AMECHIBI COSPLAY GUIDELINES

The AmeChibi Cosplay email address is: cosplay@amecon.org

AmeChibi is held in a hotel. When moving around the site, please be mindful and respectful of other guests. and take care if you leave the hotel while cosplaying.
The intention of these rules is to ensure that attendees and the public are safe and respected during AmeChibi.
If AmeChibi staff (committee, staff, gophers) see a weapon or large prop that looks unsafe or is being wielded in an unsafe manner, you will be asked to go to the Cosplay workshop to have it checked, or in extreme circumstances, the item could be confiscated.

In most cases, weapons and props that AmeChibi staff deem unsafe for the general convention area will be permitted for use in the Masquerade and Photo Studio, in which case they will be kept at the Cosplay Workshop when not in use.

When choosing and designing your costume please be respectful of other peoples beliefs and how racial prejudice may be perceived. It is often not appropriate to do things like change your skin colour for a costume (green skinned aliens and blue hedgehogs outstanding). AmeChibi staff reserve the right to discuss this with you and ask you to change out of your costume if it is deemed inappropriate.

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As a general rule, we recommend that any weapons or replica weapons that are banned from being carried OR sold in the United Kingdom should not be brought to AmeCon. Such weapons or replica weapons MUST NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES be carried around AmeCon.

Below is an explanation of what is and is not allowed. Please contact the Cosplay Officer at cosplay@amecon.org if you would like further clarification. Please ensure you describe the item as fully as possible.

COSTUMES

• When constructing your costume, do not leave any sharp edges or hard points that could cause harm if someone came in contact with them.
• If you are intending to wear your costume around the hotel, please make sure you have good visibility.
• Please do not enter event rooms while wearing large costumes or costumes that you cannot easily move in. If your costume has things like wings, consider making them retractable or removable so you can move around unimpeded in tight areas.

PROPS

• If you feel a weapon or prop may cause an injury to someone if a sudden movement (eg. running, sneezing, shoving) caused a collision with the weapon or prop, then it is not suitable for floor cosplay and should be kept in a bag or at the Cosplay Workshop when not being used for photoshoots or events.
• Weapons and props (excluding guns; see below) that are made of lightweight material such as plastic, foam or balsa wood are allowed, as long as they have been made as safe as possible, with any sharp edges rounded off, ends padded, and no dangerous parts attached, e.g. nails.
• Wooden and otherwise solid but legal replica weapons are allowed, but must be sheathed and ‘peace bonded’ (unable to be drawn) from their scabbard / costume.
• Plastic toy guns manufactured with a coloured ‘blaze’ tip or brightly coloured parts, and unrealistic weapons such as light guns or sci-fi replica guns, are allowed.
• Caps, incendiaries or any sort of projectile are not allowed. Magazines and batteries for weapons should be left at home or handed into the Cosplay Workshop.
• Realistic replica guns such as plastic pistols, airsoft and BB guns are allowed only in events (Masquerade,  photo studio) as long as the magazine is shown as empty and battery shown to not be in the gun and should be kept wrapped up until the event they are being used for.
• Please note that it is not acceptable to wrap orange tape around the barrel of a realistic replica weapon in order to use it outside of events.
• Metal replica guns such as .22 airguns or deactivated guns are not allowed under any circumstances.
• Toy or fantasy prop bows are allowed, but please keep them unstrung when not being used for photos. Realistic or real bows are allowed only in events (Masquerade,  photo studio).
• It is important that weapons or props are never waved around, especially toy / replica guns, which must never be pointed at someone.

Lastly, remember to keep everything well-wrapped and out of sight whenever you are not within the AmeChibi venue. You are responsible for transporting props and weapons, so be safe!