Design firm takes responsibility for CPAC stage, claims there was no intention to resemble

A design firm has taken accepted the blame for creating a stage used by the Conservative Political Action Conference that resembled a Nazi insignia.

Design Foundry, a stage design firm based in Maryland, told the Forward that the company “had no idea that the design resembled any symbol, nor was there any intention to create something that did.” The company reportedly gave the American Conservative Union several stage designs “intended to provide the best use of space, given the constraints of the ballroom and social distancing requirements.”

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Ian Walters, the communications director for the ACU and CPAC, said, “ACU and CPAC have no interest in promoting antisemitism from our stage, whether it’s what happens on the stage or the design of the stage itself. It’s clear that the company we retained designed a stage that has become an unwelcome distraction. As a result, we will not be using that company’s services going forward at future events.”

The shape of the platform drew condemnation on social media for its resemblance to the Odal rune, a symbol adopted by Nazis during Adolf Hitler's rule in Germany. Hyatt Hotels, who hosted the conservative event, rebuked CPAC amid the stage criticism in a Monday statement.

"When we learned that CPAC 2021 stage design had been compared to a symbol of hate, we promptly raised this concern with meeting organizers who strongly denied any connection to such symbols," Hyatt wrote. "Had we initially recognized the potential connections to hate symbolism, we would have proactively addressed it prior to commencement of the event. Unfortunately, this became clear to us only after the event kicked off. With CPAC’s denial of any intentional connection to hate symbols and our concerns over the safety of guests and colleagues in what could have been a disruptive situation, we allowed the event to continue. We understand and respect the opinions of those who might disagree with that decision."

Hyatt later released another statement calling the insignia "abhorrent and unequivocally counter to our values as a company," adding that organizers told the hotel chain any resemblance to a symbol of hate was "unintentional."

“We have a long-standing commitment to the Jewish community,” Matt Schlapp, chairman of the American Conservative Union, said on Saturday. “Cancel culture extremists must address antisemitism within their own ranks. CPAC proudly stands with our Jewish allies, including those speaking from this stage.”

The ACU publicly released a letter the same day, accusing Hyatt of having "defamed" the group.

"Contrary to Hyatt’s own mission statement of inclusivity, your company just attacked its own customer by caving into the pressures of the politically motivated social media agitators who seek to destroy CPAC, our attendees and speakers from across the country, and the millions of Americans who support our work," David Safavian, the ACU's general counsel, wrote to Hyatt Executive Chairman Thomas Pritzker. "Hyatt made a decision to issue additional statements late last night after the conference ended that disparaged and defamed us. These statements appear to validate demonstrably false and malicious claims."

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The feud between the two groups marks a sharp departure from Hyatt's earlier statements defending its decision to host CPAC amid calls for a boycott.

“We take pride in operating a highly inclusive environment, and we believe that the facilitation of gatherings is a central element of what we do as a hospitality company,” a spokesperson for the Hyatt Regency Orlando in Florida said on Friday.