Convention Policies

Harassment Policy

FantaSci considers itself a family-friendly convention. All forms of harassment are detrimental to the health and well-being of our attendees and the convention in general. In an effort to enhance FantaSci’s standing in the Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention Universe, its staff will emulate the harassment policy and reporting procedures from other conventions.

It is imperative that everyone understands that No means No, Stop means Stop, and Leave Me Alone means Leave Me Alone! If attendees treat each other with common courtesy and respect, there should be no reason to institute the reporting procedures.

If you find yourself in a situation where you feel you are being harassed, please maintain your cool and ask the person to stop. If they do not stop, remove yourself from the situation as quickly as possible. Find friends or a staff member and ask for assistance.

At no time is the use of aggression or physical force acceptable unless your life and wellbeing are in question!!

Reporting Procedures

Gather as much information as possible; type of harassment, place, the name of the individual, etc. If you have witnesses, ask them to accompany you. During the hours it is open, proceed to the Convention Security Office and report the incident. Security will contact the Convention Chairman, who along with Convention Security and other Senior Staff members will investigate the situation. If the incident takes place after hours, proceed to Hotel Registration. A Hotel Desk Clerk is on duty 24 hours and during the nighttime hours, a Hotel Security Person will be present. They will contact the Convention Chairman and Convention Security, or Police if the need arises. If you feel threatened with harm – call the Hotel front desk and/or 911 to ask for Police Protection.

Once the incident has been reported, the Convention Chairman and Senior Staff will investigate the incident. They will determine if it was accidental or intentional. They will question both sides and bystanders to determine the path to take. In the lesser cases, a simple Apology and an explanation of what is considered “Ethical Convention Behavior” may be the course. In the worst-case scenario, Membership Badges will be revoked and the person(s) will be asked to leave the con. In the most Extreme cases, the individual(s) will be Permanently Banned from FantaSci and their name will be given to other local conventions and the Police.

Please help make FantaSci a safe and fun environment for everyone. If you feel your actions will be taken in the wrong context, apologize to the individual(s). If you witness a potential harassment situation, “Safely” try to diffuse it if possible. To successfully ensure the continuation of FantaSci, it will take everyone working together – Hotel, Senior Staff, Staff, and Guests, but most of all our Fans.

Children Policy

At FantaSci, it’s important to note that the convention is not a babysitting service and cannot be held responsible for the safety of your child. However, the staff is willing to assist in any way possible. It’s crucial for parents to be attentive and keep a close eye on their children during the event. In the event that children are allowed to roam freely, the staff recommends that a cell phone number be written on the back of their badge as an emergency contact. If children are attending programming or visiting the Con Suite, it’s imperative that they are under the supervision of a responsible adult. In case a child becomes separated from their responsible adult, they will be taken to the Security Office next to the Dealers Room where staff members will try to contact the parents and stay with the child until they are retrieved. Following these guidelines will help ensure the safety of all children at the Con.

Weapons Policy

Any weapons infractions will be dealt with in a serious manner, including expulsion from the convention, banning the individual(s) from the convention forever, or calling the local authorities.

Absolutely NO REAL Projectile Weapons will be allowed! No Hand Guns, Rifles, Shotguns, M-16’s, Uzi’s or Crossbows!

No Realistic Looking Projectile Weapons will be allowed for Costuming unless:

If the Weapon is clearly identifiable as a Toy Weapon it does not need to follow the above rules. Otherwise, a Water Pistol (for you Harry Dresden fans) is allowable.

Swords and Knives will be allowed for Costumes. They must be in their sheathes at all times and Peace Bonded by our Security. They must not be drawn in a public place. If you want to show your weapon to a friend, please take it to your room.

Please be careful with all other potential weapons that may be part of your costumes.

The Convention reserves the right to request you leave the con if you break any of the above rules.

Vendor Payment Policy

Welcome to the FantaSci Dealer’s Room! We strive to create a fair and inclusive environment for all vendors, so please note that our space allocation process is not on a “first-come-first-served” basis. This means that vending one year does not guarantee a table the next – all vendors have an equal chance of securing a spot in our room. All submitted applications are thoroughly reviewed, and vendors will be notified via email if they are accepted or waitlisted.

Each 6 x 6 space includes a 6-foot by 30-inch table, two chairs, one (1) weekend dealer’s badge, a listing on the FantaSci website with a link to your web or Facebook page, and your business name on the Dealers page in the program. However, please note that your space is not confirmed until we receive your payment in full, which must be made within 30 days of invoicing. Payments can be made via our PayPal cart or by check.

Additional dealer badges may be purchased for $25.00 at the time of invoicing or at the convention, but please note that these badges are only for individuals working in the Dealers’ Room. Each purchased badge must have a name associated with it at the time of purchase.

If you wish to purchase additional advertising space in the program, please contact our Dealer Room Coordinator for pricing options. Your business description and logo provided will be published in the program if there is room.

We understand that access to electricity is crucial for many vendors, and we run extension cords to various locations around the room to provide limited access to power. Please indicate on your application if you need access to electricity. Additionally, the hotel provides Wi-Fi to all attendees and throughout the convention space, so you are welcome to use the hotel-provided Wi-Fi or bring your own hotspot.

Vendor Room Operations Guidelines

We want to make sure that our Dealers Room is a comfortable and accessible environment for all attendees. To achieve this, we have some guidelines that all vendors must follow. Firstly, we do not allow any loud music or hawking of wares beyond your booth to prevent any disruptions to your neighbors or attendees. Secondly, please remain within your marked space, including access areas and aisles, which are designed to allow for two electric wheelchairs to pass through. Do not store any belongings or sit in the access aisle as it may cause damage to electrical wires and plugs. Additionally, vendors must be ready to leave the Dealers Room within forty-five minutes of closing time on Friday and Saturday evenings. On Saturday and Sunday, vendors will have access to the room one hour prior to the posted hours. Breakdown and load-out can begin as early as 2:00 PM on Sunday, but the room will remain open to the convention until 4:00 PM. If you need to leave early, please arrange with the Dealers Room Coordinator to break down on Saturday evening after 6 PM. Lastly, please dispose of all trash in the cans provided.

Load In

All vendors are required to arrive at least an hour before the opening of the dealers’ room and have their booth set up completely before the room opens. Loading in or setting up when the dealers’ room is open causes disruptions and may negatively impact sales for other vendors. Vendors who arrive after the dealers’ room has opened on Friday will be allowed to load in during specific time frames, either from 8 PM to 10 PM on Friday or 8 AM to 10 AM on Saturday. However, vendors who have not arrived or contacted the Dealers’ Room Coordinator by 3 PM on Friday will forfeit their space and will not receive a refund. The Coordinator may offer the space to a vendor on the waitlist for Saturday/Sunday. Vendors are responsible for loading and unloading their merchandise and booth materials within the designated time frames. Only those with a Dealer’s Room or Senior Staff badge will be allowed in the dealer’s room during Load In, Load Out, or before/after the posted open hours to ensure everyone’s safety and the security of merchandise and cash boxes.

Load Out

Vendors must vacate the Dealers’ Room no later than 4 PM on Sunday (3/26/23). Before leaving, vendors are kindly requested to pick up their trash, including any zip ties, and dispose of it in or near the trash cans provided. Vendors are responsible for loading out their merchandise and booth materials on their own, within the specified time frame. The convention does not guarantee the availability of volunteers to assist with load-out, so vendors should make their own arrangements if they need assistance. It’s important to note that the Dealers Room Coordinator will not be able to extend load-out times, so vendors should plan accordingly. Failure to comply with load-out times may result in penalties or future disqualification from participating in the Dealer’s Room.

Privacy Policy

Collection of Personal Information

When you use our Products or Website, you may be asked for personally identifiable information such as your name, address, email address, and telephone number.

By giving us such information, you will need to consent by using it in the manner described in this policy.

If you do not consent you may choose to not use our website.

Cookies

Cookies are small data files that a website you visit may save on your computer or handheld device that usually includes an anonymous unique identifier. Our Websites and those of our Products may use cookies for user authentication, keeping track of your preferences, promotional campaigns, tracking our audience size and traffic patterns, and in certain other cases. We may include small graphic images in our email messages and newsletters to determine whether the messages were opened and the links were viewed.

Security

All security on our Website is treated seriously. Where applicable, we undertake security steps, including use of SSL technology, on our back-end systems that store customer account information and to protect data transmissions. However, this is not a guarantee that such data transmissions cannot be accessed, altered or deleted due to firewall or other security software failures.

If you have any further concerns about security, please email our office at [email protected].

Terms & Conditions

Welcome to the FantaSci website! By continuing to browse and use this website, you are agreeing to comply with the following terms and conditions of use, which govern our relationship with you in relation to this website.

Important points to note:

• The content of the pages of this website is for your general information and use only. It is subject to change without notice.
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Thank you for visiting our website. We hope you enjoy your time here and find the information and materials provided helpful. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us at the address provided.