Fan Events Information Page
Interested in submitting a Fan Event for FanimeCon 2024? Congratulations, you’ve come to right place!
Before submitting a Fan Event, please note that we have a few guidelines and policies for running a Fan Event. Make certain to read ALL of the information provided here before sending us your submission through our submission form below. Since our policies can change or adjust each year, we encourage even returning Event Coordinators to review the information provided.
Fan Events VS Panels
As you look over your submission for our Fan Events department, please remember that there are important distinctions between a Fan Event and a FanimeCon Panel. Ask yourself:
- Is my submission in a fixed layout? For example, will I need a stage and an audience? Or will I need a stage, an audience, and a screen?
- Could my submission fit into a FanimeCon Panels room?
- Has my submission been considered a FanimeCon Panel previously?
If your submission answers YES to all of the above, chances are likely that you have a FanimeCon Panel. Don’t despair, you can submit it here. If you have a submission that we believe would fit better as a FanimeCon Panel, we will recommend you submit your event to the Panels Department.
If your submission answers NO to those questions above, keep reading. Fan Events are different in that they require a more versatile space and do not fit the FanimeCon Panels layout. Chances are they wouldn’t work well in a FanimeCon Panel format anyway. Past Fan Events include make-up demonstrations, costume workshops, audience interactive games, and dance workshops. The key is that your submission requires something different and we want to help.
Becoming an Event Coordinator
Once you send us your submission, the person whose name is associated with the request will become the official Event Coordinator, making that person the official owner of the event. No matter how many people will be hosting the event, Fan Event Staff will look to the Event Coordinator as the sole representative for the discussion, planning, and scheduling of the Fan Event. We are not trying to discourage or lessen the role of the others helping with the Fan Event. Having an official Event Coordinator helps us set up the Fan Event and prevents conflicting information from multiple sources. As the assistants will still be considered Co-Creators, it is important that ALL Co-Creators have familiarized themselves with the information you will find here.
Submission Requests
Facilities and Layout: When submitting your Fan Event, please provide as much detail about the layout of your event as you can. Also, flexibility is a must. We want to provide you the best space, but sometimes what you want may not be exactly what we have available. However, we might have something similar and are willing to make it work.
Tech: Include your tech requests in detail in your submission. What is available within a FanimeCon Panels Room does not apply to every space that is available for a Fan Event. If an Event Coordinator or Co-Creator are planning to bring their own equipment, please specify this on the form as well. We will accommodate your tech requests to the best of our ability.
NOTE: We cannot guarantee internet access for your Fan Event. We advise you to have prepared content that is available offline prior to your event.
Prizes: You can have prizes at your event, but we cannot provide you with the prizes to distribute for games, quizzes, or participation. Note that food prizes cannot be used.
Event Staff: FanimeCon cannot provide staff to run your events. While we will have staff that will watch the door, check badges, and handle the line for the event, they will not be able to participate and assist.
NOTE: Requests for changes later on near the start of con may result in your event being cancelled if we cannot accommodate them, so the clearer you are on your idea, the better.
What You Will Find on the Submission Form
Titles and Descriptions: All descriptions and titles may be edited for spelling, grammar, or punctuation by FanimeCon Staff. If your description needs to be edited beyond this, we will notify you by email. In order to ensure all Fan Events will fit into the printed program and pocket guides, the listed character limits will be enforced:
- Fan Event Title: Will appear in the Pocket Guide, Program Guide and FanimeCon website – 30-character limit, including spaces.
- Fan Event Description: Will appear in the Program Guide – 150-character limit, including spaces.
- Website Description: Will appear on the FanimeCon website – 500-character limit, including spaces.
NOTE: The Fan Event Overview field on the submission form is not a description which will be published or publicly shared. The field is for detailing and outlining the content of your event and is used exclusively by Fan Event staff for selection and scheduling. There is no character limit and details are encouraged.
Age Ratings for Fan Events: If a Fan Event contains content that may be classified as adult material, you must inform Fan Events Staff on the Submission Form. The rating cannot be changed at the convention. Please make sure you enter the correct age rating on the Fan Event Submission Form. The ratings are as follows:
- All Ages: These events are suitable for all FanimeCon members of any age. Unless otherwise designated by the following ratings, Fan Events are rated “all ages” by default.
- 16+: These events may contain more swearing and/or slightly more mature content and may not be recommended for younger audiences. These events do not require a photo ID for admittance.
- 18+: These events contain mature content unsuitable for younger audiences. Event Coordinators, Co-Creators, Assistants and attendees are required to prove they are of at least 18 years of age using a valid government-issued photo ID in order to enter the event room.
Company/Presenter Listing and Website: By default, the Event Coordinators of the Fan Events are not published in any FanimeCon media. As an option, Event Coordinators may provide their professional handle, cosplay group, or company name, as well as an accompanying website URL, if desired. The information will be listed with the link alongside the entry in the online Fan Event Listing, but will not be included in the printed Program Guide.
Fan Event Length: Fan Events are scheduled in hourly blocks, starting at the top of the hour, and generally bookended by allocated time for room preparation and teardown. The content of an event should end at the time of your assigned block. For example, a 2-hour event scheduled to start at 12:00 P.M. should end at 2:00 P.M. In order to keep our schedule on time, Event Coordinators, Co-Creators and Assistants must adhere to these time limits. Fan Event staff stationed at the door will issue reminders to the Event Coordinators at the conclusion of their allotted time. If the event is followed by an hour of scheduled teardown, the event must still end on time as Fan Event staff will need time to reset the room.
Lines for admittance to an event will be formed one hour before the start time. Lines will be let into the room upon the readiness of the Event Coordinator, which should ideally be prior to or at the hour of the start time. A line may be let in earlier if the Event Coordinator is ready, but remember attendees may still be coming with the posted starting time in mind.
NOTE: Fan Events are usually more spread out on the schedule, so you will have time to set-up for your event and clean-up. If the area is to be used for another Fanime Group we will let you know beforehand and schedule your time accordingly.
I’ve Submitted My Fan Event, Now What?
Correspondence: Most contact, if not all, will be through email. If time is a major factor (i.e. a scheduling deadline quickly approaching) the Fan Events Team may try to reach you by the phone number provided. If there are any limitations or restrictions regarding this, please indicate so in the “Other Notes” field.
Verification: Please be sure to verify your email. When an event is submitted, you will receive an email requesting verification of the email address you submitted on the form. Until you complete this step, the Fan Events Team will not actually receive your submission. The email should arrive shortly after submission, so please be sure to watch for this email (check the Spam folder, if necessary) and click the verification link.
Once the email is verified, a confirmation email will be generated, listing all the submitted event information.
NOTE: Please email events@fanime.com if either of these emails are not received.
Follow-Up: The Fan Events Team will follow-up by email to confirm your event submission was received and review any immediate questions regarding the content. Due to the rush of submissions after the form first goes live, we ask for your understanding and patience if there are delays in this initial contact.
Selection: If your event is selected, you will receive an email offering you a time slot on the FanimeCon 2022 Fan Events schedule. You will have a limited amount of time to reply to this email and officially accept the offered time slot. The time slot will not be held beyond the listed deadline.
Fan Event approvals and room assignments are based on all of the information submitted on the Fan Event Submission Form. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
- The more scheduling flexibility a Fan Event has, the higher the chances are that it will be able to fit onto the FanimeCon schedule.
- The earlier a Fan Event is submitted, the earlier the Fan Event Team can begin considering it. Fan Events are reviewed as they arrive.
- The expected audience size submitted heavily affects which room or area a selected Fan Event is assigned. If your event has been held at FanimeCon before, please let us know. The previous headcounts collected by Fan Event Staff can be reviewed during scheduling.
Timeslots which are rejected by the Event Coordinator may be offered to another Fan Event. If available, an alternative timeslot may be offered. Time slots which are accepted by the Event Coordinator will be officially added to the FanimeCon 2022 Fan Events Schedule. A later request to change the time may result in the event being canceled.
Rejection: If your Fan Event is slated for rejection, you will receive an email letting you know that the Fan Events Team has determined that your event is not eligible for our schedule. If time permits, the Event Coordinator will be given the opportunity to revise their submission, but we cannot guarantee this option will be offered.
What to Expect at Con
Fan Event Locations: The location of your Fan Event is determined by the details you provide. The event can take place at any site at FanimeCon 2024 that Fan Events can arrange.
Check In: All Event Coordinators are required to check-in at a minimum of 30 minutes prior to the start of their event. Where you will check-in will be determined by the location of your Fan Event. You will be notified of how you will check-in by email around two weeks before the start of FanimeCon.
It is highly recommended that Event Coordinators arrive at the Fan Event location during the time allotted for set-up. Unless otherwise requested by the Event Coordinator, set-up time is defaulted to be at least 15 minutes prior to the event’s starting time. Prepping for the event is expected to be done by the Event Coordinators and their Assistants. While Fan Events can have the room arranged according to the Fan Event Request, arriving during the allotted set-up time enables Event Coordinators to verify that the room is correct and provides time to arrange equipment, performers, and other event needs.
If no one checks in for your event 30 minutes prior to the event start time, Fan Event staff will attempt to contact the Event Coordinator using the At-Con phone number provided on the Fan Event Submission Form. If, at 15 minutes prior to the event start time, we have been unable to contact you, and no one has showed at the Fan Event location, your event will be cancelled. Once an event cancellation has been communicated to the rest of the convention by social media, Info Desk and Stage Zero, this cancellation cannot be rescinded.
During Your Event: Breathe. Have fun. If you have any issues during your event, please speak to one of the Fan Events Staff that will be stationed at the event location. They will be able to assist you, or will alert those capable of assisting you as soon as possible.
What to Expect After Con
Badge Refund Policy:
Fan Events are a fun part of FanimeCon’s “by fans, for fans” philosophy. Attendees who host a Fan Event are eligible for partial-to-full refunds for two badges*. The refund scale is based on the collective hours of events hosted:
- 1 hour event = 33% refund for two badges
- 2 hour event = 66% refund for two badges
- 3 hour or more event = 100% refund for two badges
*These refunds are typically applied to the Event Coordinator and one co-creator. For further explanation of the refund scale, see the Badges and Refund FAQ on the Panelist Information Page.
We know it’s a lot to take in but don’t let these rules get you down or prevent you from submitting your Fan Event. While it’s true our powers are finite and we can’t guarantee the facilities or equipment, if we are provided enough time, we may be able to get something put together that works. Even a microwave can be a time machine if you just hook it up to the right device!
Are you ready to submit your Fan Event?
2024 Fan Event Submission Form