POLICIES
Possible sanctions for not following the set forth policies include, but are not limited to: verbal warning, removal from event, removal from the convention center, revocation of convention badge, and if necessary police intervention. Please do not make us go any further than a quick verbal warning.
Badges must be in plain sight at all times.
ANYTHING illegal outside the venue is illegal inside the venue. All Federal, State, and Local laws apply and supersede any policies we have in place.
Setsucon is not liable for any injuries, should they occur.
Registrations are nonrefundable and nontransferable. If you have any questions, please contact our Registration Director prior to the convention or see the Registration Desk at the convention.
In regular years, registrations are nonrefundable and nontransferable. With the uncertainty around COVID-19, this year only, registrations may be refunded up until 30 days prior to the event or credited toward a future Setsucon. If you have any questions, please contact our Registration Director prior to the convention or see the Registration Desk at the convention.
We look forward to hosting you at Setsucon 2023! In order to maintain a safe and healthy environment for all anime and gaming community members, we will be having the following health and safety policy related to COVID-19. Agreement to this policy, and all convention policies, is included in your acceptance of a convention badge. This policy, like all others, is subject to change.
For Setsucon 2023, we will be requiring all attendees, staff, guests, exhibitors, and persons in attendance over the age of 5 years old to either show proof of full vaccination or show proof of a negative test dated no earlier than three days prior to the con (January 10th, 2023). Masks/face coverings are strongly recommended.
COVID-19 vaccination is considered either two full doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, or Novamax vaccine, or one full dose of the Johnson & Johnson-Janssen vaccine, with the final date of your dose being no later than fourteen days prior to the con (December 30th, 2022). Booster shots are not required. Proof of vaccination can be in the form of the original physical vaccination card, digital vaccination record issued by a government body/healthcare provider/vaccine administrator, or a third-party app that validates your vaccination record with a government body. If you have any questions if your vaccination status meets our policy, please do not hesitate to reach out.
Proof of a negative test can be provided by PCR/Antigen/Rapid tests administered by an appropriate, licensed medical professional, or an at-home test that has been observed and confirmed by a medical professional with a timestamped official result of your test (like the Abbott BinaxNow Test). Tests are available at local pharmacies and drug stores, like Rite Aid, CVS, Target, and Walmart. Due to the limited availability of testing, we want to ensure options are available and accessible to all. If you have any questions if your test results meet our policy, please do not hesitate to reach out.
We also ask that all be mindful to come to the convention healthy. If you feel sick at any time before or during the convention, we recommend staying home or returning home and self-isolating. Potential symptoms of COVID-19 include, but are not limited to fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea.
Setsucon reserves the right to update this policy as we continue to monitor cases leading up to the convention.
If you are unable to attend due to our updated COVID-19 policy, we are offering full refunds or rollovers to next year until December 30th, 2022. Refunds can be submitted via our Contact Form by contacting the Registration Team.
Setsucon has a zero-tolerance policy regarding harassment of any kind. Harassment is defined by the victim.
Harassment can include but is not limited to:
Remember, cosplay is not consent. Please be kind, polite, and courteous to other people. If someone asks you to leave a conversation or stop doing something that makes them or someone else uncomfortable, please abide by their request.
If you or anyone you know experiences or witnesses any verbal or physical action that may be considered harassment or bullying, please notify a staff member immediately. Setsucon will take any action necessary to prevent or stop the harassment or bullying from occurring including but not limited to, in no particular order:
Setsucon is a family friendly convention (PG-13). We ask that our attendees act accordingly. The following actions are considered disruptive behaviors:
Setsucon reserves the right to ask an attendee to change clothes if they are inappropriately dressed.
Animals are prohibited unless they are necessary for medical reasons.
Use common sense. If you are invading someone’s space or violating their rights, there is a good chance you shouldn’t be doing it. The above list is not all inclusive; if a Setsucon or the venue staffer asks a reasonable request of you, please follow their request.
Please be aware that there is a really good chance that you will be waiting in a line of epic proportions at some point in time. Please be respectful of the people around you. Anyone cutting in line will be sent to the back of the line. Also, please do not block doorways when waiting in line. Any line for an event may not be formed until 15 minutes prior to the event. The line will begin at the discretion of Setsucon staff and “lines for the line” will not be permitted. Setsucon staff reserves the right to disband any lines formed before this time period.
A friendly reminder: Setsucon and the venue are not responsible for lost or stolen items. If you do lose an item or suspect it has been stolen, please report to the Convention Operations room. If your item is in the Convention Operations room, be prepared to describe it in detail in order to get it back.
Feel free to take as many pictures as you would like in the convention area! However, lease do not block the hallways or doors, or hold up traffic to take pictures. Try to step off to the side and out of the way of traffic. Cameras will not be allowed in any event where they will cause a distraction. This includes, but is not limited to panels and viewings. Proper procedure for taking a picture of a cosplayer/attendee is to ask for permission first and then find a suitable spot to take the picture. If the person declines the request, please respect their decision.
Photography is NOT permitted in the Artist Alley.
To ensure that Setsucon remains a safe and family friendly convention there are a number of guidelines for you to follow when preparing a cosplay for the convention:
Setsucon reserves the right to deem any cosplay unsuitable for the convention space, in which case you will be asked to change into more appropriate attire. Your badge will be held at registration and will be returned upon approval of alterations.
If you have any doubts about your cosplay being acceptable, contact our Cosplay Coordinator prior to arriving to the convention.
Weapons are NOT permitted inside the venue. To reiterate: if it is illegal outside the venue, it’s still illegal inside.
the venue does not allow weapons and Setsucon does not allow weapons. It’s as simple as that. Any person found with a weapon will be asked to remove it from the convention area and may be escorted out. Failure to do so will result in confiscation of the weapon and your badge.
All props must be checked in at Weapons Check and approved. Any prop that resembles a gun must have a painted orange tip and must have no moving or internal parts. Misuse of props that endangers other attendees will not be tolerated. Full face masks must be easily removable and we ask that it be removed after leaving the convention area.
Props are acceptable as long as they:
Setsucon reserves the right to deem any prop unsuitable for the convention space.
If you are not entirely sure if your prop is acceptable, contact our Cosplay Coordinator prior to arriving to the convention.
Dance your heart out! To help ensure everyone has a good time, please be aware of the following rules:
Signs that are an integral part of a cosplay are acceptable. Any other sign is not allowed. This includes signs written on any medium such as: paper, cardboard, handwritten onto T-shirts, etc. Signs that could be considered solicitation are not allowed. For example, a sign reading “FREE HUGS” is not allowed. Signs with anything inappropriate on them will be confiscated.
Setsucon cannot guarantee that you will be able to get an autograph from the guests. There is a time limit on autograph sessions that we will be strictly adhering to. We want to ensure that as many people as possible are able to interact with the guests, so please keep the lines moving. We recommend writing down anything that you wish to say to the guests in case you forget.
Guests will be happy to autograph your Setsucon Programming Booklet, as well as any officially licensed merchandise. Guests reserve the right to refuse to sign anything that may be counterfeit. Signing of personal items is at the discretion of the guest. There is a limit of 2 autographs per person and there will be no flash photography at the autograph sessions unless otherwise noted.
Guests may accept small gifts that they can store in their luggage. We ask that all gifts are not wrapped because we will need to check them before giving them to the guest. Guests will not accept any food. Please do not visit the guest’s private quarters.
Setsucon reserves the right to make changes to the Guest and Autograph Policies as the circumstances or guests dictate.
Setsucon welcomes attendees of all ages. A parent or guardian must accompany a child under the age of 18 at all times. Setsucon is not a child sitting service. We recommend that all children carry some form of identification along with contact information of their parent or guardian. In the case that a child becomes lost, this makes it less stressful for everyone. the venue does not have a PA system. Please also see the section below on Parental Consent.
All attendees younger than 18 years of age as of January 13, 2023 must have a parent, legal guardian, or a designated chaperone registered for the convention (with a badge). This means that either a parent, legal guardian, or a chaperone has a badge.
All attendees younger than 18 years of age as of January 13, 2023 must have a signed by parent or legal guardian and completed Parental Consent to Attend Setsucon form when they arrive at Setsucon. If the minor attendee will have a chaperone, the chaperone must sign in the appropriate spot below (not instead of) the parent signature.
Minors without appropriately completed parental consent forms when they arrive at the convention can not be admitted to Setsucon.
Download: Parental Consent Form
Setsucon has a few 18+ events late at night. Attendees who wish to attend one of these must have their ID ready to be presented at the door to the event. Rooms will be cleared out prior to the event. There is absolutely no admittance into an 18+ event without a proper ID.
Attendees of Setsucon are granting permission to be photographed or recorded by authorized Setsucon staffers. By purchasing your registration, you inherently grant Setsucon the permission to use such photos or recordings for promotional or chronicling purposes.
Setsucon’s Privacy Policy is available here.
The policies are subject to periodic review by Setsucon’s Executive Board and may change without prior notice. A copy of the current policies in effect for the convention will be posted at the registration and information desks.
Founded in 2007 by the Penn State Anime Organization, Setsucon brings anime, manga, and Japanese culture to the winter months in Central Pennsylvania.
