COSPLAY CONTEST RULES

* You must be a registered attendee in order to compete.
* You must complete a Cosplay Contest Registration Form before (time) the day of the contest if you intend to participate in the Costume Contest.
* You will be given your entry number the day of the contest. Contestants will be seen by the judges in order of entry.
* All costumes must cover "swimsuit areas" – no nudity. Body-paint costumes are not eligible for craftsmanship.
* The contest is open to characters from published works; movies, TV shows, comic books, cartoons, video games, and card games.
* Please follow the "PG‐13 rule" when it comes to language and hand gestures on stage. Violation of this rule may cause you to be disqualified from the competition.
* Each contestant may only enter one costume into the contest.
* Hate symbols, even historical hate symbols, will not be tolerated on costumes, from gestures or anything of the sort.

PRE- MEET

* All contestants must be in the area where the pre‐meet will occur no later than (chosen time). 
Judges reserve the right to turn away any contest entry it deems inappropriate or not in compliance with the rules.
* This pre‐meet is where we will do a check-in before briefly going over to where you show your cosplay.
Pre-judging will also occur in this area.
During check-in, you will be lined up and we will leave after the pre‐meet is over to start the cosplay contest.
It is mandatory to attend the pre‐meet to take part in the contest.
* Only participants (and handlers if necessary) will be allowed in the pre-meet area.
Entries should leave all personal belongings behind in their car/hotel room. The pre‐meet is mandatory for all contestants.
Entries should show up to the pre‐meet in costume, ready for the contest.

* Be prepared for the judges to ask you questions about your creation process and to inspect your costume. The judges may ask to touch parts of your costume with your consent.

You will have multiple judges looking you over at once. Try not to be too nervous; the judges are people who love costuming just as much as you do.

COSPLAY

The use of makeup/bodypaint/bodysocks to darken your skin to the appearance of another human race will not be permitted. This is grounds for immediate disqualification.

Cosplays will be evaluated on the following criteria:

* Craftsmanship – How the entrant made their costume, use of materials and creativity.

* Likeness/Detail – How close the contestant resembles the character they are cosplaying/detail on the costume.

* Presentation – How the entrant presents their costume to the judges in pre-judging and how the entrant showcases their costume during the contest.

Costumes and props must be at least 50% made OR 50% altered by the entrant. If a costume is bought it must be disclosed at time of judging. (eg: props that 3-D printed by someone else but painted by you are allowed etc., bought costumes are allowed as long as they are altered in way that shows your skill and craftsmanship)

SHOW AREA RULES

* Please do not linger in the show area, in character or not. Everyone deserves a chance to have their costume seen, so please be mindful of contestants waiting their turn behind.

* No acrobatics/flips/cartwheels will be allowed.

* No part of your costume should be removed, destroyed or otherwise startle or interact with the audience.

* Contestants are not allowed to throw anything into the audience, nor use projectiles or use anything in the show area that will leave a mess. This includes (but is not limited to) liquids, glitter, and confetti.

* No pyrotechnics, fire, explosive devices, live animals, or similar special effects can be used during the competition. All prop weapons must conform to the prop policies, including being checked.

PROP POLICY

All costume weapons and props must conform to federal, state, and local law. A weapon is considered anything that could accidentally or purposefully cause injury to another attendee. We ask that you use common sense when bringing any prop weapon to the event. Avoid bringing hard prop weapons to the event. It is encouraged to use light materials such as foam, composite, light woods, and cardboard be used for prop weapons. All prop weapons must be inspected.

Functional firearms are not permitted in the event or on event grounds. Not allowed:
actual firearms
BB guns
airsoft guns
pellet guns
paintball guns
cap guns

All prop, toy, or fake firearms must be clearly marked with a brightly colored safety cap on the barrel.

Functional projectile weapons are not permitted including;
slingshots or other sling devices
crossbows
long and short bows
rubber band guns, etc.

Bows and the like are permitted so long as the string is removed or loosened to the point that it cannot fire a projectile. Arrows or projectiles are allowed so long as they do not have a sharp tip and/or any sharp tip is removed.

Metal blade weapons that are sharpened are not permitted; swords daggers knives throwing stars axes

Blunt weapons are not permitted including; hockey sticks baseball bats nunchaku clubs brass knuckles slug devices, etc.

Chemical weapons and explosives including fireworks are not permitted. Incendiary weapons, i.e., which spark, shoot flame(s), burn, smolder, or can otherwise cause combustion or which exist for no purpose other than to be lit with a combustion device.

Self-defense weapons, i.e., pepper spray, mace, stun-guns, and tasers are prohibited.

Any prop that does not adhere to the guidelines above will be asked to be stored off property, admittance will not be allowed otherwise.