CONTESTANT RESPONSIBILITIES

• For all accessibility needs and considerations, please notify our costuming team with this information on your registration form.
• All Cosplay(Costume) Contest or Performance participants must be registered attendees of the convention.
• For availability and time, 50 contestants will be allowed to register with 15 spaces allotted for masters, and intermediate categories. Novice/beginners will have 20 slots available. It is your responsibility to sign up for the contest at the required times and avenues. 

Contestants for the Cosplay Contest will be based on two categories: Exhibition & Workmanship. 

Prejudging is required as well as Exhibition. Failure to appear for either will result in disqualification. Exceptions will not be granted.

Workmanship – Entries are judged on overall appearance and skill used in making/assembling the costume. Costumes must be crafted, forged, heavily altered or have some degree of skill applied to be eligible to compete. Purchased, thrifted, or alternatively sourced are not eligible . Groups of no more than (4) may enter, but all must qualify within their skill level. Modeling is not allowed and all work must be that of the contestant entering. (If an outfit includes a combination of created and purchased items, Judges will have final say on eligibility for award and participation.)

General Rules for Workmanship

• The cosplay director, or judges, maintain the right to move the contestant amongst divisions as necessary to create a fair competition during pre-judging or following exhibition. This is often done to create fairness for both participants and class of workmanship. This in no way is meant to harm or demean the quality of work of an individual. Should this happen staff or judges will reach out to said individual. Prejudging contestants are required to line up 15 minutes before their time slot. 
• Costumes/cosplays or Performances that have received a “Best in Show” at a similar sized convention or larger are ineligible from competing with that same costume, cosplay, or performance and will be disqualified. Divisional wins such as 1st Masters may still compete for “Best in Show”.  Smaller awards  like Judge’s Choice and Honorable Mention awards do not count towards your number of awards won to define your division and eligibility.
• Cosplays Must be finished for prejudging. No other modifications will be made outside of basic repairs limited to sewing a small hole, gluing back a piece, etc. Costumes or Cosplays should be ready by day of. Costumes or Cosplays need to be functional and able to be moved by a single person with a reasonable weight limit. 
• Youth participants (ages 18 and under) must be accompanied by a parent/guardian who is a registered attendee. (Same for performance )
• Members of groups may only participate once and cannot enter individually. Group Members are limited to 4 persons and must all be at the same level of experience or will default to the level of the most experienced member. For example a member of one group is a master level, the rest are novice, therefore they will be judged against the masters level standards.  

Pre-Judging Information and Rules

All contestants must be in full costume at the prejudging session and may present a printed portfolio of the costume’s fabrication process. Reference image material for contest entries is encouraged, but not required. Judges are not always able to look-up reference images on their own, so it is best to show up prepared for the contest. Contestants will be given approximately three (3) minutes for their prejudging session. Contestants should expect to be given a time frame to meet with judges to which should be adhered to strictly or disqualification from competing. It is the contestants duty to notify the director of con ops or the contest team of delays or or inability to meet that time frame. 

Prejudging is not open to the public. Only contestants and their handlers are allowed in prejudging areas.

The judges and directorial staff reserve the right to bump the contestant up or down a craftsmanship level if they feel it is necessary after they have seen all entries during prejudging. Judges have the right to abstain from judging contestants based on prior knowledge of competitors (such as direct personal relationships, being coworkers, etc.) and these scores will be based on the average of the remaining judges.

Costumes must be finished before you get to prejudging, and no additional components should be added or modified before the onstage portion of the competition. No sewing, gluing, soldering, or other construction work will be accepted, with exception for unexpected repairs. Unexpected repairs are to be brought to the attention of the Cosplay Directorial Staff so they can be deemed as necessary and not last-minute modifications.

Main Events Stage Cosplay Contest Rules

• Exhibition, Performances etc are expected to be at main stage 30 minutes prior to show at minimum or may risk ability to exhibit or perform on stage. 
• Performance content that is a duplicate of an existing performance will get you disqualified unless you credit your source. See cosplay director for details.
• Be careful onstage! No dangerous running or horseplay as part of your act.
• NO blatant nudity/adult related content. This event is rated PG-13, and we are a family-friendly convention. Please use some discretion with your character, props and presentation. Also, please keep bad language to an extreme minimum level.
• Participants will be required to sign a liability release and a release for use of video and photo images.
• For safety reasons, the following are not allowed:
  • Live animals
  • Substances which might damage or soil
  • Aerosol sprays
  • Projectiles of any kind.
  • No pyrotechnics including but not limited to: fire, flash powder, explosives, smoke bombs or fireworks.
  • Entries that could potentially damage the Convention Venue, other participants or the wearer will not be allowed.
  • Illegal weapons of any kind are not allowed.
  • Prop weapons used as part of the costume are allowed with restrictions. You are expected to act responsibly with your weapon. If you decide to carry a weapon, by attending you accept any legal and financial responsibility for damage your weapon may cause to persons or property.
  • Entries with electric power requirements need to be self-contained. There will be no access to electrical outlets on stage.