Artists’ Area Rules and Policy

Otakuthon Artists' Area 2009 - Rules and Policy

i. 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 artwork on commission.

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

Requirements:

  1. You must have a confirmed Otakuthon 2009 pre-registration when you apply (ie: registered, paid, and your registration is marked as CONFIRMED in the online registration system (please note it may take up to a week for registration to process payments, contact registration@otakuthon.com if you have difficulties).
  2. You must be 14 years of age or older.
  3. You must be an amateur artist.

Licensed or professional artists and companies are not permitted to register for the Artists' Area. Companies should contact the Dealers' Area director at dealers@otakuthon.com, and professional artists should contact the Artisan Space director at artisan@otakuthon.com.

Please refer to Section xi. for information on the Artisans' Space.

iii. Time and Location of the Artists' Area

Otakuthon combines the Artists' Area, the Dealers' Area, and Exhibitors into a single Exhibition Hall. All these activities will be held in the Exhibition Hall (room 517BCD) at the Palais-des-Congrès de Montreal.

The Artists' Area will be open to the public during the following hours:

Friday July 31, 2009: 5:15 pm - 9:00 pm
Saturday August 1, 2009: 9:45am - 9:00 pm
Sunday August 2, 2009: 9:45am - 5:00 pm

Posted times include 15 minutes early acccess for Priority Access Pass (PAP) holders.

iv. Artists' Area Tables and Reservation

IMPORTANT: Artists' Area tables DO NOT include a membership to the convention. You MUST have a VALID / CONFIRMED membership to Otakuthon to be eligible for an Artists' Area table.

A. Artists' Area Tables

Artists' Area tables will be available to artists in half and full table denominations. Each half-table includes one chair while each full table includes two chairs. No additional chairs will be provided nor permitted. There may not be more than one person behind a half table or two persons behind a full table. Please note that no electricity or internet will be provided.

  Weekend
(Fri, Sat, Sun)		 Friday & Saturday Sunday-only
Half-table (36" x 30") $30 $20 $15
Full table (72" x 30") $45 $30 $25

Prices above are listed in Canadian currency.

B. Artists' Area Reservation

The Artists' Area table reservation will be email-based on a first-come, first-served basis.  You must be 14 years or older to participate in the Artists' Area.

YOU MUST BE PRE-REGISTERED FOR THE CONVENTION TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR AN ARTISTS' AREA TABLE RESERVATION!

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.  NO EXCEPTIONS will be made.  Make *SURE* your registration reads CONFIRMED on the registration site by registering and making your payment *EARLY*, then logging back in to your registration to make sure it is CONFIRMED.

 Artists' Area spaces must be booked directly by the person who will be using the space. You may not register in the place of other individuals. The person booking the space will be responsible for the area which is being booked.

 Artists' Area email reservation will open on Friday June 19, 2009 at exactly 9:00 pm EDT (GMT -4). Any reservation requests received prior to this date and time will be ignored.

 The system works as follow:

  1. You MUST be successfully pre-registered for Otakuthon (this includes completion of the online form, payment in full AND your status listed as CONFIRMED).
  2. When the Artists' Area email reservation has begun, you must send an email to artistsarea@otakuthon.com with the subject "Artists' Area Reservation - [insert your name & pre-registration number here]" and provide the following information:
    Full name:
    Membership number:
    Date of birth:
    Number of half-tables AND/OR full tables: (see note 1)
    Dates: (weekend/Saturday/Sunday)
    Payment method (choose one):  ( Mail / PayPal / At Otaku Anime office on June 27, 2009)
    PayPal Email Address (if paying by Paypal):
    Additional Info: (see note 2)

    For each member of an Artist Group (see section vii), please also provide the following:

    Full name:
    Membership number:
    Date of birth:

    NOTE 1: Please specify whether you are requesting a HALF or a FULL table. A maximum of one (1) full table will be confirmed per artists on initial requests. If you request more than one (1) full table, we may offer you extra space(s) upon availability at a later date. This is to allow more artists to participate in the Artists' Area.

    NOTE 2: Please use the "Additional Info" field to provide any additional information or special requests such as being seated next to another participant in the Artists' Area. Please remember that there will NOT be electricity available in the Artists' Area, so please do not ask to be placed next to an electric jack.

  3. You will receive a reply from the Artists' Area director within 48 hours with either a holding confirmation or a notice stating that you have been placed on a waiting list.
  4. 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, you will automatically be pushed to the waiting list regardless.

v. Holding Confirmation & Payment

NOTE : Receiving a holding confirmation DOES NOT GUARANTEE a space in the Area, merely that we are holding a space open for you and that you have the OPPORTUNITY to book one.

  1. Once you receive your holding confirmation, YOU MUST SEND your COMPLETED FORM and PAYMENT to the Artists Area director and it must be received WITHIN 10 BUSINESS DAYS to secure your spot.
  2. Your registration will not be considered valid until both the registration form and payment are received.
  3. 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 holding confirmation will be accepted.

 In the event 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. 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.

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

We are offering three different modes of payment this year.  Please read each section CAREFULLY as failure to follow the instructions may result in loss of table reservation:

PAYMENT METHODS:

1. Sending forms and payment via regular mail

Please complete the Artists' Area registration form included and mail the form along with your payment (cheque or money order made payable to "Otakuthon") to:

Otakuthon - Artists' Area
2963 St. Charles Blvd.
P.O Box 40502
Kirkland, Quebec  H9H 5G8

 IMPORTANT: Please write the address EXACTLY as indicated. We have had problems with lost registrations in the past due to incorrect address inscriptions.

  • DO *NOT* SEND CASH. Otakuthon will not be held responsible for any lost or stolen cash sent via the postal system.
  • Your registration form AND payment must be RECEIVED within ten (10) business days starting from the holding confirmation date, after which you will lose your table reservation and be put to the end of the waiting list.

 2. Payment via Paypal

If you wish to pay by PayPal, please notify the Artists' Area director while you send your reservation request in the designated field. NOTE: Payments made through PayPal will have an additional handling fee.

  • Your payment must be RECEIVED within ten (10) business days starting from the holding confirmation date.  Your Artist Area form must be submitted via email and you will be asked to sign the Artists' Area form on arrival at the convention.  If form and/or payment is not received within 10 business days, you will lose your table reservation and be put to the end of the waiting list.

 3. Payment in person at Otaku Anime (on JUNE 27, 2009 *ONLY*)

If you wish to pay in person, please notify the Artists' Area director when you send your reservation request.  Completed forms and payments will be accepted at the Otaku Anime club office (2020 Mackay, Room P-106 Montreal, QC, Canada) on JUNE 27, 2009 *ONLY*.  Please note that this will be the only exception to the 10 business day rule.

  • Your payment must be RECEIVED ON JUNE 27, 2009 at the Otaku Anime office.  ARTIST AREA OFFICE PAYMENTS IN PERSON MAY ONLY BE MADE ON THIS DATE.  NOTE THAT THERE WILL BE NO OTHER OFFICE PAYMENT DATES.  If you requested to pay in person and fail to pay on this day, your reservation will be automatically cancelled.  If you cannot come to pay on this date, please make sure you arrange for someone else to pay and drop off your form.

vi. Artists' Area Setup

Artists may start setting up their table(s) starting at 4:30 pm on Friday and 9:00 am on Saturday and Sunday. We will NOT accommodate you if you turn up earlier than this time.

Please remember that there is no one guarding your merchandise after closing time, so do not leave any valuables in place after the Area closes. Otakuthon will not be held responsible for any lost valuables or stock.

vii. Artist Group (NEW)

Contrary to 2008, all artists selling 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 reintroducing group registration for artists.

In order to be registered under another artist, you MUST be preregistered and have a valid badge number. If an Artist Group leader does not have a valid membership, the entire group will be rejected. If an Artist Group member does not have a valid membership, only that member's reservation request will be rejected.

Please be aware that only those with an Artist's badge will be allowed behind artist tables (an exception will be made for Artist Helpers - see next section; Artists' Area staff will not accommodate anyone else).

An Artist Group is limited to a maximum of four (4) artists (one 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:

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.

NOTE:  Artist Groups MUST still respect the MAXIMUM TWO (2) people per table rule.  If your group consists of three or four artists, you may not have more than two people at a table at a time (shift rotations are highly recommended).

viii. Artist Helper (NEW)

In order to better accommodate artists in the Artists' Area, we are introducing a Helper system. Every Artist Group will be provided with a ribbon that they can give to a friend (non-Artist) who will help them guard their table in the event the table holder(s) must leave for a period of time.

You will only be allocated one ribbon, so do not discard it. In addition, please feel free to ask any Artists' Area staff to keep an eye on your belongings if necessary. We will be glad to help.

NOTE:  Artist Helpers must still respect the MAXIMUM TWO (2) people per table rule.  If you have a half-table, you cannot stay behind your space with your helper. If you have a full table and are sharing with another artist, the helper must be replacing one of the artists.

Artist Helpers are NOT considered volunteers. "Artist Helper" is merely a title given to a friend of the Artist who agrees to help him / her behind his / her table.

ix. Rules and Policies

A. Displays and Merchandise

  • Only artwork and handcrafted goods may be sold in the Artists' Area.
  • You may only use the space assigned to you. You may not borrow other spaces or chairs which are not assigned to you EVEN if they are not in use.
  • No articles may be taped or otherwise posted on any walls anywhere in the Palais des Congrès.
  • You must own the copyright for all artwork sold at your table.
  • All materials displayed must be suited for a general audience (within the guidelines of the PG film rating).
  • Materials depicting nudity or sexual acts or other forms of adult material are permitted but must not be displayed unless they are covered sufficiently or hidden from the view of minors. This includes prints, commissions, and any other items.
  • Adult materials may only be shown and sold to individuals of age 18 and over who show proof of age through photo identification. IT IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE TO SHOW PORNOGRAPHIC MATERIAL TO MINORS.
  • Replicas of existing merchandise may not be sold in the Artists' Area. This includes but is not limited to Chobits ears, Naruto headbands, Mokona hats, etc.
  • Food may not be sold in the Artists' Area.
  • If you are not sure something is acceptable, ask first. The acceptability of materials is at the discretion of the Artists' Area director who may request the removal of any offending pieces.

If you are uncertain about the artworks you are planning to display or sell, please email the Artists' Area director with a sample image/photo for approval.

B. General Conduct

 All artists must follow the Artists' Area and Otakuthon policies. Please refer to the latter for more information. The following rules will be enforced during the convention:

  • Artists must not use or display artworks in areas not assigned to them.
  • Artists are not allowed to sell other artists' artwork without permission.
  • Harassment or derogatory remarks towards Otakuthon staff members or volunteers will not be tolerated.
  • Artists are allowed to eat food within the Artists' Area as long as they keep their space clean.
  • Please keep your area clean. Any allocated spaces found to be excessively dirty at the end of the convention will have the cleaning charges billed back to the respective participants.

Any artist/participant found in violation of any of the preceding rules may be removed from the Artists' Area without compensation or refund.

If you encounter anyone breaking the rules, we encourage you to report it to a staff member immediately. Do not deal with it yourself; we will do our best to resolve the matter as soon as possible.

x. Final Note

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

In addition, you are encouraged to sign up on the Otakuthon forum for tips, tricks, and additional information which may be helpful for your Artists' Area and Otakuthon experience.

xi. Artisans' Space

This year, Otakuthon is offering a space for professional artists who do not qualify for the Artists' Area, but also do not fit into the category of dealer.

By "professional artist", we imply an artist or company that makes a living selling artwork that he/she/the company produces. If you are planning to sell artwork or crafts that you sell in your daily life at Otakuthon, then you qualify as a professional artist.

A. Pricing and Location

The Artisans' Space is located in proximity of the Artists' Area within the Exhibition Hall.

An Artisan's table costs $90 - 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 who will be stationed with you at your table.

B. Artisan Table Registration

Registration for the Artisans' Area begins immediately.

In order to reserve an Artisan's table, please email the Artisan's Space director at artisan@otakuthon.com for your registration form.

C. Artisans' Space Setup

Artisans may start setting up their table(s) from 12:00 to 5:00 pm on Friday and 7:30 to 9:30 am on Saturday and Sunday (same as Dealers' Area setup). We will NOT accommodate you if you turn up earlier than this time.

Please remember that there is no one guarding your merchandise after closing time, so do not leave any valuables in place after the Area closes. Otakuthon will not be held responsible for any lost valuables or stock.

D. Rules and Regulations

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

Please refer to Section ix. for Artists' Area rules and regulations.

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