The Paddy Crean conferences are named in honour of Patrick "Paddy" Crean, known as "the father of modern fight directing", who served as a mentor to many of the most prominent contemporary professionals in this field.
The original Paddy Crean gatherings (1991-97) were organised by Brad Waller as annual regional and then national (American) stage combat symposia, typically running for three days each, and were alternately held in Washington DC and in various Canadian venues.