Dealers

Selling Merchandise at Otakuthon

Otakuthon is offering dealer tables in the Dealers' Area of the Exhibition Hall. As a festival that draws thousands of attendees annually to Montréal's renowned cultural hub, Otakuthon represents a prime demographic of buyers interested in finding all things related to anime, gaming, Japanese culture and much more.

Dealer registration will begin on April 13, 2025 and applications for the first turn will end April 19, 2025. After these dates, it will still be possible to apply, simply with less chances of having a booth. Please read the sections below for additional information.

Otakuthon has compiled a list of frequently asked questions regarding the Dealers' Area.

Click here to access the Dealers' Area FAQ.

Additionally, feel free to contact us by email at dealers@otakuthon.com if you have further questions.

Important information to know for 2025

Word of welcome

We welcome all dealers to apply, new or recurring. For new dealers, please send us an email at dealers@otakuthon.com with a few pictures of your merchandise or a link to your website for us to review according to our policies. Please read the guidelines below to know if you would be eligible to apply to the Dealers’ Area. Once we have approved, you will be added to our mailing list. We will then notify you when it is time to apply and the method that will be used to sign up.

Important: wait until we confirm your reservation before proceeding to payment.

Permitted merchandise inside the Dealers’ Area

• Commercial goods or services sold in the Dealers’ Area of the Exhibition Hall include (but are not limited to) licensed products that can be imported, mass-produced or self-produced. They must comply with Otakuthon’s anti-bootleg policy.
• Adult material is allowed to be sold but all such merchandise must be covered and hidden from public view. Exhibitors selling adult material must ensure that customers are at least 18 years of age and require proof of age.
• Exhibitors selling weapons must notify the Dealers Director in their application beforehand. If not indicated in the application, the Exhibitor may not sell any weapons. Please refer to our Props Policy.
• Exhibitors may sell food or beverage items if they cannot be served and eaten on the spot inside the Exhibition Hall, such as coffee or tea that requires preparation, only if given permission and after a discussion with the Dealers’ Area staff through our procedures. It is otherwise forbidden to sell any consumable products inside the Palais des congrès de Montréal without special permission.

Prohibited merchandise inside the Dealers’ Area

• No ready-to-consume food or beverages may be sold anywhere in the Palais des congrès de Montréal (including candy and pre-packaged food, like Pocky).
• Pirated, “bootleg”, unlicensed or illegal materials (henceforth referred to as “bootleg items”) may not be sold on the festival premises. All merchandise shown to be bootleg must be removed immediately for the duration of the festival lest the Exhibitor face ejection from the festival.
• Products containing AI-generated content.
• Fan art products.
• An extensive list of prohibited merchandise will be included in the exhibitors’ contract.

If you are unsure if your merchandise complies with Otakuthon’s regulations, please send an email to dealers@otakuthon.com to verify with us

Dealer Space Pricing

*All rates are in Canadian dollars and include taxes.

• The dimensions of each dealer space are 100 sq. ft. (10 feet × 10 feet).
• Each dealer space (and each additional space) includes two free dealer badges that provide access to the Exhibition Hall.
• Each dealer space includes two 6-foot tables and two chairs at no extra charge.
• Dealers may order additional tables (6 or 8 feet) and chairs at an additional cost as long as they are requested in advance.

Applications

This year, please note that we will be selecting applicants based on a lottery system. While there is no time limit to apply to the Dealers’ Area, one week will be allocated for candidates to register before we select by lottery the merchants who will have a booth. Therefore, after this first week, you will be less likely to receive a merchant space, but you will be added to our waiting list. However, those who applied in the first week will still have a priority on the waiting list compared to those who applied after that initial week of applications, nevertheless based on a lottery system.

Waiting list and Firesale list

Any dealer that applied to our area will automatically be added to our Waiting list if they have not been selected for a booth during the first round of applications. The order of this list will be the same as the system used to accept candidates chosen for the year. If a booth frees up due to a cancellation or any other reason, the next person on the Waiting list will be contacted to take up the booth.

While applying to our area, dealers will be able to sign up to the Firesale list if they wish to be contacted in case of a last-minute cancellation or a no-show dealer. Any dealer who chooses this option will need to provide an additional contact method, such as a phone number or an email, so that we can quickly notify them of this change and have time to pack up and arrive on time at the festival.

Please note that requesting to be placed on the Firesale list does not affect one’s position on the Waiting list and vice versa.

General behaviour

Please only use the material provided to you with your booth, such as tables, chairs, table cloths or curtains, and do not take those of other exhibitors. If you require more than those provided to you, please let our team know and we will help prepare additional ones for you. Bear in mind that some of these items have an extra charge to receive additional ones.

We ask that all dealers arrive at the Exhibition Hall and are ready to welcome the attendees before the room is open to the public.

The acts of harassment, derogatory comments, insults or physical violence towards Otakuthon staff, volunteers, participants or other exhibitors will not be tolerated.

Refunds and Cancellations

All spaces in the Dealers’ Area cancelled due to any reason are non-refundable. However, the amount can be used as a credit the next year and thus reducing the payment required for the booth. This nevertheless depends on the availability of the dealer the following year and if they are able to acquire a booth during applications that year. Please note that the credit can only be used the following year, after which it will be considered expired.

Operating hours of the Dealers' Area

Please note that these hours are subject to change.