helping with graphic design. And Meimei Boutave designed this year's super cool conference t-shirt. And we also just had a handful of volunteers helping throughout the year work on publishing some old Iris research tapes that we have courtesy of Tom Fine. Yes. If you want to hear what the conferences were like back in the day, you will be able to very soon here. Or they can already? Not quite yet. You will be able to soon. That was right. Yeah, yeah. We also have a number of people that are volunteering to help out here at the actual event, including Christian DeHidor, who's doing the photography for us. And Justin Warlock, who's doing the video. Hello. And also just like a huge number of people who are here on site running around and helping make all of this actually happen for all of us. And of course, there is also just the actual core team that has been working all year long to really help make this event a reality. And so I want to shout out to them to Esther Paul, who's been with us for several years, kind of transitioned from the Float On conference over to helping out with this conference. We have Kevin McCullough and Jacob Resch from Float STL. They have been taking on kind of the main role of just handling all the odds and ends and being that kind of artistic vision for the entire event. We actually got them Graham and Ashconn Wigs for when they were working together, yeah. They've been doing a ton throughout the whole year to make this thing possible. And also, Jocelyn Jester, who many of you have maybe met, kind of running around the hallways in here, she really has been kind of the main pillar and foundation of all this happening. She's probably put in a full-time job and a half to get all of this done and just make this whole thing possible for us. And now you can applaud. And we also want to recognize how much of a contribution the sponsors have been to the event as well, especially now that it's a non-profit event. Not only do they spend months actually preparing what they're bringing out and getting their materials ready, and some of them bringing tanks from halfway across the world to bring out to show you guys. As some of you know from looking at our finances, the sponsorships make up about half of the revenue that we bring in. So if we didn't have sponsors, you'd only have about half of a tote bag right now. And honestly, talking to the sponsors and getting to know them, it's really cool. Again, they've shown so much support. And I know that most of them are coming out and getting booths, not just to be able to show off what they do and what they're contributing to the industry, but also just to help make this event happen and to pitch in money so that we can all gather here together. So, yeah. Go ahead and give a little round of applause for the sponsors as well. Yeah. One of the most critical things that we think need to be given here are to all of us. I mean, the Float Conference is, it's not us, you know, and it's not Float On, and it's not the board of directors, and it's not the sponsors. You know, the Float Conference is us, all of us. All of us deciding to actually leave our float centers and come out and fly around the world to be with each other. We turn this conference into a nonprofit because that's just what felt right. And the conference truly feels like it is something that should belong to us as an industry. And everyone coming out, contributing how they can, it's what makes all of this so magical. You can kind of take away everything else, and as long as you still had amazing float people gathering together in a room, it would feel like this magical event. You know, the speakers who we bring out here every year get inspired from this event and go on to sometimes join our industry and do great things. Like, Roy Vor came out to the conference and now he's on the board of directors. This event also just does a lot for the industry. It creates buzz, it creates PR. The Float Conference has been mentioned in a number of news articles throughout the year, and a lot of times it's actually mentioned as a form of validity for the industry. It shows that this is a real industry, there are real things happening. It's kind of just one of those indicators where they even have a conference. Crazy float people. So the videos have also just been shared all over the internet, all over the world. They help new people really seriously judge whether or not they want to get into the float industry and learn some of the hardcore science and what's really going into what we're doing. And the information, of course, that's not even on stage, but that we just share with each other in conversations and things happening on the sidelines is really what makes this event what it is. And this is really just thanks to us, right? I mean, it's thanks to us coming out. That is the vitality of this entire event that we're going to be doing in the future. So we thought it would be good to appreciate kind of all of ourselves, but because applauding for yourself is always a little bit strange, we thought instead we would have everyone do a celebratory turkey call with us to appreciate the contribution you've all made. Give yourselves a gobble, everybody. Give yourselves a good gobble. Good, excellent. You guys deserve it. Yeah, you deserve all of that. So, what is in store for the future of the float conference? Probably. So really what we want to kind of like, you know, what's in our heads and what everyone here to think about is that the conference in the future is really up to all of us to decide. You know, this event belongs to all of us now and we want people to have a say in it. You know, if you see something that you want to be different or if you have different topics that you want to be discussed or different formats for the event, say something, contact us. We'd like for more people than just the board of directors and the people who are in the kind of core operations team to be able to provide feedback and to be able to be a part of the decision-making process. We'll be putting out some surveys and requests for feedback on social media as well. So when you see those come in, definitely take part in them. Again, hearing your feedback, hearing what worked for the conference, what you loved the most, what you didn't like, is what's going to help this just get better and better over time. And there's also a lot of other ways that you can help out for the conference. And one big one is we're still trying to figure out where we're going to put this on next year. There's a much more formal procedure than shouting them all out right now. So there are, of course, a ton of great cities out there, some awesome float centers all over that could be great places for this float conference to happen, but really a big part of what makes this possible is having someone who wants to be that kind of local liaison role, who's willing to be the feet on the ground to help us kind of deal with the logistics that are just difficult to deal with from a distance. The role that Paul and Heather Cliff did for us this year. So we're looking for people to apply to actually be that local liaison and bring the float conference to their city. And we can tell you, too, from having put this event on in Portland for so long, it's really cool being the host of basically the biggest float party in the world that comes through town. You get to get some amazing behind-the-scenes conversations with people who you've probably seen present on stage, and your city just becomes like the float capital of the world for this little weekend, and it's really exciting. So if bringing the float conference to your city does sound like an appealing thing, I highly encourage you to apply. So we do have applications that are happening on our website. They're open right now. We're going to be doing them for about the next two weeks, and then hoping to be able to decide on a city basically soon after that and start getting all the logistics put together. So you can go to our website and apply there and just know that the application is kind of a combination. Like you're applying for the conference to come to your city and to help us be that kind of local... And also you have to do work, too, yeah. So another thing that we wanted to do was just to take a little... or another thing that you can do for the conference is what I meant to say, is recommending sponsors. Anyone who you know, who's maybe a company that your float center works with that you haven't seen a booth out here. Anyone that you think would be a good addition or have good products that they can come and share with the rest of the float industry. Again, sponsors make up such a big part of how this industry or how the event is able to be put on. So your recommendations go a long way, and it's one, again, really useful way that you can contribute. Yeah, if you have good connections with a company that you think would be well suited for this, being able to put us in touch with them is really just hugely helpful. Or if you just have a particular product or service that you like using in your float center, there's a really good chance that other float centers are also going to enjoy those things. So being able to get those types of people out not only helps this event, but it makes just this event a more valuable place for everybody to come. Yeah, and in addition to all of this, there's also just tons of tiny jobs that come up throughout the year as we're planning the event and getting ready to put it on. So one of the best ways that you can contribute is actually just by joining specifically our float conference nonprofit mailing list. And this is where we send out things, not like the updates on dates and stuff for the general audience, but much more behind the scenes. And it's the way that you can get notified when we're looking for help and actually get involved. So you can sign up for this on the homepage of our website, and we will send emails kind of throughout the year that when we need specific things. And this is what we've been doing so far this year and how people have been able to be a part of this and get involved. And honestly, again, the best way that you can contribute to the float conference is just by continuing to come out. Like come out next year and maybe the year after that and for the next 20 years. But it's really what makes this whole thing possible. Again, the float conference with every other aspect and no audience would not be a conference. So that's it. Yeah. I mean, welcome to year one of the new conference. Like we now actually have a self-sustaining event that both supports the float industry and is supported by the float industry. And getting here took a lot of work. It turns out turning an event into a non-profit organization is not a small feat. But we did it and we had a lot of help along the way and it's all been worth it so that we could stand here and say to all of you, welcome to your float conference. Because now it truly belongs to all of you. You know, not just in spirit, but now legally as well. So thank you and welcome everybody. Thank you for this is the end of day one. Thank you for coming. See you at the party and tomorrow morning. Have fun. Have fun.