Sep. 3 – Sep. 7, 2020 in Atlanta, GA Buy

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Dragon Con Policies

Rules and Laws

Not to be all Dolores Umbridge…

We pride Dragon Con on being a safe place, where everybody is welcome, and anybody can be whomever they desire. Even so, certain kinds of offensive or harassing behavior are not tolerated. It is very important that if you are being harassed or are in any way endangered, you report it immediately. We cannot address anything that we are not made aware of and we need whatever detail can be provided, such as names, badge numbers, or other descriptive information.

If you feel you have been harassed, please find the nearest Dragon Con volunteer.  Every year, all 2000 Dragon Con volunteers will be easily recognized by their brightly colored lanyards that say “Volunteer.” They will direct you to the safety operations office in the Marriott. If, at any time, you feel that your personal safety or the safety of others is in jeopardy, please contact the Atlanta Police Department in an emergency via 911. The Atlanta Police Department non-emergency phone number for Zone 5 is 404-658-7830.

You may also go directly to Safety Operations – room L405-L406 on the Lobby Level of the Marriott – to report an incident. We have a private screening area, staffed by an Atlanta Police Department officer to counsel individuals who feel they have been harassed. We will work closely with the APD to determine the best course of action.

As a member, if you see someone harassed or taking inappropriate photos (where the target of the photo is unaware), we encourage you to speak up and say something. As a community, we need to come together, look out for one another, and make sure everyone is treated with respect.

Dragon Con reserves the right to revoke or suspend memberships and passes. If any individual breaks the rules of the convention, he or she may be barred from the convention, either for several hours (to sober up, perhaps) or for the rest of the event. If any individual breaks the law – city, state or federal – he or she will be arrested. If you have been accused of harassment and feel that you were treated unfairly you may appeal to the convention chair, but that decision will be final.

  1. You must wear your membership badges at all times to be admitted to any convention function. In other words, yes, you have to wear your steenkin’ badge!Unless you’re 6 years old or younger. And then you don’t need a badge because Dragon Con is free for little nerdlings. Safety Operations will be looking for badges on everybody else, though.And, if you’re old enough to have a driver’s license, then you can roam the halls of Dragon Con by yourself. We expect that you’re old enough to behave and follow the convention policies or suffer the consequences if you get busted. But, children under the age of 16 need to keep a parent (or guardian) nearby at all times.
  2. Possession of alcoholic beverages by anyone under 21 years of age is grounds for expulsion from the convention without refund. It’s, like, the law, eh?
  3. Please keep all behavior that polite fans would find offensive in public in your hotel rooms.
  4. Cameras are not permitted in the Art Show. Flash photography will not be allowed during the Masquerade; please check with Masquerade personnel for scheduled pre- or post-Masquerade photo sessions.
  5. We’ll offer sympathy, but Dragon Con is not responsible for lost, stolen, or damaged property, or for injuries sustained during the course of the convention.
  6. Announced events and guests are subject to change and/or cancellation without notice. Every effort will be made to announce any changes via the Internet, pre-convention publications, and our onsite newsletter, but sometimes last-minute changes will occur.
  7. We reserve the right to ask you to leave the convention and refuse to refund your membership money if you are behaving – in technical terms – like a jerk.Harassment of any kind, including physically or verbally threatening, annoying, unwelcoming attentions, stalking, pushing, shoving or use of physical force; which in any way creates a disturbance that is disruptive or dangerous, as well as any boisterous, lewd or generally offensive behavior or language, using sexually explicit or offensive language or conduct, or profanity, obscene gestures or racial, religious or ethnic slurs will be considered harassment.If people tell you NO, your business with them is done. If you continue to attempt to have contact with those people, you may be removed from the premises and your membership revoked.
  8. No eating or drinking is allowed in the Dealer’s Room, Panel Rooms, Art Show, Video Rooms, or Computer Room.
  9. Dragon Con has a clear *no weapons* policy that will be enforced.  All weapons must be non-working and peace bonded. No functioning projectile weapons – including water pistols, silly-string guns, and ping-pong pistols.Bladed weapons must be cased or sheathed at all times. No clowning around or showing off in the common areas. Any weapon used in an offensive manner will be confiscated and rule #7 enforced. We expect you to use good judgment; with your help, we can continue to allow peace-bonded weapons – thanks!
  10. Real firearms are not allowed at Dragon Con. This includes those attendees who maintain a Georgia Weapons Carry License or a similar permit from another state. Dragon Con Safety Operations, hotel security, and local law enforcement officials will treat anything that looks like a real weapon as a weapon.  Attendees who choose to ignore this policy may be asked to leave the convention and will have their membership revoked. Since violators can also be arrested, you should know that Dragon Con does not post bail. (Sworn law enforcement are excused from this policy.)
  11. NO CAMPING IN THE HALLS OR LOBBY! If you are found sleeping in the public areas, you will be asked to go to your hotel room. If you do not have a room, hotel or venue security will be forced to ask you to leave. Check social media for people looking for people to share rooms and costs.
  12. Please do not abuse our hotels or convention facilities. This includes putting signs on walls. Public locations for notices are provided. Room Parties and other announcements may also be dropped off at our Information Desks for inclusion in the Daily Dragon. Please don’t eat the facilities; we’d kinda like to do this again, and under a roof…
  13. Costumers: remember that no costume is NO costume, and there are public nudity laws in Georgia. Please wear appropriate (or at least enough) clothing in the common areas.
  14. If you think you can make money doing it at Dragon Con, it’s probably not allowed unless you have written permission from the convention. That is especially true when you’re taking pictures or video or making audio recordings of the awesome stuff and people at Dragon Con. Or, as our lawyers like to say…All Dragon Con members and attendees at the Dragon Con Convention are prevented from taking, recording, or creating film, or digital pictures, videos, tapes, sound recordings, or any other visual or auditory recreation of any kind whatsoever, of any Dragon Con guest, member, volunteer, or employee, or of any Dragon Con event, including but not limited to the Dragon Con parade, any Dragon Con forum, seminar, session, dance, or performance, for any commercial use, or for the solicitation of funds for any commercial or other purpose, without the express written permission of Dragon Con, Inc.What’s more, only our Walk of Fame guests are allowed to sell photographs made at the event. If you spent all year building the perfect costume, please give freely when people want to take pictures of you. Be proud of what you accomplished, but no so proud that you demand or accept payment, tips, or donations. It’s just the way things work around here.
  15. We love all the great pictures that our fans take at Dragon Con, and we’ve seen some really creative ways of taking photos, too. Still, if everybody at Dragon Con brought a selfie stick, we would have a big problem. Like your mom always told you, you’ll poke an eye out with that thing. And that would be unfortunate because dressing like Nick Fury, Slade Wilson, or Leela is only fun on Labor Day weekend.So, please leave your selfie sticks and other hand-held extenders for cameras or mobile devices at home. If you still want to get a picture with that guy in that awesome Mad Eye Moody costume, ask a friend to take it. Or ask a stranger. And if you still want to take a selfie, it’s cool with us. Just use your arms.
  16. No devices, no drones, no lighter than air objects, either powered or un-powered, may be flown, tethered, released, or deployed at any event, common space, lobby, Vendor Hall, meeting, or function room at Dragon Con.
  17. It is against the rules of Dragon Con and all hotels to place or hand out flyers/cards in our/their space. Flyers/cards on an open table in the convention area will be cleared to a trash receptacle. If you are handing out material in an unauthorized convention area, you will be asked to stop. If it continues, you will be removed from the convention.
  18. Ballrooms will be cleared between each panel. As we have limited space, we ask for your cooperation and assistance with the following: Please listen to our volunteers and hotel staff when forming lines (They have done this before and generally have reasons for what they are asking you to do.)”There can be only one” (line) – please do not start your own line for any event or form multiple lines for the same event. Any such lines will not be honored, and you will be sent to the back of the official line started by our volunteers.The line for the NEXT panel can start forming only after the line for the CURRENT panel is inside and seated. **Exception(s) – you may start lining up two hours prior to the FIRST panel of the day or in the unlikely event that the ballroom does not have a current panel, you may start lining up once the last panel to use the ballroom is seated. In either of these cases, we may start seating early, please make sure and check the schedule and updates. Please be considerate of others and do not break in line. If you are pointed out, we will send you to the end of the line. Please be considerate of those needing special assistance and allow them access to the areas set aside for them. Please do not sit in seats or areas marked for their use. Please do not run, fly, or teleport to your seat.

Most importantly, have fun – this is Dragon Con: the fun center of the Universe.

Please abide by the above rules and a good time will be had by all.

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