Artists’ Area

Partners

NOTE: The Artists' Area reservation is closed until further notice. All spaces have been reserved.

If you wish to be placed on the waiting list, please send me an email at artistsarea[at]otakuthon.com with the requested information (you must still be preregistered successfully to be on the waiting list).

Otakuthon Artists' Area 2010 - Registration Guidelines

1. What is the Artists' Area?

The Artists' Area is a space provided for amateur artists who wish to sell and promote their artwork, as well as draw new works on commission.

2. Time and Location of the Artists' Area

The Artists' Area can be found in the Exhibition Hall (room 517ABC), along with the Artisans' Space, Dealers' Area, and Exhibitors.

Operating Hours*

Friday August 13, 2010: 5:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Saturday August 14, 2010: 10:00 am - 7:00 pm
Sunday August 15, 2010: 10:00 am - 5:00 pm

*Includes 30 minute early-access for Priority Access Pass (PAP) holders.

* Artist Area setup starts at 4:00pm on Friday, 8:30am on Saturday and Sunday.

3. Artists' Area Tables and Requirements

A. Artists' Area Tables

Artists' Area tables can be booked by amateur artists in half and full table denominations. Half-tables include one chair while full tables include two chairs. No additional chairs will be provided or permitted. Additionally, the use of backdrops or free-standing structures is prohibited. Structures which can rest or be secured to the table via clamps may be used providing that they are stable and do not exceed 4.5 feet in height. Please note that no electricity or internet will be provided.

	Weekend (Fri, Sat, Sun)	Friday & Saturday	Sunday-only
Half table (36" x 30")	$30 CAD	$20 CAD	$15 CAD
Full table (72" x 30")	$50 CAD	$35 CAD	$30 CAD

B. Who can apply for a table in the Artists' Area?

Requirements:

An Otakuthon 2010 "CONFIRMED" pre-registration. See NOTE 1.
You must be 14 years of age or older.
You must be an amateur artist. See NOTE 2.

NOTE 1: A CONFIRMED pre-registration is a registration which has been completed, paid, processed and marked as CONFIRMED in the online registration system by the registration department. Please note it may take up to 1-2 weeks for registration to process payments. Contact registration@otakuthon.com if you are having difficulties.

NOTE 2: Licensed or professional artists and companies may not register for the Artists' Area. Companies should contact the Dealers' Area director at dealers@otakuthon.com and professional artists should contact the Artisans' Space director at artisan@otakuthon.com*.

*Please refer to the Annex for information on the Artisans' Space.

4. Artists' Area Application Procedure

WARNING: Applicants who do not have a CONFIRMED pre-registration number will not be permitted to register and will be put to the back of the waiting list once they have successfully completed their pre-registration. NO EXCEPTIONS will be made. Make sure that your registration status reads CONFIRMED on the registration site BEFORE THE ARTISTS' AREA APPLICATION PERIOD BEGINS.

Registration Rules

Applications will be email-based on a first-come, first-served basis.
You must fulfill all the requirements in Section 3.B to apply for a table. If not, your application will be cancelled.
Tables must be booked directly by the person who will be using the space. You may not apply in the place of other individuals.
The person booking the space will be responsible for the reserved area.

Artists' Area email application will open on Tuesday June 29, 2010 at exactly 9:00 pm EDT (GMT -4, EST Daylight saving time). Any applications received prior to the appointed date and time will be ignored.

i. When the Artists' Area email application has begun, you must send an email to artistsarea@otakuthon.com with the subject "Artists' Area Application - [real name & registration # here]" and provide the following information:

Full name:
Membership number:
Date of birth:
Number of tables and type (specify amount and HALF / FULL): See NOTE 1.
Dates: (Weekend / Saturday / Sunday)
Payment method: (Mail / PayPal / At Otaku Anime office July 10, 2010)
PayPal email address: (if paying by PayPal)
Additional info: See NOTE 2.

For each member of an Artist Group (see Section 7), please provide the following:

Full name:
Membership number:
Date of birth:

NOTE 1: Up to one (1) full table will be granted per artist on initial request in order to allow more artists to participate. Artists who request more than one table may be offered additional space at a later date.

NOTE 2: Please use the "Additional info" field to mention any added information or special requests such as being seated next to another participant in the Artists' Area.

ii. You will receive a reply from the Artists' Area director within 72 hours with either a registration form or a notice stating that you have been placed on a waiting list.

iii. The Artists' Area director will have a list of names of those who have been confirmed from the Registration department. If you are not listed as CONFIRMED in the registration system, your application will be refused. A new application must be made once you are CONFIRMED.

5. Conditional Acceptance, Registration & Payment

A. Conditional Acceptance and Registration

NOTE: Receiving a conditional acceptance email and registration form DOES NOT GUARANTEE a space in the Area. This only means that we are holding a space open for you and that you have the OPPORTUNITY to book one.

Once you receive your conditional acceptance email, YOU MUST SEND your COMPLETED REGISTRATION FORM and PAYMENT to Otakuthon. The registration form must be received WITHIN TEN (10) BUSINESS DAYS (unless otherwise specified) to secure your spot.
Your registration will not be valid until your registration form and payment are received.
Giving a copy of the registration form to anyone else will NOT give them a space in the Artists' Area. Only individuals who were sent the Artists' Area registration form and have a conditional acceptance email will be allowed to register.

DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE TO SEND YOUR REGISTRATION FORM AND PAYMENT. NO EXTENSIONS WILL BE PROVIDED.

B. Forms of Payment

We are offering three different modes of payment. YOU MUST SPECIFY THE PAYMENT METHOD IN YOUR APPLICATION. Please read each section CAREFULLY as failure to follow the instructions may result in loss of table reservation.

COMMON SECTION FOR ALL FORMS OF PAYMENT

Your registration form (if paying by mail or in person) and payment must be RECEIVED within ten (10) business days starting from the conditional acceptance email date unless otherwise specified. If your registration form and payment are not received, you will lose your table reservation and be put to the end of the waiting list.

i. Sending forms and payment via regular mail

Please send the completed registration form and payment (cheque or money order made payable to "Otakuthon") to:

Otakuthon - Artists' Area
12830, rue Rene-Levesque
Montreal, Quebec H1A 5E7
Canada

Please write the address EXACTLY as indicated. Otakuthon will not be held responsible for lost or misdirected letter mail, and you will not get any extensions if your mail is returned to sender.
DO NOT SEND CASH. Otakuthon will not be held responsible for any lost or stolen cash sent via the postal system.

ii. Payment via PayPal

Additional instructions on how to send your PayPal payment will be included with your conditional acceptance.
Artists paying through PayPal agree to the Rules & Regulations of the Artists' Area through acceptance of payment.
Payment must be received within ten (10) business days of receiving the conditional acceptance email, or table reservation will be cancelled.
You will be asked to sign a printed copy of the registration form on your arrival at the convention.

iii. Payment in person at Otaku Anime (on JULY 10, 2010 ONLY*)

If you wish to pay in person, you MUST specify this on your application or contact the Artists' Area director within the ten (10) day deadline. Completed forms and payments will be accepted at the Otaku Anime club office (2020 Mackay, Room P-106, Montreal, QC, Canada) on SATURDAY, JULY 10, 2010 ONLY. Please note that this will be the only exception to the ten (10) business day rule.

Your payment must be RECEIVED ON JULY 10, 2010 at the Otaku Anime office. ARTISTS' AREA PAYMENT IN PERSON MAY ONLY BE MADE ON THIS DATE. NOTE THAT THERE WILL BE NO OTHER OFFICE PAYMENT DATES. If you request to pay in person and fail to pay on this day, your reservation will be automatically cancelled. If you cannot be present on this date, please make sure to arrange for someone else to pay and drop off your form.

*Payment in person on July 10, 2010 is applicable ONLY to applicants of the Artists' Area. Do not present yourself to pay for late pre-registration: your request will be rejected.

C. Cancellation

In the event that you cannot attend Otakuthon or do not wish to keep your table, please contact the Artists' Area director as soon as possible to make alternate arrangements. Refunds will be issued on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of the Artists' Area director. Please note that the longer it takes for you to inform us of your inability to attend, the less likely you are to get a refund.

6. Artists' Area Setup

Artists may start setting up their table(s) starting at 4:00 pm on Friday and 8:30 am on Saturday and Sunday. We will NOT accommodate you if you turn up earlier than this time.

Please do not leave any valuables unattended on location (this includes closing time). Otakuthon will not be held responsible for any lost valuables or stock.

Please note that cleaning staff will be allowed inside the Exhibition Hall after its closure for cleaning purposes. Security guards will monitor the Exhibition Hall overnight during the cleaning on Friday and Saturday.

7. Artist Group & Helpers

All individuals operating a table in the Artists' Area MUST be registered with an ARTIST'S BADGE. In order to make the registration process simpler for artists who wish to sign up together, we are using group registration for artists.

In order to be registered in another artist's group, you MUST be pre-registered and have a valid badge number. If an Artist Group leader does not have a valid membership (marked confirmed in the registration system), the entire group will be rejected. If an Artist Group member does not have a valid membership, only that member's application request will be rejected.

Please be aware that only individuals with an Artist's Badge will be allowed behind Artist's tables. Artists' Area staff will not accommodate anyone else.

An Artist Group is limited to a maximum of four (4) artists: one (1) leader and three (3) members.

The following information must be submitted for each group member during the reservation request. If you wish to add someone to your Artist Group after you have already registered, please email these fields to the Artists' Area director with the correct information:

Full name:
Membership number:
Date of birth:

The Artist Group leader is responsible for his/her group. If a group member commits an infraction, the Artist Group leader will be held accountable and may be removed from the Artists' Area with his group without compensation or refund.

If you wish to have someone watch your table, they must be signed up in your Artist Group. Only staff and members with an Artist Badge may man a table in the Artists' Area. Keep in mind that a group may not exceed four (4) members in total.

8. Final Note

If you have questions and/or concerns in regards to the Artists' Area, please email the Artists' Area director at artistsarea@otakuthon.com.

Annex. Artisans' Space

Otakuthon offers a different type of space for professional artists who do not qualify for the Artists' Area, but also do not fit into the category of dealer.

Professional artists are considered as artists who make a living selling artwork that they produce in their daily life. If you fall into this category, you may book an Artisan's Space. Artisan's Spaces offer more room and permit the use of displays and other (stable) free-standing structures behind their tables as long as they do not disturb other Artisans.

A. Pricing and Location

The Artisans' Space is located near the Artists' Area in the Exhibition Hall.

An Artisan's table costs $120 - not including registration to the convention - for the duration of Otakuthon (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday). In addition, you may purchase a pass at the price of $35 for yourself and any helper(s) who will be stationed with you at your table.

B. Artisan Space Registration

Registration for the Artisans' Space begins immediately. To reserve an Artisan's table, please email the Artisans' Space director at artisan@otakuthon.com for your registration form.

C. Artisans' Space Setup

Artisans may start setting up their table(s) from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm on Friday and 8:00 to 10:00 am on Saturday and Sunday (same time as Dealers' Area setup). We will not be able to accommodate you if you turn up earlier than these times.

Please do not leave any valuables unattended in the Area (this includes after closing time). Otakuthon will not be held responsible for any lost valuables or merchandise.

D. Rules and Regulations

Artisans must abide by the same rules as the Artists' Area participants; however Artist Groups do not apply to Artisans.

If you have any questions or concerns, please email the Artisans' Space Director: artisan@otakuthon.com.