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Policies

To help ensure an enjoyable experience for yourself and your fellow members of Philcon, please review and comply with the rules described here. We reserve the right to take any appropriate action, up to and including revoking the membership, without refund, or suspending the participation in Philcon, of anyone who refuses or fails to comply with any Philcon policy, hotel policy, or the law.

PHILCON 2023 VACCINATION AND MASK POLICY

1. Vaccination Against COVID-19 or a Negative PCR COVID-19 Test is Required

Everyone who is attending Philcon, in any capacity, must have had a COVID-19 booster vaccination or vaccination set on or after September 1, 2022 and before November 2, 2023.  This can be any form of COVID-19 vaccine including the original vaccines or any of the follow-on boosters.

As an alternative Philcon will accept proof of a negative PCR COVID-19 test administered within 72 hours of picking up your badge at registration at the convention.

We acknowledge, with sadness, that individuals who cannot meet one of the two requirements below:

  1. Vaccinated as required by this policy.
  2. Supply proof of a negative PCR COVID-19 test, as specified above.

will not be able to attend Philcon 2023.

For further information on being vaccinated and which are the approved vaccines, see: Stay Up to Date with COVID-19 Vaccines on the CDC website.

2. Proof of Vaccination or Negative PCR COVID-19 Test

For those who are vaccinated: everyone, including committee and staff, must present proof of vaccination. This proof may be any of the following:

  1. A hard copy of proof, such as a vaccine card, a receipt from the vaccination site or pharmacy, filled prescription for the vaccine, a record from your health department or other government office, etc.) or a picture of any proof or app on your electronic device (including pharmacy prescription records).
  2. A copy of any of the above, which may be a photocopy or a picture on an electronic device.
  3. An app on your electronic device which shows proof of the vaccination, such as from a government agency, pharmacy, or Clear.

For those who are providing a negative PCR COVID-19 test: present a lab-issued proof of the negative result showing the lab name and the date administered. (This proof may be a photocopy of the original document, a picture of the original document on your electronic device or proof from the lab’s application.)

All persons age 18 and over must show official photo identification matching the name shown on the proof.

3. Mask Wearing is Strongly Recommended

Philcon strongly encourages everyone to wear an appropriate mask, such as KN-95 or better.

When you wear a mask remember that the mask must cover both the nose and the mouth.

4. Handwashing is Requested

We recommend that you thoroughly wash your hands several times a day.

5. Policy for People Who Previously Purchased Memberships

Notice of the vaccination and mask policy was posted on the Philcon website’s home, registration and policies pages on July 11, 2023. If you purchased your Philcon 2023 membership before that date, we will, upon written request, defer your membership(s) to a subsequent year or provide a refund.

GENERAL RULES, CODE OF CONDUCT, AND APPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR

If you have any problems, please come to Crystal Ballroom One (Convention Operations) on the Main Floor opposite Registration

First, and most importantly, you must comply with all applicable laws and regulations and the policies of Philcon.

Disruptive behavior is grounds for ejection from Philcon without a refund or such other response as Philcon deems appropriate.

Be respectful towards others at all times. This includes the membership, participants, volunteers, staff and committee of Philcon, the staff of the hotel and everyone else you may encounter.

If someone does not want to engage in a personal conversation with you, do not try to start or continue such a conversation. If someone does not want to pursue a personal relationship with you, do not try to start or continue such a relationship. Such behavior may be considered harassment, and will be considered inappropriate and dealt with as such. Be polite and ask permission before moving forward with a relationship.  Stop if someone says no.

Philcon is a venue dedicated to the expression and free exchange of ideas for the purposes of critical examination, discussion, and consideration. The personal views of Philcon’s individual staff, program participants, or members are not necessarily those of the Philcon conference committee, and our dedication to the free expression of those ideas should not be considered endorsement. Please be accepting of the fact that other people are also free to disagree with you.

Damage to the hotel or its property, to the property of Philcon, or the person or property of anyone else is the financial responsibility of the perpetrator or, if the perpetrator is a minor, their parent and/or Guardian.

Except for service animals, Hotel policy prohibits pets in any area of the hotel, including guest rooms.

All Philcon spaces, except for those labeled 18+, are for all ages. Please keep all content age appropriate.

No interference with the personnel of either the hotel or Philcon will be tolerated.

All parties must be held in designated areas (i.e., the “hospitality floors” of the hotel). Any others will be shut down.

Alcohol may not be served in open parties. All parties are considered open parties unless they are by invitation only.

No presentation on stage shall be permitted unless approved by the Committee. Please refer to the weapons policy which is set forth later in this document.

Please dispose of your trash and rubbish in appropriate waste receptacles when leaving a program room or other convention areas.

Food at catered events such as Meet the Pros party, the Con Suite, or room parties is meant to serve as snacks and light refreshments, not as meals. Do not expect (or attempt) to use such fare as breakfast, lunch or dinner. Please visit the hotel’s restaurant, consult the Restaurant Guide for local eateries or bring food for your meals.

Do not drop or throw items over lobby railings or down staircases.

Recording of any portion of Philcon is prohibited, without the written permission of Philcon.

We ask that you please be courteous and ask for permission from people before you take their photograph or record them in any way. This includes people wearing costumes.

All costumes (Masquerade, hall costumes, or cosplay) and other outfits must cover the customary body parts (i.e., genitals, buttocks, female breasts). Remember, Philcon is a family-friendly event. You must comply with all applicable laws regarding dress and exposure.

VIOLATIONS OF RULES

Philcon reserves the right to take any action in response to misconduct, disruption of the conference or violations of the Philcon Rules, Hotel Rules or violations of law that Philcon deems appropriate under the facts and circumstances. This includes, but is not limited to, talking with the parties involved, attempting to mediate a solution, issuing verbal warnings, suspending participation, revoking memberships and directing a person to leave the conference areas, involving Hotel staff or security, contacting law enforcement or choosing not to take action. Philcon will not require anyone making a complaint to mediate.

Memberships may be revoked without refund and any person may be expelled, or other action may be taken, for reasons which include the following:

  • Violations of ANY of the Philcon Rules, including the Code of Conduct, Weapons Policy, and Alcohol Policy.
  • Disruptive behavior in the Conference Areas.
  • Violation of any law or of the policies of the hotel.

REPORTING MISCONDUCT

If you feel that someone is engaging in misconduct or a violation of these rules, we suggest the following:

If you feel comfortable doing so, point out the inappropriate behavior to the person(s) involved. Often this will resolve the problem immediately.

If you do not feel comfortable talking to the person(s) or if talking with them does not resolve the problem, please report the situation immediately to the Operations office which is located in Crystal I Ballroom. If you need help locating the Operations office, please ask any Philcon committee or staff member.

Please try to provide a name, badge name/number and/or a physical description of the person(s) involved.

We need to know about any incident as soon as possible during Philcon in order to take appropriate action. Philcon will not require anyone making a complaint to mediate. Any complaint of misconduct will be promptly investigated.

IDENTIFICATION

Student and Military memberships require appropriate government- or school-issued ID.

Members must wear their badges in a visible location when within the Conference Areas. If you lose a badge once, it may be replaced with a $10 fee and proper identification. If you lose a badge more than once, you will have to pay the full membership fee to obtain a replacement.

CHILDREN

No child under the age of 16 will be admitted to Philcon except in the company of a Parent and/or Guardian. We require a signed waiver of the conference’s responsibility. Proper ID of the Parent and/or Guardian (government-issued) is required.

Children aged 0-6 years, “babies and very young children,” must be accompanied by an adult at all times.
Children aged 7-12 years, “children,” must be supervised by an adult at all times.
Children aged 13 and older, “teens”, may be present at the conference without direct adult supervision.

Damage caused by children is the financial responsibility of their Parents and Guardians.

WEAPONS POLICY (including costume weapons)

The Committee shall have the final say on what constitutes a weapon or improper conduct. The following items are prohibited in the Conference Areas:

  1. Guns and gun replicas capable of firing a projectile of any kind (including water or foam projectiles) unless clearly peace-bonded and they are either colored to the extent that it is obvious the object is not operational, or has the muzzle blocked so that the object cannot be fired safely.
  2. Lasers, model lasers, laser target designators and laser pointers (with the exception of laser pointers used by guest speakers as part of a presentation).
  3. Any object made of metal that is capable of taking an edge, whether or not the object is actually sharp, and whether or not the object is sheathed.
  4. Paint ball or splatter guns.
  5. Explosives or chemicals of any kind.

The sole and partial exception to the Weapons Policy applies to registered participants in the Masquerade. With the permission of the Masquerade Director, participants in the Masquerade may wear a weapon (excepting operational guns and functional lasers) from 30 minutes before to 30 minutes after the Masquerade, outside the Masquerade area, but only if affixed to the costume. Participants may manipulate weapons (draw, brandish, gesticulate, but not discharge) as part of their onstage performance, but at no other time.

Note that the above rules apply only to the Conference Areas.  Attendees should be aware that they must comply with all local, state and Federal rules pertaining to weapons when outside of the Conference Areas, and that certain objects permitted inside the Areas may not be permitted outside of those Areas.

If a weapon is purchased in the Dealers’ Room, it must be wrapped before leaving the room and must be immediately taken to the purchaser’s hotel room or vehicle.

Violation of the above policies may be grounds for immediate revocation of membership and expulsion from the convention without refund.  This includes waving or brandishing any item that may otherwise be acceptable under the above guidelines.

ALCOHOL & SMOKING

The drinking age in the State of New Jersey is 21. We expect you to obey the law.

Alcoholic beverages are prohibited in all Conference Areas at all times, with the sole exception of the Meet the Pros party on Friday night or any other time the hotel offers a hotel bar. If a hotel bar is located in a Conference Area, you may consume the beverages purchased from that hotel bar in the vicinity of the bar.

As stated above, alcohol may not be served in open parties. All parties are considered open parties unless they are by invitation only.

Smoking is permitted only in those rooms and areas, if any, designated by the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel. The Conference Area is non-smoking.

ART SHOW

The full rules and regulations pertaining to the Art Show and bidding are set forth separately.

Photography and videography in the Art Show is prohibited, as it may infringe on the copyrights of individual artists, unless cleared by the Art Show staff in advance. The exception is any exhibit of original LEGO models.

The Art Show staff and the Philcon Committee have final say over any conflicts.

ADMINISTRATION

Con Suite

Philcon has a hospitality suite, where food and beverage refreshments are served and a friendly, social atmosphere is maintained. Please stop by to relax and enjoy yourself. Located in one of the suites on a lodging floor of the hotel.

Program Ops/Green Room

Where program participants get their schedules, and other information. Generally located, like the con suite, on a lodging floor. Note: All members of Philcon get their badges at Registration.

Operations

It is located in the ballroom across the hallway from Registration and the Information Desk. Please ask any Philcon staff member for directions.

Volunteers

Dozens of people plan Philcon beforehand, but we need additional bodies during—for load-in/break-down, room monitoring, and more. Visit the table near Registration to learn of assignments and rewards or contact us at volunteers2023@philcon.org.

And by “bodies” we mean living, breathing persons. (Insert extended and belabored zombie joke here.)

Program Guide

This year, we are using both an on-line guide and a schedule grid.

The on-line guide will be available at https://schedule.philcon.org and contains the what-when-where-who of the conference, with descriptions of each program item and their respective participants and a description of the other activities taking place at Philcon this year.

The schedule grid is a one page grid of the program items and is available from the registration desk.

The Philcon Rocket

This single-sheet supplement apprises you of program changes, games, parties, and awards in the art show and masquerade. Available at various locations around the con, including Registration, Information, and the Con Suite.

Definitions

“We” means the Philcon Conference Committee (“the Committee”), staff, and volunteers of Philcon and the Philadelphia Science Fiction Society.
“You” refers to any person present at, participating in or who is a member of the Philcon conference.
“The Hotel” means the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel of Cherry Hill, New Jersey.
The “conference area” includes the Art Show, Dealer’s Room, Masquerade, Gaming, Con Suite, function rooms, and the hallways and lobby levels around them, as well as any area where any activities of Philcon are taking place. Some of these policies also apply to the hotel’s sleeping rooms, hallways and facilities.
“Guardian” means “parent or legal guardian.”
“Minor” means a person less than 18 years of age.
“Student” means any person enrolled as a student in a formal educational institution who possesses an active school-issued ID.