Welcome to ApolloCon
Rules and Regulations
PLEASE NOTE: These are general public policies and rules. Please see the appropriate pages for specific or full rules for Art Show, Dealers Room, Masquerade, Registration, Volunteers.
ENTRY to ApolloCon requires a membership. Memberships are not refundable and are not transferrable once the badge has been picked up. Should a dispute arise, the decision of the Conference Committee Chair is final.
CONFERENCE BADGES must be worn at all times. Your badge may be required to attend any or all functions. Attendance at some functions, such as workshops or games, may require an extra fee in addition to membership. Certain events may have a minimum age requirement.
PERMISSIONS: By attending ApolloCon public events, you expressly agree to be photographed or videotaped, without compensation, for marketing or promotional purposes. You further agree that ApolloCon is not responsible for lost, stolen, or damaged personal property, nor will ApolloCon be responsible for personal injury sustained during the conference.
ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES are allowed only in areas set aside by the hotel (such as the bar, your room, etc.) or during schedule room parties. No drinking alcohol in the halls! If you are serving alcohol to others in your room, you MUST verify that they are at least 21 years of age before serving them. Self-service alcoholic beverages are expressly forbidden at parties.
DAMAGES: You are solely responsible for any damage you cause to the hotel property, ApolloCon property, or property loaned to or rented by ApolloCon. You break it, you buy it.
WEAPONS POLICY: Use of a weapon, real or simulated, in an inappropriate or irresponsible manner will not be tolerated. Any such irresponsibility will result in ejection from the conference. All weapons, real or simulated, will remain sheathed/secured at all times except during a scheduled demonstration, performance, or costume event and oly with PRIOR approval by the Programming or Masquerade/Costume Contest directors.
SMOKING and VAPING are not allowed in the hotel. Smoking and vaping are not allowed in any ApolloCon function space. The Hotel is a 100% non-smoking facility and the use of electronic cigarettes is regarded as “smoking” by their rules.
CLOTHING, including costumes, MUST be street i legal.
EXHIBITORS may only use the space provided to them. No exhibit will be allowed to interfere with another’s exhibit or with the traffic flow.
ROOM PARTIES: If you have a room in the hotel, you may, while in that room, feel free to engage in any activity which does not conflict with hotel rules and/or any local, state, or federal laws. Check with the hotel or consult with an attorney if you have any major questions. Please keep noise levels down to a minimum, especially after conference hours in consideration of other hotel patrons. See ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES for more information. Parties must be held on the designated party floor. Register your party in advance of the conference by contacting the hotel liaison. While we do our best to buffer the party area, party hosts are reminded to be considerate of other hotel guests in terms of traffic and noise.
NO CAMERAS, FOOD, or DRINK ALLOWED in the Art Show or Dealer Room without the express permission of the appropriate department head or the Conference Committee Chair. Dealers may permit photos of items they offer for sale or display but ASK FIRST.
DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOR WILL NOT BE TOLERATED. Any member, who, in the opinion of an ApolloCOn committee member acts in a manner which is disruptive to the conference shall have his or her membership revoked without refund, will be escorted from the conference area, and will not be permitted to return for the duration of the conference.
COURTESY to your fellow conference members is strongly advocated. ApolloCon wishes for everyone to have an absolutely wonderful time. Please remember that the good time you are having should not be causing someone else misery. ApolloCon has adopted an anti-harassment policy. Any conference committee member may pass judgment as to what is irresponsible, disruptive or dangerous. The decision of the Conference Committee Chair is FINAL. We don’t want to interfere with your good time. We aren’t prudes. We just have no desire to see anyone hurt or arrested. If you need help interpreting these rules or if you have any other questions or problems, please consult a Conference Committee member. You can recognize committee members by the identifying ribbons on their badges. If all else fails, you can usually find a committee member at the Conference Operations office, the Hospitality Suite, Art Show or Registration Desk.
HARASSMENT of any kind is not tolerated. If someone tells you “no” or asks you to leave them alone, your business with them is done. Your right not to be harassed is not a right not to be offended. All of us have different things that we find offensive. If you are offended, the best solution may be for you to walk away from the person who offends you. Should that person pursue you, and continue to offend you, that could be harassment.
UNWANTED PHYSICAL CONTACT is also not tolerated at ApolloCon. We understand that many fans view conventions as a safe space and enjoy greeting their friends with a hug. Please be aware that some people do not enjoy physical contact and if there is question, please refrain from initiating physical contact with an individual. Similarly, a costume is not, under any circumstances, an invitation to physical contact, no matter how provocative you may feel it appears.
IF YOU FEEL YOU ARE BEING HARASSED, or if you notice someone behaving inappropriately (such as violating hotel or convention policies), we respectfully suggest the following:
- If you feel comfortable doing so, point out the inappropriate behavior to the person(s) involved. Often this will solve the problem immediately.
- If you do not feel comfortable talking with the person(s) involved, or if talking to them does not resolve the issue, please report the situation immediately to any ApollCon Conference Committee Member. It would be extremely helpful if you can provide a name, badge name or number and/or a physical description of the person(s) involved. Please remember that we need ot know about any incidents during the event in order to take action.
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY: ApolloCon does not support piracy and strives to respect the IP rights of others.
INCENTIVE: Volunteers who work 8 hours at the conference are eligible for a refund or a rollover, depending on the availability of funds. Volunteer hours must be scheduled, tracked, and authorized through department heads and the Volunteer Coordinator. ApolloCon also appreciates the donation of hours if a volunteer chooses to make a gift of their time.
ApolloCon reserves the right to revoke the membership of anyone faling to conform to the letter and spirit of these policies, those of our hotel and the laws of the City of Houston and the State of Texas.
About HSFA
The Houston Science Fiction Association is a dba of Friends of Fandom, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation dedicated to the promotion and support of Science Fiction and Fantasy in Houston and the surrounding area.
HSFA is incorporated as a literary educational organization, and considers its mandate to include all branches of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror as expressed in literature, television, film, art, performance, and interactive media.
The goals of HSFA are
- to promote Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror as components of culture, leisure, education, and social activity;
- to assist in the access to and distribution of information about Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror;
- to assist in the promotion of local Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror groups;
- to provide a forum for communication by and amongst fans in the Houston area;
- to sponsor events of interest to the local fan community.
HSFA is the sponsor of ApolloCon, Houston’s general Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror con since 2004. HSFA also sponsors a writer’s workshop, which has been offered in conjunction with ApolloCon since 2006. HSFA manages the Houston Fandom Yahoo!Group (at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hou-sf-con/), a public discussion and information list for fandom in the Houston area.
A general meeting of the HSFA is held each year at ApolloCon, and is open to the public. HSFA is a fan-run, all-volunteer non-profit corporation, and seeks input and participation from the community. At this time, voting rights on some HSFA activities and issues is based on a combination of Yahoo!Group membership and attendance at HSFA events.
