Queen City Anime Con (QCAC) is a family-friendly event centered around the celebration of Japanese animation and manga (comic books), Japanese culture, video games, and pop culture. We want each and every attendee to enjoy themselves and have a safe and comfortable experience at our convention. The following rules and policies have been enacted to achieve that goal. Please read through them thoroughly and know that by attending the convention, you agree to abide by all of the rules and policies set in place by our Board of Directors and convention staff.
These rules and policies are subject to review and revision by QCAC Staff at any time. If you have any concerns about these policies or if you have a question that is not addressed by them, please email us at info@queencityanimecon.org or contact us via one of our social media accounts.
- CODE OF
CONDUCT - COVID-19
- COSPLAY &
DRESS CODE - PROPS & WEAPONS
- Accessibility
- BADGE/WRISTBAND
REPLACEMENT
POLICY - LOST &
FOUND - FAQ
- All attendees must purchase admission wristbands from Registration in order to be present on the convention floor. “Ghosting” (attending the convention without payment) is not tolerated in any form.
- Attendees must be 13 years of age to attend the event without an adult. Attendees aged 12 and under must be accompanied at all times.
- QCAC has a zero-tolerance policy for harassment of any kind. Engaging in harassment is grounds for immediate removal from the convention floor and barred re-entry. This includes:
- Unwanted touching or groping
- Lewd, inappropriate, or unwanted comments about another attendee’s gender, sexuality, age, race, apparent disability, appearance, clothing, or cosplay
- Use of racial slurs or excessive profanity
- Aggressive, threatening, or intimidating behavior
- Stalking or excessive attention of any kind
- Taking inappropriate or unwelcome pictures of other attendees
- Please treat all QCAC staff members, hotel staff members, volunteers, vendors, artists, panelists, and other attendees with courtesy and respect at all times.
- Smoking and vaping is not allowed in any parts of the hotel. You may smoke in designated smoking areas outlined by the hotel.
- Attendees may not be connected to each other via a collar and leash, chains, rope, or any other fastening method.
- Signs or banners of any kind (“free hugs” etc.) are not permitted unless part of a cosplay and deemed appropriate by staff.
- When attending panels and events, please keep conversation and other noise at a respectful level.
- Unless you are a vendor or artist in our Marketplace, please do not sell anything on the convention floor.
- Alcohol is served at the hotel and the legal drinking age in North Carolina is 21.
- All attendees must obey local laws and ordinances while on the convention floor.
- Please do not hang out in the hotel restrooms. Do not take video or photographs of other attendees while they use these facilities.
- Please do not block the hallways (either through sitting or standing) while taking pictures, talking to friends, etc. Staff members reserve the right to ask attendees to disperse if need be.
- Please respect our meet up and photoshoot space while they are in use. Staff members may ask attendees to clear the space to allow scheduled events to occur.
- Do not move or remove any equipment, tables, signs, water stations, etc. without the express permission of convention staff.
- Vandalism of convention or hotel property is expressly forbidden and possibly punishable by local law enforcement.
- Attendees who require the assistance of a service animal are welcome at Queen City Anime Con. Handlers must maintain control of their service animals at all time. Service Animals must be kept on a harness or leash at all times. Pets (including but not limited to Emotional Support Animals) are not permitted.
- Cosplay is encouraged but not required
- All attendees must adequately cover their private areas at all times in compliance with local law in such a way that they are secure and prevent accidents.
- All attendees must have some form of footwear at all times – no bare feet allowed! “Invisible shoes” or clear flip flops are encouraged as an acceptable alternative to bare feet.
- Dance belts are encouraged for tight fitting outfits.
- Masks are permitted on the convention floor but they are not permitted in public spaces as per local law.
- Body paint must be completely sealed.
- Roller blades, heelies, skateboards and other personal transportation devices are not allowed to be worn or used inside the convention space. You make carry them around as props in your arms or around your neck.
- If you are using the hotel restroom to change, apply makeup, adjust your wig, etc. please be respectful and accommodating to attendees trying to use the restroom to relieve themselves.
- Cosplays that cannot fit through convention doorways are not permitted for safety reasons. Cumbersome cosplays are advised to have a “handler” while navigating the convention floor.
- If you have an excessively large or tall cosplay, we kindly ask that you seat yourself towards the outer perimeter/rear of our event seating during panels and main events.
- Code of Conduct rules apply even while in costume and in character unless you have consent from willing attendees (i.e. scaring or following attendees for entertainment must be done at their consent). Behavior that is dangerous or obscene is not excused while in cosplay.
- Attendees are not permitted to wear or display apparel that is intended to offend or provoke other attendees. This includes references to pornography, pedophilia, threats, and provocative political statements. Queen City Anime Con reserves the right to determine that an attendee’s attire is disruptive or offensive and ask the attendee to change.
- Prop weapons must be easily distinguishable as fake from 10 feet away. If you are not sure if your prop weapon meets this criteria, please feel free to email info@queencityanimecon.org and we are happy to make a determination in advance.
- Props and weapons may not be longer than 8’ (eight feet) and must not weigh more than 20 lbs. If a convention staffer feels like a prop is unwieldy or poses a danger due to its size, QCAC reserves the right to ask that it be removed from the convention floor.
- The rule of thumb for prop weapons is NO METAL ALLOWED.
- Absolutely no real weapons are allowed on the convention floor regardless of whether they are sheathed/holstered or otherwise peace-bound. This includes knives (locking and folding), metal swords, hidden blades, firearms (antiques included), ammunition of any kind, nunchucks, whips and floggers, brass knuckles, spears, scythes, tridents, hatchets and axes, machetes, flails and maces, razors, animal traps, power tools and saws, bladed offices supplies, arrows with metal tips, metal bow staves, metal bats, grenades and other explosives, as well as any weapons restricted by local law enforcement.
- Prop guns must have no moving parts, must be completely plugged, and must have a non-removable orange tip. If the gun looks realistic, it must have safety tape applied to at least 50% of its surface.
- Sparring or rough housing with prop and weapons is not allowed.
- Any weapons purchased in the Vendor Hall must remain in their encasing and be moved immediately to your vehicle or room.
Here at Queen City Anime Con, we want to make your visit as enjoyable as possible. We seek to provide equal access to its participants with disabilities in accordance with State and Federal Law. Due to the convention’s limited resources, convention staff may be required to discuss your reasonable accommodation with you in order to attempt to meet your needs. Seating is limited, and is available on a first come, first serve basis. We ask that you be cooperative, and prompt for seating times for events you would like to see.
We provide attendees with accessibility stickers, available at the information desk, to identify to staff those who may need assistance as well as put any emergency contact information.
The convention provides a variety of services to help you enjoy your QCAC experience. Including but not limited to:
- Convention schedule in large print available upon request (requested at least two weeks in advance of the convention), or we can email you an electronic version to be downloaded to your screen-reading device.
- Staff working all areas of the convention to keep the area accessible for people with disabilities.
- Microphones will be used by all panelists, and available to all audience members asking questions. Panelists and audience members will be instructed on how to use the devices without blocking their mouths while speaking so those who lip-read will be able to do so. Anyone at any time can request a question or answer be repeated.
- Accommodations for those who are unable to wait in line for extended periods of time. Please see a nearby staff member for assistance.
Regarding service animals – Please note that service animals are welcome and encouraged should they be needed so long as they adhere to the ADA guidelines. Note that NC law only allows dogs and miniature horses as service animals. Please see https://www.ada.gov/resources/service-animals-2010-requirements/ for more resources
The volunteer staff of Queen City Anime Con takes responsibility for living up to its policies. We ask all attending badge holders to contribute to our philosophy of inclusion. Below are ways everyone can contribute:
- Elevator use: Those able to use stairs can leave the elevators available to those who cannot. This ensures all members can move between meeting spaces, rooms, and restaurants with the fewest barriers possible.
- Interacting with Service Animals: Service animals are “on duty” and trained to focus on their companion. Service animals should not be petted, distracted, or offered food at any time unless their companions give specific permission.
If you have any accessibility related concerns or questions please contact: info@queencityanimecon.org
- If you lose your attendance badge/wristband during the convention, a new badge/wristband must be purchased from Registration in order to continue attending the convention.
- If an item is found on the convention floor, please turn it into Information Desk. The item will be logged and secured by staff members. All items will be held until they are claimed by their owner(s) upon giving a full description of the item. At the end of the convention, all items will be turned over to hotel staff.
General
- Do you have to be in cosplay to attend?
Absolutely not! We love and encourage cosplay but it’s by no means required. - Is the event family-friendly?
Yes! We offer a variety of events for attendees of all ages. Children ages 6-12 qualify for kids ticket pricing and children aged 0-5 may attend for free. Additionally, children 0-12 can attend for free on Sunday only.
We do, however, have some events that are unsuitable for minors. These events will be denoted on our schedule as being “18+” and will require photo identification as age verification for entry. - How much are autographs from guests?
Each guest sets their own autograph prices and policies.
Registration & Tickets
- What are the benefits of VIP tickets?
VIP members get to skip the line at registration, priority seating during main events, and priority access to guest autograph sessions.