Looking for Cosplay Guidelines? Click HERE!
Registration and Badges
Attendance to Causeacon® and the events within requires a badge AND wristband. Attendees may pre-register for the convention online (please note that all official registration points will be advertised clearly on the Causeacon® website). Admission can also be purchased at the door on the day of the event. Badges and wristbands will not be made available until the opening of the convention and proof of purchase must be presented in order to receive your badge and wristband.
Badges AND wristbands must be worn and visible at all times while at the event (this goes for staff, volunteers, and guests as well). Your badge and wristband identifies you as a paying customer; the staff and security will approach anyone without visible identification. So avoid the hassle and wear it. Badge sharing is not applicable, attendees, vendors, artists and guests must have a badge AND wristband on at all times. Single visiting days only require a wristband.
*Causeacon® is not responsible for lost or stolen badges or wristbands. Causeacon® will not replace or reimburse lost or stolen badges or wristbands.
General Information
Guests of all ages will be attending the event and the majority of events will be for family-friendly audiences. We ask that you do your part in keeping the common areas obscenity-free—take into consideration the number of people who are also trying to enjoy the convention. The convention will be hosting an anime screening room in which some of the t.v. shows are rated 14+ and 17+. We ask parents bringing children to use their own discretion.
Please keep in mind that your actions in the convention center, your hotel, and the city of Beckley will reflect upon us. Please act responsibly and courteously around community members and other guests of the city. Security for the event is provided by Causeacon®, Inc. as well as the Beckley-Raleigh County Convention Center. Security can be contacted by any of the staff members. Our Security personnel are responsible for the safety of all of our attendees while helping to maintain an enjoyable atmosphere. Please promptly adhere to all recommendations that Security provide.
Convention Center Policies
The Beckley-Raleigh County Convention Center has been gracious enough to let us use their facility to start Causeacon® in the year 2017 and continue into 2023. In order to maintain our partnership with the convention center for years to come, the following rules will be strictly enforced by Security:
- Smoking and alcohol are strictly prohibited inside the convention center
- No outside food or drinks are allowed inside the convention center
Disruptive Behavior Policy
We want nothing more than to see happy and enthusiastic guests at Causeacon®, but dangerous or disruptive behavior will not be tolerated. Our Staff and Security can and will counteract such behavior with actions ranging from a verbal warning, ejection from the convention, or criminal charges.
Things that may prompt such action include fighting (real or fake*), heckling, harassment (see Harassment Policy), impeding traffic flow, inappropriate waiting-line etiquette, offensive behavior, failure to observe basic hygiene, or any other failure to follow the rules. Also keep in mind that anything illegal outside of the convention center is illegal inside of the convention center. As long as you act appropriately, then our Staff and Security will have no problems to deal with.
Public inebriation, drug use, or any illegal form of substance abuse will not be tolerated at or around the convention center. Intoxicated individuals will be removed from the convention center and the appropriate law enforcement authorities will be notified.
Harassment Policy
Harassment is defined as any behavior that seriously annoys or alarms another person. This includes unwanted physical contact, following someone in public areas, verbal assaults, or threatening physical violence. Harassment is considered “Disruptive Behavior”, and our staff has the right to eject any offender and have the matter referred to the proper law enforcement agency. If you are being harassed, immediately contact a member of Security or Staff. Remember participating in Cosplay does not equal consenting to any form of harassment.
Photography & Filming
“Filming equipment” is broadly defined as cameras (film or digital), camera phones, or camcorders. Regulations pertaining to photography and video recording vary depending on the room and the event.
- No filming equipment is permitted within the anime viewing rooms or any area designated as a “theater” for events.
- Filming equipment is permitted within the guest panel rooms at the discretion of the panelist/s
- Photos or video may be taken of artists and/or their work at the discretion of the artist.
- Filming equipment is allowed in the Main Events area unless otherwise specified.
- Photos or video of individual or groups of people (including, but not limited to, special guests, cosplayers, other attendees, or staff) is only permitted if those being photographed / filmed give their consent (the only exception being one’s participation in a Main Event, such as a game show or Cosplay Contest).
- Filming Equipment and Bags may be Spot checked at random as deemed by Security.
Please be considerate when taking photographs by being brief and not blocking traffic. If you intend to use a photograph or film for anything use other than private viewing (e.g. online photo album, blog, online video archives, etc.), please ask the subjects for explicit permission to post their image, or video. Please note that photographs and footage of the convention and attendees will be gathered by our Staff to be used for various projects such as advertisements or future programming guides, and that purchasing admission for Causeacon® constitutes consent to be filmed or photographed.
Paid Photo-shoots: Photographers may not solicit paid photo-shoots in convention spaces on-site unless they have an exhibitor booth. They may not solicit photo-shoots on our official mediums, but are welcome to post on their own Tumblr/Facebook/etc pages.
Children at Causeacon®
Children under age 5 are admitted free of charge with a paying adult and must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian at all times. Children under age 13 must be accompanied by a paying parent or legal guardian at all times. Some hosted panels at Causeacon are rated 17+ for more adult content. Those panels will be checking IDs at the door upon entry.
In the case that you are separated from your child, make sure that your child knows important information, such as your name, what you are wearing, what hotel you are staying at (if any), a cellular phone number, and a home phone number. Also instruct your child to look for a Staff or Security member (Causeacon® personnel wear shirts that are easily identifiable) in case they need help.
If you are with children who are 13 or older, it is a good idea to designate meeting times and places with them since cell phones may be either restricted or have no service in some areas of the convention. Suggestions for landmarks in the area outside of the convention center, the registration desk at the front entrance, or in one of the gaming rooms.
The Beckley-Raleigh County Convention Center has no convention-wide PA system; however, most Staff and Security personnel are equipped with two-way radios. If your child is missing, please inform us so that we can alert the rest of our team.
Buying, Selling, and Solicitation Policies
Currently, only vendors or participants in Artists’ Alley, with appropriate vending permits, are allowed to sell goods at or around the convention center. Any item(s), including those bought at the convention may be checked by Security at any time, Also, unattended packages will be checked and then turned into lost and found.
Raffles, Giveaways and Contests: Vendors and Artists may offer FREE-TO-ENTER raffles, giveaways and contests at their tables/booths for promotional use. Pay-to-win/enter and monetary entries, trade and/or buying merchandise for extra entries is not allowed at Causeacon.
Panhandling and other forms of solicitation are prohibited. Examples of panhandling and solicitation include the following: asking for food or money, offering to exchange any sort of sexual favor (kisses, hugs, glomps, etc.), musicians or performance artists requesting tips, and selling anything inside of the convention center without the consent of Causeacon®. Offenders can and will be removed from the convention center if they do not comply with these policies.
Selling Photos: Generally you can only sell stuff, such as photos, if you’re a paid, registered exhibitor. Otherwise, you are unfairly competing with paying exhibitors. Further, we need to collect certain information about your business for tax purposes if you sell something – that’s why only exhibitors can advertise services “for sale” at the convention.
Music & Singing: We understand that some instruments can enhance a person’s cosplay, however, we have a few rules regarding instruments and singing. Attendees may play/sing songs in our hallways, however, they may not be disruptive of other events happening. You can not sing/play loudly, causing disruptions with other events and people around you. You may also NOT solicit money from others for performances. You may NOT set out a cup or accept donations for your performance, if you wish to make money playing you may purchase a vendor booth in the Vendor Room. Anyone soliciting music, singing and performances at Causeacon will have their pass revoked without refund and may even cause the future ban of all instruments/open singing for Causeacon’s to come.
Autographs
We know you love the guests, and the guests love you! Here are some simple rules to help make your autograph and guest experience both quick and exciting!
-Follow the instructions of the Causeacon® staff.
-No touching guests without their consent.
-Each person is limited to two (2) items to be autographed unless stated otherwise.
-Guests will only autograph items that are relevant to their work.
-Photographs may not be taken with the guest during an autograph session unless stated otherwise.
-Going behind the guest’s table is not allowed.
-Please be considerate of your fellow attendees and avoid having lengthy conversations with the guests during an autograph session.
-Autograph lines may be “capped” at any point to keep events on schedule.
-Always be respectful of our guests. Attendees that exhibit rude or inappropriate behavior will be asked to leave the line and will not be admitted back in.
-Check your Program Schedule for the Autograph Session times and locations.
-Guests will not sign a bootleg item. Our guests know which items are legitimate and which are not. If you have any questions about a product you want signed, please ask a staff member.
Disability Access
If you are wheelchair bound or have other mobility issues and need assistance, check into the security office where our staff will be happy to assist you. We follow all state and federal guidelines.
Service Animals
Service animals have to be officially authorized as a service animal. The ADA no longer lists the Emotional Support/Companion Animals as Service Animals. The Kalahari does comply with all ADA policies however, and service animals are permitted such as seeing eye dogs, etc.