Covid-19 Saftey & Social Distancing Rules

Mask Protocols:

• Masks or face shields must be worn in public areas of the convention at all times. This includes panel rooms, the Theater Room, the Merchant Hall, Special Events Hall, Photo Lounge, and Resort Lobby.
• Masks must be worn covering the nose and mouth (no masks hanging from your ears, no under the chin "chin strap", no strip across the nose only et. al.), exposed noses and/or mouths will not be allowed. Refusal to do so will result in expulsion from SaikouCon 2021 without refund.
• If an attendee or merchant has a pre-existing medical condition of the pulminary system and cannot wear a mask, they must have a note from their medical practitioner stating they cannot wear a mask. This note, or a copy of the doctor's note, must be turned over to the convention at badge pick up for our our own records and so our security team may be notified not to remove you from the convention for lack of mask. An alternative to this, if a mask is not an option due to health conditions, a face shield is acceptable in leiu of a face mask.
• Face shields must be the type that straps around your head, the handheld type is not as safe for yourself and those around you as the strap type. Handheld face guards are easily dropped and easily removed from shielding your face when not thinking about them. 
• Paper face masks, N95 masks, fabric face masks (dual layer type), and wrap around gaitors are all welcome as mask types at SaikouCon 2021.
• Scarves, tissues, paper towels, tucking your mouth and nose inside your shirt or jacket are not viable masking solutions and will not be allowed at SaikouCon 2021.
• The above mask protocols will be in effect at SaikouCon 2021 regardless of the Covid-19 Vaccination. As of June 15, 2021 only 70% of the United States has been recorded as vaccinated against Covid-19, while this is enough for us to move forward with the in person show this year, it is not enough for us to do away with out mask protocols. Hopefully at SaikouCon 2022 we will be able to change our mask protocols.

Social Distancing Protocols*:

• The CDC's (Center for Disease Control) six foot social distance protocol will be observed and enforced at SaikouCon 2021.
• Family units and quarantine pods may maintain a closer physical proximity to each other as they have already been in each other's personal safety bubbles.
• Panel presentations and screenings will have a lowered capacity per room to maintain safe social distance.
• Six foot between people must be maintained, barring family units and quarantine pods as stated above, in all public areas of the convention; panel rooms, Theater Room, Special Events Hall, Merchant Hall (which will have a maximum of 30 attendees shopping at a time, not including merchants themselves).
• Selfies with our guest stars will be at the discretion of the indivdual guest stars. Guest stars that agree to selfies with attendees will do so at a shortened social distance of four feet away from the attendee, and will take selfies with only one attendee at a time.
• Elevator access will be available for all attendees, unless the Mountain Laurel Resort demands otherwise, but only two people at a time may utilize the elevator. Again, family units and quarantine pods may use the elevator up to four people at a time; this number restriction is more for physical safety than virus safety as the elevator at Mountain Laurel Resort holds a smaller car.

* = Social Distancing Protocols subject to change as we draw closer to SaikouCon 2021 as new developments in Covid-19 vaccination success or failure occurs as well as developments in understanding the novel coronavirus and its transmission rate/infectiousness.

General Safety Protocols:

• The temperature of every person will be taken with a no touch thermometer at the entry way to the resort, those with a fever 100 degrees or higher will not be permitted to enter the convention, this stands for both pre-registered and at door registration attendees and merchants, no refund will be given. The resort may or may not still let you check in to your room, that decision is the sole responsibility and liability of the Mountain Laurel Resort & Spa not SaikouCon Anime Convention.
• If an attendee, merchant, con staff, volunteer con staff, and/or guest star exhibits virus symptoms, regardless of temperature check results, will be removed from the convention show floor and panels/activities/events for the safety of our other attendees, merchants, con staff, volunteer con staff, and guest stars. Whether or not anyone displaying viral symptoms will be allowed to maintain their room reservation is at the sole discreation, responsibility, and liability of the Mountain Laurel Resort & Spa not SaikouCon Anime Convention.

General Codes of Conduct 

General Rules

• SaikouCon Attendance Badges must be worn at all times in plain sight and facing forward when entering badge restricted areas and events.  Any attendee that loses their badge must purchase a new badge in order to gain access to all SaikouCon events, no exceptions. However, if you do lose your badge you may check with con staff and/or security to see if someone turned it in to the registration counter staff before purchasing a new badge.
  
• SaikouCon is a family friendly event (13 +) and attendees are asked to dress accordingly. SaikouCon staff reserves the right to ask any attendee to change clothing if it is deemed inappropriate, or if the venue demands that we do so. We at SaikouCon do not wish to stifle the creativity of our cosplay community, but we must think of the codes of conduct for our hosting venue  as well as minors in attendance. 
  
• Cosplaying is NOT permission to touch or invade the personal space of a cosplayer, but there are people out there who will attempt to take candid photos underneath skirts and other flowing garments among other serious infractions on the personal space, safety, and sexual autonomy of other people. This is NOT okay and is considered by the organizers of SaikouCon as sexual harassment and stalking. If you want a photograph with somebody, ask permission, if you want to put your arm around them or touch their body in any way, ask permission. Some people are less okay than others with having people randomly throw their arms around them. Sexual harassment and stalking are not taken lightly at SaikouCon, our security team will attempt to sort out if there has been an innocent misunderstanding before involving the authorities, as personal space can be infringed upon in crowded spaces with no malice intended, but if the accused party or parties is found to be guilty of malicious intent, threats, stalking, harassment, sexual harassment, unwanted sexual advances, inappropriate sexual language etc. they will be reported to the authorities immediately and detained by SaikouCon security until the police arrive and handle the situation to the fullest extent of the law, should the victim(s) of the guilty party or parties wish to press criminal charges against the perpetrator(s). The guilty party or parties will also be permanently banned from future years of SaikouCon and SaikouCon hosted/sponsored events.
  
• Hate speech, ethnic slurs, gender slurs, ethnic intimidation, sexually harassing speech, cat calling, homophobia, transphobia, anti-LGBTQIA speech are not welcome at SaikouCon in any way, shape, or form. Reports of any of the above will be investigated by SaikouCon Security and if found to be true, the guilty party/parties will be banned from SaikouCon effective immediately and permanently. SaikouCon is an inclusive and welcoming convention centered on community where all are welcome and will be made to feel welcome and safe. The organizers and staff of SaikouCon do not and will not tolerate intolerance.
• Children 12 and under may attend the convention free of charge, but they must be accompanied by a chaperone, age 18 or older, that has purchased a badge (ticket), to attend the convention. Teenagers 13 - 17 must purchase a Teen Badge to attend SaikouCon, this negates the need for cumbersome Parental Consent Forms (see details on the Registration page of SaikouCon.com), as we used until SaikouCon 2016, speeding up Pre-Registration Badge Pick Up as well as being more environmentally sound by cutting down on use of paper and printer ink.
• For everyone’s safety: roller blades, skateboards, scooters, wheely shoes, roller skates, and any motorized vehicles including drones, mini-bikes, motorized trikes, RC cars and other RC vehicles etc. are prohibited in all areas of SaikouCon unless worn or operated by professional stunt personnel and/or other talent in the employ of SaikouCon to perform at the convention.
  
• Helmets, masks, and make-up are permitted to be utilized and worn as part of your cosplay, but at badge pick up your face must be visible to ensure badges are released to the proper badge holders by comparison with photo ID.
• SaikouCon, and the venue hosting the convention, are not liable for any missing belongings. If you should lose something please contact SaikouCon staff or security to assist in helping you find your missing item(s) or check with the venue's Lost and Found at their front desk.
  
• For all 18+ and 21+ events, SaikouCon Attendance Badges WILL be checked, no exceptions. Valid photo ID such as a passport or drivers license should be on hand to attend age-restricted events. Photo ID will be checked by SaikouCon staff should there be suspicion or con staff recognizes an attendee as being a minor with an invalid (meaning Teen Badge instead of an Adult Badge), fake, or of age friend's badge.
  
• Acceptance of membership (purchasing of a badge) indicates that the attendee (or parent in the case of minors under the age of 18) has read the rules of conduct outlined here and consents to the use of the attendee’s image or likeness in any recording, transmission, or reproduction thereof for the purpose of promoting SaikouCon. Attendees may at any time refuse to have their photograph taken by non-con staff photographers, members of the press covering the convention, and other attendees.
  

Sign Policy

• No signs are permitted at SaikouCon except for those signs that are an established part of a costume (i.e. the sign must be part of the standard “look” of the character, such as the sign carried by Genma the Panda from Ranma 1/2), or is attached to a merchant booth for purposes of identifying and/or advertising the merchant's presence at the convention.
  
• Signs with offensive content (including hate speech regarding race, religion, ethnic background, gender, preferred gender identity, sexual orientation etc.) are not allowed at SaikouCon. Please remember that this is a family event that accepts all walks of life equally, this holds for merchants as well. Political signs and banners are also prohibited and will be removed by SaikouCon staff and/or security.
  
• Any attendee that breaks any of the sign rules will be asked politely to remove the sign and if any attendee continues to break the rule or does so belligerently will have their badge(s) confiscated and be asked to leave and/or be escorted out of the convention by con security without refund. NO EXCEPTIONS.
  

Weapon & Prop Rules

• NO LIVE STEEL WILL BE ALLOWED at SaikouCon. Live steel is defined as: swords, bayonets, and knives (regardless of whether or not they are sheathed); star knives, butterfly knives, Bowie knives, shuriken, and all other types of throwing knives are also prohibited at the convention. Other objects made of metal which can take an edge are also banned at SaikouCon. This holds true regardless of whether the object is actually sharp or not.
  
• Props are not to be used in an unsafe manner.  This includes, but is not limited to: mock-fighting (posing is fine for photos, but not actual mock-fighting), swinging, throwing, hitting.
  
• Firearms are not permitted at the convention. All gun reproductions MUST have an orange tip or orange zip tie at the end of their muzzles. If the plastic reproduction has a firing capacity (i.e. air guns and pellet guns) it must be empty of all ammunition and/or magazines.
  
• NO LIVE AMMO WEAPONS OF ANY KIND will be permitted, no exception ever. Examples include, but are not limited to: real firearms, any and all kinds regardless of whether they are functional or not. Crossbows, dart guns, blowguns, stun guns, and tasers are all banned at SaikouCon as well.
  
• NO EXPLOSIVES, CHEMICALS, or INCENDIARY DEVICES of any kind including, but not limited to: smoke powder, sparklers, flash paper, confetti poppers, snappers, bombs, flash-bangs, or fireworks of any kind are permitted at SaikouCon.
  
• No prop over 6 feet 5 inches tall will be allowed to enter into the convention space without special dispensation/inspection from SaikouCon staff and/or security at the registration counter.
  
• SaikouCon reserves the right to deem any prop dangerous to the general public, regardless of size, and ask for the prop(s) to be removed from the convention space immediately and without resistance. Failure to comply may result in termination of membership to the convention without refund, there is also a strong possibility of being completely banned from future years of SaikouCon.
  
• All weapons purchased from the merchant area, should we have merchants with us that sell weaponry, must be boxed and taken immediately to a car, hotel room, or home after purchase; they will not be allowed to taken around the Merchant Hall nor to panels, screenings, concerts, or other special events at the convention. No exceptions.
  

General Convention & Cosplay Etiquette Guidelines

Special Thanks to Apphia Yu of sakevisual for her help with our Con Etiquette Guidelines

1. Please do not glomp cosplayers (or even non-cosplayers)
   Glomping can HURT and could ruin their costume! Instead of glomping them, ask, politely, for a hug. If permission is granted, hug them gently so there are no breaks to their costume or hurt them. If they decline, a simple compliment will suffice to show them how much you like their cosplay.This especially goes for CHILDREN IN COSPLAY. We know they’re cute, but think of it like seeing a child out at the mall or the store. You wouldn’t run up and grab them because it’s rude and downright creepy and can be construed as predatory behavior. Ask their parent or guardian if it would be alright for a hug and/or picture. Otherwise, hands off the children.
2. Ask politely for pictures and don’t be creepy about it
   Cosplaying is NOT permission to touch or invade the personal space of a cosplayer, but there are predators out there who will take upskirt photos of women and young girls in skirts and flowy garments among other serious infractions on the personal space, safety, and sexual autonomy of other people. This is NOT okay and is considered by the organizers of SaikouCon as sexual harassment and stalking. If you want a photograph with somebody, ask permission, if you want to put your arm around them or touch their body in any innocent way, ask permission. Some people are less okay than others with having people randomly throw their arms around them. Sexual harassment and stalking are not taken lightly at SaikouCon, our security team will attempt to sort out if there has been an innocent misunderstanding before involving the authorities, as personal space can be infringed upon in crowded spaces with no malice intended, but if the accused party or parties is found to be guilty of malicious intent, threats, stalking, harassment, sexual harassment, unwanted sexual advances, inappropriate sexual language etc. they will be reported to the authorities immediately and detained by SaikouCon security until the police arrive and handle the situation to the fullest extent of the law, should the victim(s) of the perpetrator wish to press criminal charges against them. The guilty party or parties will also be permanently banned from future years of SaikouCon and SaikouCon sponsored events.
   
3. A cosplayer is not their character 
   If someone is cosplaying someone you don’t like, this does NOT give you permission to attack them verbally and definitely not physically. These cosplayers are REAL PEOPLE, that are pretending to be a fictional character, physically or verbally attacking them is the same as attacking someone in the general public out on the street. You will be escorted out of the convention by con security and permanently banned from SaikouCon, and the victim(s) can, will be encouraged to, and should press criminal assault charges if they deem necessary. 
4. Country flags are not capes
   Wearing them as such is incredibly disrespectful. In most countries, wearing a flag as an article of clothing and/or letting it touch the ground is considered insulting and sometimes a very serious crime. Please think of our friends from other countries, and respect their flags as well as our own. Remember, just because a character does something in an anime does not make it acceptable or polite to do in real life. 
5. Just because your character does/says certain things does not make it okay to do in public
   No screaming the “F” word or other profanities in public. If you would not do or say it out of costume or in front of your parents, grandparents, children and/or friend's children, don’t do it at a convention. There are children present at these functions, and it is best to act like a responsible adult and set a good example for them. 
6. Hands off other peoples’ props 
   This seems like it should go without saying, but there have been instances where people have actually run off with a friend’s or even stranger's prop, or grabbed a prop and started playing with it, resulting in a break. Props can take a very, very long time to make as well as cost a lot of money to make or purchase and most tend to be fairly fragile. If a cosplayer says you can handle it, handle it with care. You wouldn’t want your props broken, so don’t do it to someone else. 
7. If something about someone’s costume is inaccurate or poorly made, do not berate them for it
   There's no need to elaborate on this, since it’s a fairly straightforward guideline, let's all be nice and have fun together. 
8. Do not throw objects at other cosplayers
   This falls under the "you can hurt someone" tidbit. This means even plushies, or any sort of projectile, soft or not. Not everyone shares the same sense of “lolithrewsomethingatyou” humor, so err on the side of caution and don’t throw things. Like most of the other things contained as no-nos in our codes of conduct and etiquette, this can get you thrown out of cons (SaikouCon included) and have criminal charges pressed for assault. 
9. Personal hygiene is a must
   Being at a convention can result in a lot of dirt and sweat accumulated on your body over the day. Be mindful of other con goers and PLEASE BATHE. This goes double for people who like to hug cosplayers and any other attendee and/or merchant for that matter, as nothing is more of a fun killer for a convention goer than someone getting their stink all over you or your costume. Don’t forget to also use deodorant. It really does make a big difference between smelling squeaky clean and smelling like con-funk. Beyond social etiquette, this is also the best way to prevent going home with a case of con plague as bathing prevents more than just the germs and bacteria that cause body odor growing on your person. 
10. Cosplayers and non-cosplaying fans, you are representing your fandom
    If you do something mean or nasty, it won’t be just you doing it, but “that fandom.” Set a good example and represent your fandom with honor and consideration. 
11. Have fun!
    Just because there are things you shouldn’t do doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy yourself at the convention. Attend panels and meet-ups. Make new friends. Go watch the masquerade and concerts. There’s so much you can do at a con without ruining the enjoyment for others or yourself.