General Convention Cosplay Etiquette Rules & Guidelines for
Cosplayers & Non-Cosplayers

Special Thanks to Ayu Sakata of sakevisual for her help with our Con Etiquette Guidelines

• Please do not glomp cosplayers (or even non-cosplayers) It HURTS and could ruin their costume! Instead of glomping them, ask them politely for a hug. If permission is granted, hug them gently enough not to break their costume or hurt them. If they decline, a simple compliment will suffice to show them how much you like who they’re cosplaying as.
  
• This especially goes for CHILDREN COSPLAYERS. 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.
  
• Ask politely for pictures and don’t be creepy about it. Cosplay is not permission to touch a person's body or invade their personal space uninvited, but there are people out there who will take candid shots of girls in skirts among other more serious infractions on the personal space, safety, and sexual autonomy of other people. This sort of thing is NOT okay and is considered by the organizers of SaikouCon as sexual harassment and/or 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 etc. they will be reported to the authorities immediately and detained by SaikouCon security until the police can 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 them. The guilty party or parites will also be permanently banned from future SaikouCons and SaikouCon sponsored events with no exception.
  
• A cosplayer is not their character. If someone is cosplaying someone you don’t like, this does NOT give you permission to attack them. These people are REAL PEOPLE and doing so will be the same as attacking someone on the street. You will get kicked out of the convention, and they can and should press charges if they deem necessary.
  
• Country flags are not capes. And wearing them as such is considered incredibly disrespectful. In most countries, wearing a flag as an article of clothing and/or letting it touch the ground is considered insulting. Please think of our friends from other countries, and respect their flags. Remember, just because a character does something in a cartoon does not make it acceptable or polite to do it in real life.
  
• 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/say it out of costume or in front of your parents/grandparents, don’t do it at a convention. There are children present at these functions, and it is best to act like an adult and set a good example for them. 
  
• Hands off other peoples’ props. This seems like it should go without saying, but there have been instances I have seen where people have actually run off with a friend’s prop or grabbed it and started playing with it, resulting in a break. Props can take a very, very long time to make 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.
  
• 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 straightfoward guideline. 
  
• Do not throw objects at other cosplayers. This falls under the above "you can hurt someone" tidbit. This means even plush buckets, 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, this can get you thrown out of cons (SaikouCon included) and have charges pressed for assault anyway.
  
• Personal hygiene is a must. Being at a convention can result in a lot of dirt and sweat accumulated over the day. Be mindful of other con goers and PLEASE BATHE. This goes double for people who like to hug cosplayers, as nothing is more of a turn-off for a convention goer than someone getting their stink all over your costume. Don’t forget to also use deodorant every day. It really does make a big difference between smelling squeaky clean and smelling like con-funk. 
• Cosplayers, you are representing your fandom. If you do something stupid or mean, it won’t be you doing it, but “that fandom.” Set a good example.
  
• Have fun! Just because there are things you shouldn’t do doesn’t mean you still can’t enjoy yourself at the convention. Attend panels and meetups. Make new friends. Go watch the Cosplay Contest and Cosplay Concert. There’s so much you can do at a con without ruining the enjoyment for others or yourself.
  
• Nudity is not allowed, neither are some costumes that can be considered partially nude; genitals and nipples must covered at all times on the convention showfloor, in panel rooms, in screening rooms, and the Special Events area. This means underwear must be worn with all cosplays, no exceptions, SaikouCon is a family friendly convention and as such must be respectful of the fact that there will be attendees under the age of 17 at the event. This is not to stifle creativity or self-expression among cosplayers, these rules are not only for our younger attendees but are also rules of the convention's venue. Should these dress codes be violated, convention attendees may be forced to leave by the venue with or without consent of SaikouCon.