Be sure to fully and carefully read through all convention policies including those specific to the Marketplace below. Should you have any questions regarding the Marketplace policies, please contact us directly at [email protected]
Vendors and artists are collectively referred to as “exhibitors”. Policies applicable only to those selling in the Vendor Hall (“vendors”) or only to those selling in the Artist Alley (“artists”) will be specifically marked as such.
Blank Canvas’s Marketplace is one hall divided into two main sections: the Vendor Hall and the Artist Alley. What’s the difference? The Artist Alley is a place for artists to create and sell their works of art, not for vendors of merchandise. If you are representing yourself as an individual and have a smaller stock of products, you are probably a good fit for the Artist Alley. Alternatively, if you are selling products on behalf of a company and would require union labor to bring all of your wares into the Marketplace, you likely belong in the Vendor Hall.
The Marketplace is also home to the Art Show, a place for creatives to showcase their best works of art for the public to view and bid on. All vendors and artists are encouraged to submit their pieces.
Attendee access and load-in hours are TBD.
All load-in and setting up that requires union labor must be completed during the designated times. During load-in the convention center may not be providing air conditioning or full lighting. During this time, only BronyCon staff and exhibitors will be permitted into the hall. Specific times for load in will be announced closer to the event.
Each morning, there will be a one hour window for vendors and artists to come in and prepare for the day. Each evening, there will be a one hour window for vendors and artists to shut down their booth and leave for the night. During these times, only BronyCon staff and exhibitors will be permitted into the hall.
Load-out will take place immediately following the Marketplace closing to attendees, on Sunday, from 4 PM until 9 PM. Any union labor must be completed during this time. During this time, only BronyCon staff and exhibitors will be permitted into the hall.
Failure to be completely off the premises by 9 PM will result in a $250 fee per additional hour, rounded up, up to $750 for 3 hours over. Everyone, no matter what, must be completely off the premises by no later than 11:59 PM. If an exhibitor has not completely vacated from the premises by that time, any fees or costs placed on BronyCon/Lunar Solis Corp for the additional rental of the the facilities due to that exhibitor’s negligence will then be passed on to that exhibitor, payable to BronyCon/Lunar Solis Corp. Such fees or costs will be astronomically high. Incurring such fees will result in a semi-permanent or permanent ban from exhibiting at future BronyCon or other Lunar Solis Corp. events.
As is the case with most convention centers, the BCC has a unionized workforce. It is important that our exhibitors understand the rules that will pertain to the Marketplace.
During load-in and load-out, exhibitors may bring in only what one person per booth can carry on their own in one trip, or in one small 2-wheeled luggage case. Multiple trips or multiple people carrying items to the same booth is not allowed under union policy. Additional items or items requiring a cart must be brought to the loading dock area to be carted in by the union. We understand that this may be something new to some of our exhibitors. Please bear in mind that this is standard practice for large venues such as this the Baltimore Convention Center. This service is included with your booth cost.
BronyCon will employ union labor to assist exhibitors with moving materials to and from the loading dock area during load-in and load-out. The union team and loading dock will be available during all load-in and load-out hours, as listed in the “Marketplace Hours” section.
Large displays that require more than one person to assemble, or which require power tools, will have to be assembled with the help of union labor. Likewise, anything that is large enough to require a forklift will need professional moving. Vendors will be able to order such services through the Decorator Packet, to be sent out closer to the con directly from our decorating contractor.
It is important that BronyCon maintain a strong and friendly working relationship with the convention center staff. If you have any disagreements or issues with any union employee, please do not argue with them. Bring your disagreement to the Marketplace Department Head. Similarly, if you have any disagreements or issues with any BCC staff or private security, please get in contact with any BronyCon staff member.
Single Booth Each booth is 10’ W x 10’ D. Each booth comes with: 8' table (draped); two chairs; two exhibitor badges; basic union fees covered; 3' sidewall and 8' backwall pipe and drape.
Corner Booth Each booth is 10’ W x 10’ D. Corner Booths are placed along the main aisles with two sides open to traffic. Each booth comes with: 8' table (draped); 6' table (draped); two chairs; two exhibitor badges; basic union fees covered; 3' sidewall and 8' backwall pipe and drape.
Double Booth The whole booth is 20’ W x 10’ D. Each booth comes with: two 8' tables (draped); four chairs; four exhibitor badges; basic union fees covered; 3' sidewall and 8' backwall pipe and drape.
Endcap Double Booth The whole booth is 20’ W x 10’ D. Endcap Double Booths are placed along the main aisles with three sides open to traffic. Each booth comes with: two 8' tables (draped); two 6' tables (draped); four chairs; four exhibitor badges; basic union fees covered; 8' backwall pipe and drape (3' sidewall pipe and drape available upon request).
Island (Quad Booth) The Island Quad Booth is intended for large vendors, specifically established companies. The whole booth is 20’ W x 20’ D. Island Quad Booths are placed in a separate section with all four sides open to traffic. Each booth comes with: four 8' tables (draped); eight chairs; eight exhibitor badges; basic union fees covered; 3' sidewall and 8' backwall available upon request only.
Anything part of the standard booth package (the items and services listed above) that is cancelled or not used will not be eligible for refund. Please see the “Cancellations and Refunds” section below for more information.
Basic union fees, when used in the context as above, is defined as covering POV (personally owned vehicle) cart unloading service. For more information about what is and isn’t covered by basic union fees, see the section “Working with the Union”, or contact us via email.
Single Slot comes with: half of a shared 8’ table; one chair; one exhibitor badge.
Double Slot comes with: full 8’ table; two chairs; two exhibitor badges.
Both slots include the four horizontal feet of space directly behind the table space allotted. Only one artist, craftsperson, or other business entity may be represented in each space.
Exhibitors will receive an invoice for payment from [email protected] (Lunar Solis Corp.) after being successfully selected for the Marketplace. All payments are to be made no later than one month after being notified of selection. If you do not pay by the date specified, you will lose your space and the next available exhibitor on the waitlist will be contacted. After the payment clears, you and all of your assistants will receive an email with the confirmation for your badges.
If you or an assistant have already purchased a BronyCon badge, you will be provided a credit for it. Other arranged credits for people such as panelists will also be considered. For details, please email us at [email protected]
Payments for additional badges not included in the booth package will be handled after booth payments have been processed. No at-door badge sales are possible. Requests and payment for additional badges must be completed one month before the convention starts.
Exhibitor badges will be honored as 3-Day attendee badges during all hours of the convention. Exhibitor badges must be worn at all times by any person working at a booth. Anyone not wearing an exhibitor badge is not allowed behind a booth at any time. Badges may not be sold, loaned, or otherwise transferred to persons who are not working for or with the exhibitor whose booth they are tied to.
Additional badges are $65 apiece. All additional badges will need to be purchased before the convention itself. The cut-off date will be one month before the convention. After that point, no additional badges will be sold.
Vendors have no maximum on the number of additional badges they may request for their booth, though BronyCon reserves the right to deny unreasonable requests.
Artists may purchase up to one additional badge for a single slot, bringing the total number of badges to a maximum two, or up to two additional badges for a double slot, bringing the total number of badges to a maximum of four.
If you are a vendor and plan on adding additional vendors to your booth that will be selling their own wares, the Department Heads and/or the Managers for the Vendor Hall must approve each additional vendor. Adding vendors will have implications on your tax status as well. Please see the “Maryland Vendor License” section below.
If you are an artist, you may not add additional artists to your slot. Only one artist, craftsperson, or other business entity may be represented in each space.
Badge sharing is explicitly forbidden. Anyone caught sharing badges, especially the sharing of one badge among multiple people simultaneously, can result in the badge(s) being confiscated. Repeated infractions may result in the loss of your booth and confiscation of all badges associated with it.
Upon arrival at the Baltimore Convention Center for load-in, you are required to first stop by exhibitor registration. The location of exhibitor registration will be announced closer to the event. Badge pick-up must occur before trying to unload your vehicle. At check-in, you will be required to present ALL of the following:
We will keep the Vendor’s Affidavit on file and return the other two items back to you. We strongly recommend keeping your temporary sales tax (or trader’s) license with you at your booth throughout the convention. Having a photocopy of your Vendor’s Affidavit is also recommended.
Upon check-in, you will receive a packet which contains all of the badges for your booth, any extra items from registration (such as sponsor perks, swag, or panelist ribbons), and any additional important information.
If you are unable to vend at BronyCon 2017, please let us know immediately. It is unfair to our exhibitors on the waitlist to keep them waiting until it is too late for them to reasonably prepare and make travel arrangements. BronyCon will not provide a refund or credit of any sort for cancellations.
Vendors may transfer their booth to another vendor at the discretion of the Marketplace Department. The new vendor must be approved by the Marketplace department and submit all necessary paperwork to exhibit separately from the old vendor. Please email [email protected] for more information.
Artists may not transfer their slot to another artist. If you need to back out of your table, please notify us at [email protected] ASAP so that we can offer that table to someone on the waitlist. All slots are nonrefundable.
If an exhibitor fails to check in for their booth(s) by close of hall on Friday, they will be considered a no-show. At that point, their booth(s) will be offered for sale on a first-come, first-served basis. Lost booths cannot be reclaimed, and neither credit nor refund will be given for no-show booths or any exhibitor badges associated with those booths.
If you need to cancel an exhibitor badge, let us know immediately so that we can update our records. BronyCon will not provide a refund or credit of any sort for cancellations but may be able to convert the badge into a 3-Day attendee badge, depending on the situation.
If you need to transfer an exhibitor badge, you can change the badge information in Eventbrite yourself using the link provided in your confirmation email or you can contact us and we will take care of it for you.
Any cancellations of parts of the booth package, such as the included table(s) or chair(s), will have to be arranged directly with our decorating contractor. You will have the opportunity to do this once you receive the decorator packet. Vendors cannot cancel their pipe and drape, except in very specific circumstances, such as for corner booths. Exhibitors can cancel their included exhibitor badges in accordance with the policy found in the sections above.
Exhibitors cannot transfer any part of the booth package to anyone else.
Exhibitors are not eligible to receive a refund of any sort for any cancelled parts of the booth package. This includes unused badges, unused union services, or unused furnishings.
BronyCon is contracted with several outside contractors, or external vendors, for various needs. If you need to request something from one of these parties, please contact us first at [email protected] so we can confirm the appropriateness of your request and make any changes necessary to your booth’s placement.
The decorator is responsible for coordination between other external vendors, the BCC, and us, as well as providing various furnishings, booth packages, and union services.
Some of the things you could get from the decorator include: booth cleaning services, including vacuuming and trash removal; additional pipe and drape; union services; large assembly and deconstruction.
The electrical contractor works with the decorator and with us to help provide safe and reliable electrical connections of various strengths for any exhibitor’s needs. Before requesting any auxiliary services, you must contact us at [email protected] Power drops are only located in certain locations and will most likely require us to move your booth’s location.
Some of the services you could get from the electrical contractor include: power drops; power strips and extension cords; converter boxes for different plugs and voltages.
The telecom contractor works with the decorator and with us to help provide safe and reliable internet connections (both wired and wireless) as well as various other telecom services.
Some of the services you could get from the telecom contractor include: dedicated hardlines; dedicated wireless connections; telephone services; cable television services
Personal hotspots can be used anywhere within the BCC in accordance with Section 333 of the Communications Act. Please report any willful interruptions of service to the nearest BronyCon staff member.
Cancellations of additional external contractor services and items are the responsibility of the exhibitor, not BronyCon. As such, it is your responsibility to contact the external vendor directly. Refunds or partial refunds may or may not be available for such cancellations.
Any misuse of any of the provided or additionally supplied services or items will result in penalties up to and including fees and loss of the vendor booth. Misuses can include:
The following notices are from the Baltimore Convention Center itself:
All exhibitors are individually responsible for following the above as well as any fees or fines associated with the above.
Does anyone actually read these polices? Is this page actually useful? Say "hi" to webpony at bronycon dot org.
All exhibitors must strictly adhere to all of the below regulations for licenses.
Each separate exhibitor will require a Maryland State Sales Tax License. If you have multiple vendors in one booth, each of you must file your own taxes. The only exception to this would be if your booth has a group of vendors who will be filing together as a single entity. For example, if Applejack and Fluttershy are selling their products at the same booth, they will need to file their taxes separately as “Applejack’s Hoofcarved Knickknacks, Inc.” and “Fluttershy’s Flutterific Pet Accessories Co.”, despite the booth being named “Applejack and Fluttershy: Knickknacks and Pet Accessories”. Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash, however, work together to create one overall product, and hence will be filing their taxes together as “The TwiDash Company.”
Whether or not you already have a sales tax license, you must fill out the BronyCon Sales Tax License Application. If you do not have a sales tax license, the form includes a space for you to apply through us, as well as information on how to apply for one on your own. After May 30th, 2018, the option to apply for a sales tax license through us will be removed and you must apply for one directly through the Comptroller’s office.
All exhibitors must submit a temporary or permanent Maryland sales tax license at registration in order to redeem their booth(s). Should they not, BronyCon reserves the right to refuse to allow the exhibitors to sell, and will not offer any refunds.
Further instructions can be found on the back of your 30-day temporary Maryland State Sales Tax License. The license is required in order to pay the taxes owed to the state. The Maryland state sales tax is 6%. BronyCon advises that you work this fee into your sales prices. Taxes owed are due 30 days after the event, and the Comptroller will also send a self-addressed envelope for payment.
All exhibitors are required to have a Trader’s License or a Exhibitor’s Affidavit prior to the convention. All exhibitors must submit one or the other at the convention in order to redeem their booth(s). Should they not, BronyCon reserves the right to refuse to allow the exhibitors to sell, and will not offer any refunds.
Any exhibitors who has a Trader’s License for a fixed location in Maryland must present a photocopy to BronyCon. Manufacturers selling their products are exempt.
A copy of the Trader’s License or an Exhibitor’s Affidavit must be conspicuously displayed at your booth. At the end of the event, BronyCon will collect all Exhibitor’s Affidavits.
All material at, on, or around an exhibitor’s booth must be family friendly. This means absolutely no materials of an adult nature. This includes anything promoting the use of drugs and/or alcohol, extreme violence or gore, anything primarily sexual in nature, and anything putting minors, real or otherwise, in an adult or compromising situation. All subjects depicted within artwork should comply with the Decency and Appropriateness of BronyCon’s Cosplay & Props Policy. This list is not considered to be exhaustive.
Under-the-table sales, closed-binder items, or any other method of discreetly selling prohibited items are not allowed. Any exhibitor caught utilizing these methods may lose their booth and all associated badges with no refund.
While the final decision for what is and what is not appropriate rests with the Department Head, an initial decision may be made by any member of Marketplace staff. If you do not agree with the decision made by a staff member, first comply with their instructions, then ask to see the Department Head.
Do not forget that members of the public, members of the press, and parents with their children will be in the hall. Anything that isn't in line with BronyCon's public image as a family-friendly convention will not be allowed on or in your booth.
Exhibitors are not allowed to sell or give out food or beverages to anyone. This includes bottles of water, muffins, cupcakes, candy, mints, or gum. Any food or beverage at a booth must be for personal consumption and can not be a part of the display of a booth in any way, shape, or form. Also covered by this policy are inedible items that are still expected to be used in the mouth, such as toothpicks.
Exhibitors selling mystery bags or items of a similar nature must be willing to disclose all contents to Marketplace staff. BronyCon reserves the right to check any and all such items.
Before reading through this section, please read through our Cosplay & Props Policy.
While real steel weapons are not allowed on convention property, they may still be sold. They must be displayed at the vendor’s booth in a safe and secure manner. Real steel weapons must be sold fully wrapped, once again, in a safe and secure manner. Exhibitors are to tell attendees who purchase such items to carry them directly back to their hotel rooms, vehicles, etc., immediately after purchase, and to not open them while on convention property.
Real firearms are strictly forbidden from con property, and as such are not to be sold or displayed in any manner. Do not bring them anywhere near BronyCon.
New legislation in Baltimore has banned the use of gun-like props, regardless of whether or not they have orange tips. However, similar to real steel weapons, the sale of these is still permitted. Regardless of whether they have an orange tip or not, gun-like props should always be disabled and unloaded, and safely secured. Absolutely no ammunition of any type can be displayed or sold. Gun-like props must be sold fully wrapped in a safe and secure manner, and must not come with ammunition of any type. As with real steel weapons, exhibitors must tell attendees who purchase such items to carry them directly back to their hotel rooms, vehicles, etc., immediately after purchase, to not use them while in the city, and to not open them while on convention property.
We encourage all vendors to limit the handling of their weapon and weapon-like props by attendees, especially for gun-like props. Do not allow attendees under the age of 18 to handle any dangerous weapons or weapon-like props, especially real steel or gun-like props. Do not allow attendees under the age of 18 to purchase any dangerous props without direct parent or guardian permission, especially real steel or gun-like props.
If you have additional concerns for a type of weapon, real or fake, not listed here, please contact us immediately at [email protected] and we’ll work with our Security department to get it straightened out for you.
BronyCon reserves the right to visually spot check the premises of your booth at any time in order to maintain the safety regulations and uphold the rules of BronyCon, the Baltimore Convention Center, and the City of Baltimore. At no point will BronyCon staff ever handle anything within your booth without the direct permission or supervision from the POC or adequate stand-in for the POC for the booth. If you have any questions involving this policy, please contact us immediately.
While we permit the creation of original artwork of our mascots, use of any other official BronyCon brand assets (including but not limited to: logos, wordmarks, typography, and the BronyCon Pony pattern) or brand assets of our parent company, Lunar Solis Corp, are explicitly prohibited unless expressed permission has been granted in writing by the Head of Design. Sale of any item featuring BronyCon branding without permission will not be allowed or tolerated. If you would like to acquire written permission, please contact our Design team at [email protected]
The sale of licensed merchandise within the Marketplace is limited only to those able to prove definitively that they have all of the corresponding licenses and/or permissions from the licensor to display and sell or resell their product. Failure to produce such documentation, or strong evidence that an exhibitor is selling licensed merchandise without permission, will result in penalties up to and including removal from the hall without refund, having all badges tied to the booth revoked without refund, and the possible involvement of local law enforcement.
noun: a fraudulent imitation of something else; a forgery. Counterfeit items are not permitted to be sold at BronyCon. These items include but are not limited to:
Failure to adhere to this rule, or strong evidence that an exhibitor is selling such merchandise, will result in penalties up to and including removal from the hall without refund, having all badges tied to the booth revoked without refund, and the possible involvement of local law enforcement.
All exhibitors are expected to follow the attendee codes of conduct. In addition to these policies, exhibitors are expected to respond to inquiries via email in a timely manner. They are expected to know and follow all rules, policies, and procedures contained in this document, as well as any additional items provided by Marketplace staff via email or in person.
Overly loud music, videos, or other media will not be tolerated in the Marketplace. If the amount of sound coming from a booth is found to be disruptive as determined by BronyCon staff, the exhibitor will be asked to lower the volume or remove the disruptive persons or items from the hall.
Strong or offensive odors will not be tolerated in the Marketplace. Violations will be determined by convention staff, and will be asked to be removed from the hall or cleaned up at the exhibitor’s expense.
Please see the above section, “Policies on Exhibitor Wares”. Exhibitors should avoid displaying any video or lighting that may be deemed as dangerous, such as strobe lights or patterns known to induce epileptic seizures.
No one should be tasting anything at your booth, as food and beverage products are strictly prohibited. However, careful consideration should be made for small items that may be accidentally ingested by some of the many young attendees that will be in the hall. Any technically edible products should be non-toxic and/or labeled specifically as not to be ingested.
Please keep in mind that attendees will probably be handling your wares unless you state otherwise. So please remember to keep your space safe and clean. All pointed or sharp objects should be safely secured, especially if they fall under the weapons or weapon-like props category, as elaborated in sections above.
Any surface or object having repeated and/or constant contact with attendees should result in the vendor taking appropriate sanitary measures. Such items include virtual reality headsets, gaming controllers, shared headphones, photoshoot props, etc. It is highly recommended that exhibitors provide hand sanitizer, sanitizing wipes, etc., at booths having any hands-on portion. Please help keep as many people healthy as possible by preventing the spread of “con plague”!
Multiple violations of the “Five Senses” policy will result in penalties up to and including removal of the booth from the hall without refund.
All business names on booth signage should match the information that you registered with. For example, if you put down on your application that you are “Twilight’s House of Scootaloo’s and Waffles” but all your signs say that you are “International House Of Ponies”, the conflicting signage must be removed. Exhibitors are requested not to move, tamper with, or block any official BronyCon signage.
BronyCon’s Security team will be patrolling the Marketplace and keeping an eye out for potential shoplifting. They can also assist you in filing an incident report if you believe you have been the victim of a theft. (Note that providing proof of purchase or receipts to customers may help the Security team in resolving disputes.) However, BronyCon does not guarantee the return of or compensation for any stolen items.
BronyCon does not and cannot become involved in disputes between buyers and sellers in the Marketplace. It is the buyer’s responsibility to obtain proof of purchase and/or delivery for any artwork that is to be mailed or delivered after the convention. It is the seller’s responsibility to provide or offer to provide a proof of purchase or receipt of purchase to all buyers. Please make sure to get an artist’s contact information at the time of sale.
If you leave behind a mess that is considered to be excessive or intentional, you may be assessed a fine, payable to BronyCon/Lunar Solis Corp. All decisions on this basis will be made directly by the Marketplace Department Head. All decisions will be considered final.
Any structure brought to display artwork or merchandise must be of sound construction and may not extend more than a reasonable amount off of the ground. If any structure falls down, appears unstable, or extends more than a reasonable amount off of the ground, the exhibitor to whom it belongs will be asked to remove it by Marketplace staff. In addition, all displays must reside completely within the confines of your area. Displays within your booth may not impede upon other exhibitors’ areas nor disrupt traffic flow at any time.
This may go without saying, but in the event of an incident at con, harassment or theft for example, we ask that you please report it immediately to the nearest member of Marketplace staff. If you need a matter handled in private, please inform the Marketplace staff member so that they may contact the appropriate manager in order to handle the situation. In the event of a medical emergency, please report it directly the the nearest BronyCon staff member.
BronyCon reserves the right to change the policies, etc., contained within this document at any time before or during the event, with or without notice. However, we will make every effort to notify all exhibitors well ahead of time of any changes, whenever possible.
By applying and accepting a position as a BronyCon exhibitor, it is understood that you have read, fully understand, and agree to abide by these rules, policies, codes of conduct, and other information in its entirety. All exhibitors will be held responsible for the penalties resulting from failures to follow the above content. If you put BronyCon at risk, whether legally, financially, or otherwise, even if it is only perceived, we reserve the right to remove your booth(s) and have all associated exhibitor badges either converted to regular 3-Day badges or revoked completely, with or without warning, as deemed necessary. You also agree to abide by these policies in any future versions and revisions. Any section of these policies that becomes void for any reason does not automatically invalidate the remainder of the document, nor any future version of these policies.