Badge Policy
Convention participants are required to wear their badges visibly at all times. This includes, but is not limited to, General Attendees, Staff, Press & Dealers. Your badge is property of ConnectiCon and is subject to revocation at the discretion of ConnectiCon. Additionally, if you lose your badge, you will be responsible for purchasing a replacement.

Alcohol Policy
There will be no open alcohol in the convention center hallways or in any convention area in which the convention center is not currently serving it. Violation of this rule will result in ejection from the convention and removal from the convention center. Additionally, anyone under the legal drinking age caught consuming alcohol will be removed from the convention and turned over to the proper authorities.

Convention Staff
Convention Staff are the legal representatives of ConnectiCon and will be wearing badges that clearly designate them as Staff. They are responsible for making sure that everyone has a safe and enjoyable experience while at ConnectiCon. While not specifically part of Security, they are also responsible for enforcing the convention's rules. Convention attendees are to follow the directions of any Staff member. Anyone caught willfully disobeying the directions of any Staff member will be removed from the convention.

Security
The Convention Center Security is there to make sure that everyone has a safe and enjoyable experience. To this end, they are designated with the responsibility of enforcing all the rules of the convention and all applicable State and Federal laws. Convention attendees are to follow the directions of Convention Center Security at all times. Any disputes or problems with the Convention Security should be brought to the attention of the coordinator on duty and the Director of Security. Anyone caught willfully disobeying directions of Security will be removed from the Convention. Roving Security members will be completing rounds of the convention center including all the floors, stairways and public areas of the convention center. Their job is to advise the convention attendees as to the rules of the convention and enforce these rules. Additionally, they will be noting any damage to the convention center as well as reporting via radio code to ConOps any violations or emergencies. Anyone caught violating the rules of the convention will be caught and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

Sleeping in Hallways / Convention Areas
There is no sleeping permitted in the hallways or convention areas of the convention center. All sleeping must be done in a hotel room. Anyone caught sleeping in a hallway or convention area will be woken up and told to go to their room. Anyone caught after being told to go to sleep in their room is subject to removal from the convention at Security's and the Convention Chairman's discretion.

NO Unaccompanied Bags Allowed at the Convention. Any bag left unattended by its owner will be turned in to the proper authorities. This may result in it being turned over to the Police and/or Fire Department for disposal. If you have a bag with you, carry it on you at all times. If you do set it down, stay very close to it. Please do not allow anyone you do not know to handle or carry your bags / backpacks / purses / luggage.

Ejection from the Convention
The following activities, amongst others at the Convention Chairman's discretion, will result in the summary dismissal of involved conventioneers from the convention, so please don't do them!

• Fighting
• Willful destruction of property (public, hotel, or privately owned)
• Physical and Sexual Harassment (this also includes molestation)
• Theft
• Piracy and/or the sale of merchandise that is not regulated by the convention
• The posting of sexually explicit material in public areas
• The posting of any flyers anywhere in the hotel other than clearly marked posting areas (e.g. hallways, elevators, etc.)
• Selling merchandise from a hotel room or outside of the dealers' room without express written permission of the Con Chair
• Use of alcohol or drugs in the convention space
• Any violation of state or federal law
• Refusal to wear convention badge
• Willfully disobeying the orders/directions of any Security or Staff member
• Any other activity convention officials determine to be illegal or of a dubious nature

Props & Costumes Policy

Proper Attire

Proper attire must be worn at all times. Clothing and costumes must meet Connecticut Convention Center standards for appropriateness. To follow the regulations of the Connecticut Convention Center, proper footwear and a garment that covers the chest (this includes males). There will be absolutely no nudity or partial nudity. This includes the possibility of costume malfunctions. Basically, if you couldn't wear it out in public without getting arrested for indecent exposure, then it can't be worn at the convention. When in doubt, check with a ConnectiCon Staff member. ConnectiCon and the Connecticut Convention Center reserve the right to deny entry to members who are not in compliance with the dress policy.

Sexually Explicit / Suggestive Material
Once again, ConnectiCon is a family-friendly convention and no public display of sexually explicit material will be tolerated. Anyone caught violating this rule will be removed from the Convention and prosecuted to the full extent of the law. As a general rule of thumb, if you couldn't wear it at the beach, you can't wear it at the convention. This includes material for sale or display in the Dealer's Room.

Props Policy

ConnectiCon strives to create a safe environment for all of our members. We take safety seriously, and if we feel your weapon or prop is dangerous, you will be asked to remove it from the convention center. We appreciate your careful consideration and adherence to the ConnectiCon Props Policy.

Any props brought into ConnectiCon must be in compliance with all current City of Hartford, State of Connecticut, or Federal laws and statutes. No exceptions.

Costume accessories that appear to be items from the banned items lists below and also from the Permitted Prop Weapons MUST be checked at our Props Safety Check station(s) and flagged by our trained staff that the item in question is indeed a prop and safe to bring around the convention.

All other obviously safe costume props will not be inspected or flagged, even at the request of attendees. It is no longer our policy to flag items at the request of attendees.
 

Behavior with Props

Misuse of any weapon or prop, such as swinging it in a public area or causing hazards to passersby, will result in your privilege being revoked immediately.
If your prop is deemed unsafe, then you will be asked to take it to your car or hotel room. Subsequent violations will result in being escorted out of the convention so that you may store your weapon or in severe circumstances, confiscation of the prop.
Any weapon purchased in the dealers' room that is boxed, should remain boxed and stored in your private quarters. Weapons are not to be taken out of their packaging or wrappings while at the convention. Take them back to your car or hotel room before returning.
All weapon-like props must be checked by a staff member at the convention and may need to be peace bonded. This usually involves placing a zip tie around the weapon and sheath / holster to prevent it from being removed. Please keep these zips on for the duration of the convention.
Props Check-In will be located near the registration table.
All ConnectiCon Staff and Connecticut Convention Center Employees' decisions on weapons/props are final. Policy maybe subject to change without prior notice.

Weapons Policy

Regarding weapons purchased in the dealers room: After purchasing a weapon that normally violates our weapons policy, it must remain in its packaging and be taken immediately to your room or car for storage. Items taken out of their packaging on the premises, will result in ejection without recourse from the convention.

• NO LIVE STEEL at all will be permitted on the premises of the Connecticut Convention Center. Live steel is defined as, but not limited to:
  • Swords
  • Axes
  • Knives
  • Bayonets
  • Brass Knuckles
  • Any other objects made of metal, which can take an edge regardless of whether the object is actually sharp.
• Nunchakus or other regulation martial arts weaponry are not permitted.
• NO AMMUNITION of any kind is allowed. This includes but is not limited to:
  • Nerf ammunition
  • Real ammunition, live or inactive
  • Air gun/Cap/Pellet ammunition
  • Arrows with nocks and/or hard tips
• NO FIREARMS AND/OR PROJECTILE WEAPONS of any type are permitted. This includes, but is not limited to:
  • Pellet guns, Air Guns, or BB Guns
  • Water guns
  • Working replicas of actual firearms
  • Real firearms
  • Mini or pistol crossbows
  • Dart guns or Blowguns
  • Electronic Weapons (IE Tazers or Stun Guns)
  • Batons/Nightsticks
  • Bows (strung)
• NO EXPLOSIVES OR CHEMICALS are permitted. Fireworks, smoke powder and sparklers are included. These are not allowed whether it is on stage or anywhere else in the convention center.

EXCEPTIONS to this rule are as follows:

• Easily identifiable toy plastic guns with no moving parts and that have a clearly visible non-removable orange tip.
• Resin models as long as they are marked with a clearly visible non-removable orange tip.
• Air Guns that have been striped of all internal mechanisms, with a clearly visible non-removable orange tip, no magazines, and no moving parts.
• Stripped is defined as having ALL internal parts removed, rendering the gun PERMANENTLY inoperable. This includes but is not limited to springs, gears, gearboxes, movable internal parts, and motors.
• The person carrying the pistol is a Connecticut law enforcement agent who is on duty.

Permitted Prop Weapons:

• Wooden weapons such as staffs, walking sticks, bokken and other wooden swords are allowed.
• In addition, fake weaponry/props made from foam, paper mache, tissue paper, wood etc. are also permitted as long as they do not endanger other con-goers. (Ex. tripping someone, clothes lining them, etc.).

Please keep props down to a manageable size. A 15-foot tall sword may look cool, but it does have to be carried around without hitting anyone or anything. If you accidentally hit someone with the weapon, it should break before the person would be harmed. Hand-held props should be no more than 50lbs and 8 feet high. Props that are part of a costume (Wings, accessories) may be larger, but need to be examined on a case by case basis.

Costume accessories that appear to be items from the banned items lists above and also from the Permitted Prop Weapons MUST be checked at our Props Safety Check station(s) and flagged by our trained staff that the item in question is indeed a prop and safe to bring around the convention. All other obviously safe costume props will not be inspected or flagged, even at the request of attendees. It is no longer our policy to flag items at the request of attendees.

Lastly, if you have any questions, ask. Some issues may be decided on a case by case basis, so please ask ahead of time.

Connecticut Convention Center Rules

No outside food or beverages are allowed in the convention center.
Shoes/footwear must be worn at all times.

Rollerblades/skateboards are not allowed on the premises.
No Loitering.