# INCIDENT FOLLOWING THE CLOSING CEREMONY AT THE SHERATON HOTEL ## STATEMENT Buenos Aires City, June 23, 2026 In order to avoid conflicting accounts, assumptions, or rumors regarding what occurred, we would like to share information about an unfortunate incident that took place in the lobby of the Sheraton Hotel Convention Center following the Closing Ceremony. Regarding the incident, we know that part of the security personnel contracted for the event proceeded to clear people from the area following the conclusion of the event. After investigating the matter and holding several discussions, we have concluded that __this decision was made on the security officers' own initiative, after misinterpreting a comment made by the hotel's security staff__. In doing so, they disregarded the guidelines established by both their supervisors and the event organizers and decided—**very mistakenly**—that the area needed to be cleared. At this edition of ArFF, we were supported by the same security company that has accompanied us for many years. However, unlike previous occasions, the security officers themselves belonged to a different company that had to be subcontracted in order to satisfy the hotel's formal security requirements. **In plain English and in practice:** while we were accompanied by the same supervisors who have always supported us and know our event well, the personnel assigned to the entrances and security posts were not the same people. They are not part of the supervisors' regular teams, nor do they have experience with previous ArFF events, as they come from a different company. What occurred after the Closing Ceremony is unacceptable. As soon as the first reports and comments from our community reached us, the event organizers immediately contacted both the hotel's security department and the security company. We expressed our strongest dissatisfaction and requested a full explanation of the events. We would like to highlight how quickly both the hotel and the security company responded, which allowed us to clarify exactly what had happened. Going forward, we will strengthen communication with both the hotel and the security company to prevent misunderstandings. 2026 was a year of new beginnings, and while the hotel was delighted to host us—the entire Sheraton staff was pleasantly surprised and appreciative—there are certain aspects of this event that are unique and difficult to fully explain until they happen. The emotional weight of the Closing Ceremony and the moments that follow are among those aspects. Additionally, our security provider has informed us that by 2027 it will have full authorization from the Sheraton Hotel to deploy its own security personnel. As a result, we will once again have staff who are familiar with our community and who have worked at ArFF on multiple previous occasions. Finally, there are simply no words to adequately express our sincerest apologies. We are fully aware of the importance of the Closing Ceremony, and especially of the moments that follow it. The entire community is particularly emotional and moved at that time, and those feelings deserve a space of their own, as they are part of something both solemn and beautiful. Nothing could be further from our intentions than depriving our community of that space, and we have communicated this position clearly to all parties involved in this matter. We would especially like to thank everyone who took the time to come forward and express their concerns. Please know that these testimonies were instrumental in allowing us to demonstrate the seriousness of the situation to our security provider and, in particular, to the subcontracted company involved. We wish we had been able to prevent this situation before it occurred. Moving forward, we will work to ensure it does not happen again and to better communicate these expectations to security personnel. We believe it is extremely important to explain what happened clearly in order to avoid conflicting narratives and to provide a reliable, centralized source of information. Once again, we apologize. This should never have happened. Despite this unfortunate incident, we hope that this weekend was special for you and that you were able to enjoy it in the company of loved ones and new friends. Thank you for your attention, **– ArFF! Staff**