1. New Artists Program Rules
   1. New artists must not have exhibited at any previous Ai-Kon events to be considered for the New Artists program.
   2. Once an artist is accepted as a New Artist, said artist can not apply in the future for the New Artist program.
      1. Artists must then apply for a General Art Table or as a Vendor.
      2. New Artists are not eligible for a secondary artist badge or an upgrade in table space. 
   3. Proxies ARE NOT allowed for New Artists, all work being sold must be done by the artist present. 
3. Marketplace Artist Rules
   1. Ai-Kon is not responsible for artists fulfilling and distributing orders.
   2. Artists accept full responsibility for any disputes that may arise regarding their brand, artwork, merchandise, services, etc.
   3. Artists are required to know the financial risks and requirements for tabling at the convention, and should plan accordingly.
   4. Ai-Kon is not responsible for an artist’s income. Refunds are not provided for artists who are not profitable.
   5. Artist location is decided by the Ai-Kon marketplace team.  The marketplace team will take the submitted preferred table location into consideration, but it is not guaranteed which table will be offered.  Artist placements may be altered up to the date of the event to accommodate changes in the room layout or additions/cancellations.
   6. Artists must abide by Ai-Kon Marketplace room hours, which are listed in the Artist Package and/or Ai-Kon website.
   7. Artists must check in with the Artist Coordinator upon set-up arrival for placement and passes.
   8. No more than two persons are to be seated behind an 8’ table at a time.
      1. Only artists who have purchased a full table are eligible to purchase 1 additional artist badge. 
         1. Artists may NOT bring an additional chair/seat. Artists may replace the two seats with their own.
      2. Artists seated behind artist tables must have the appropriate artist pass visible.
   9. Set-up helpers are allowed into the Marketplace to help an artist set-up at the designated hours.
      1. Past 11:30 AM CDT on the Friday of the event, all helpers must vacate the Marketplace.
   10. Personal items are to be kept underneath art tables (not behind) to ensure a safe walking space.
       1. Ai-Kon is not responsible for lost or stolen items.
       2. Displays should not block the walking space behind or in front of an artist, or beside entrance/exit curtains
       3. Artwork is not permitted on the walls of the RBC Convention Centre. Please utilise table space.
       4. Artists who pay for a table are only guaranteed the space on the table top. They are not guaranteed any specific spot inside the marketplace. Positions can be changed by Ai-Kon staff at any time before or during the convention.
   11. Ai-Kon, as part of the Province of Manitoba Taxation Division procedures and requirements, is required to disclose all artist contact information to Manitoba Taxation. This may result in being externally contacted by Manitoba Taxation for auditing purposes that Ai-Kon is not party to.
   12. Refund policy: 
       1. Artists that cancel over 60 days prior to the event will receive a full refund (minus paypal transaction fees). 
       2. Cancellations made 60 to 30 days prior to the event will receive a 50% refund (minus paypal transaction fees)
       3. Cancellations made less than 30 days before the event will not receive a refund. 
   13. Art tables are non-transferable and cannot be resold.
       1. An artist table may only be used by the Artist(s) that have been approved and assigned to that table by the Artist Coordinator. Any art not produced by the Artist assigned is strictly prohibited.
       2. A MAXIMUM of two artists are allowed per 8’ table.
       3. Proxies are allowed for a general art table. Artists are required to inform the Artist Coordinator of a proxy being used.
       4. Artists must contact the Artist Coordinator if they can no longer table at Ai-Kon. 
       5. Only those who are accepted to table at Ai-Kon are permitted to make sales. Pop-up/Wandering merchants or sales outside of the Marketplace are prohibited.
   14. All Artist applicants must be 15 years or older to apply. Those ages 14 and under must share a table with a parent/ guardian. 
5. Conduct Rules
   1. Treat all attendees, other artists/vendors and Ai-Kon volunteers and staff with respect. Artists who are in any way verbally or physically abusive to attendees, other artists/vendors and/or Ai-Kon volunteers or staff may be ejected from the Marketplace without refund and may be barred from applying to Ai-Kon events in the future.
   2. Refrain from yelling, running, obscene language, and other disruptive behaviour while inside the Marketplace. 
   3. Anything not permitted by the convention, or is prohibited by local/provincial/federal laws is not permitted in the Marketplace as well. 
   4. Be aware of your surroundings and those nearby. Music, lights, scents, or anything else that may disturb others are not permitted.
   5. If Artists have any concerns, please notify any Ai-Kon staff member or volunteer. Allow Ai-Kon staff time to remedy the situation and please inform us as soon as concerns arise.
   6. At the violation of these rules or at the request of a copyright/trademark owner, Ai-Kon may (at the discretion of the Artist and/or Vendor Coordinator or Marketplace Assistants) ask artists to remove offending items or revoke artists’ ability to sell items.
   7. All judgements are at the discretion of the Artist and/or Vendor Coordinator, Marketplace Assistants or Ai-Kon Directors.
6. Artwork Rules
   1. Artwork sold at Ai-Kon must be of anime, Japanese, or Asian pop culture inspiration and may be done in any medium with the exclusion of food.
   2. Artwork for sale must be produced only by the individuals signing this agreement and must be original work or purchased patterns.
      1. Plagiarism is taken very seriously at Ai-Kon, and can result in the ejection from the Marketplace as well as being barred from any future Ai-Kon event.
   3. Secondhand merchandise or merchandise containing trademarked/licensed items or images may be sold if there is sufficient transformation of the original work. This will be at the discretion of the Artist and/or Vendor Coordinator.
   4. Hentai, sexually explicit, explicitly violent, or profane artwork may not be openly displayed.
      1. This will be at the discretion of Ai-Kon staff. Such artwork may be sold discreetly (and upon confirming via valid photo I.D.), but may not be viewed or purchased by any person under the age of 18.
   5. Mystery Bags/Boxes are not accepted in the Ai-Kon Marketplace.
      1. Discounted sales on defective/unwanted stock is permitted, so long as customers are allowed to inspect the items themselves.
      2. Gacha will be accepted ONLY if all prize options are clearly displayed. Ai-Kon reserves the right to approve/ disapprove any Gacha themed items.
   6. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in any part of art production, including promotional material, online web assets, etc. is strictly prohibited and may result in removal from Ai-Kon and/or barring from future events.
   7. Fan art CAN be acceptable under these conditions: 
      1. The artist understands and accepts responsibility for the legal risks involved with selling fan art depicting:
         1. Trademarked characters
         2. Licensed characters
         3. Logos
         4. Another artist’s design
      2. Artists should be aware of creators’ requests regarding creating fanart of their intellectual property (IP). Ai-Kon does not regulate the creation of art/merch, and any creations are done strictly at the risk of the artist. Some creators include: Homestuck, RWBY, Dropout TV, Welcome to Night Vale, Disney/Marvel, Blizzard, Nintendo, Sanrio, Funimation, Supergiant Games, and Undertale. We encourage artists to research any IPs before producing works to be sold.

Vendor Policies

1. Abusive behavior directed toward any attendee, event staff or other vendors will not be tolerated.  This includes insults as well as threatening language.  Any threat or act of violence will result in an immediate and permanent ban from all future Ai-Kon events in addition to whatever legal repercussions arise from the above mentioned behavior.
2. Vendor booth space may only be used by the business that has been approved and assigned to that space by the Ai-Kon marketplace team. Marketplace participants are not permitted to share / resell or sublet any piece of their purchased booth space. All vendors must come exclusively through the approval of the Ai-Kon Marketplace application process. 
   • The registration of two or more vendors under one business name for the purpose of sharing a booth and selling at Ai-Kon events is strictly prohibited.
   • Vendors in violation of this policy risk having their booth spaces forfeited back to the convention without refund. Merchants who are found doing business at the convention without being approved by the Ai-Kon Marketplace team risk their eligibility to be approved for future Ai-Kon events.
3. Any artist wanting to apply to an Ai-Kon event as a vendor may choose to do so. The artist understands that doing so may result in being on the two waiting lists simultaneously. The applicant has a responsibility to inform the artist department if they are accepted for a vendor placement, and the vendor department if they are accepted for an artist placement. Accepting an offer for one department cancels your application with the other. Failure to do so may affect your future applications with either department.
4. Vendor badges/wristbands are non-transferable and must be worn at all times throughout the event.  These passes also function as attendee weekend passes, and must be worn if vendors wish to gain admittance to convention areas outside of marketplace hours.
5. Vendors must maintain booth cleanliness both during and after the event. Vendors will be responsible for any damages they cause to the event space during setup, show hours or teardown.
6. Vendors must respect the booth space boundaries they reserve and may not expand beyond the dimensions allotted. Any signage extending above the cloth walls of the allotted booth space should be placed at the center of the booth space to clearly indicate which merchant the sign refers to. Please note the RBC Convention Centre does not allow attaching any signage to their hardware: walls, panel walls, etc. 
7. All vendor displays must meet fire codes, and will be subject to fire marshal inspection.
   • No portion of a booth (display, boxes, materials, or merchandise, etc) shall obstruct any aisle or doorway. No items may be hung from or attached to the venue walls. All fire extinguishers, hose cabinets, fire exits, and fire alarms cannot be blocked or covered at any time during the show. Smoking is not permitted within the RBC Convention Centre.
8. Artists, vendors, and exhibitors are permitted to eat and/or drink when fully behind their display/table, and cannot be customer-facing when doing so. If you are leaving your booth for a break, there will be volunteers available to watch your booth if requested. These volunteers will not perform sales on your behalf, but will ensure your booth is secure. In accordance with general convention regulations, no intoxicating substances are permitted to be consumed on the premises.
9. Direct lighting such as halogen or other types of regular sized bulbs should be upward facing and above 7′ vertically or inward facing and not directed toward a reflective surface producing outward glare. Soft lighting such as low brightness white or colored LEDs may be at any height. Any lighting displays should cast light in a way that does not directly point or disturb other marketplace booths.
10. The Ai-Kon Marketplace must be a scent-free environment for all vendors due to health concerns from exposure to scented products.  Merchandise emitting scents may not be demonstrated and the vendor must take all appropriate measures to control products that contain scents (perfume, make-up, shampoo, deodorant, etc.)
11. Any booth audio, such as music or sound effects, should be kept at a volume level that does not cause noise pollution or disruption to adjacent booths. 
12. Vendors agree to maintain staff at their booth and remain set up for customers during all operating hours of the Marketplace.
13. Should a dispute arise between vendors, the Ai-Kon policy that most closely relates to the dispute will be followed. If the matter of dispute is not covered by any of our existing policies, the Vendor Coordinator will be responsible for mediating conflict resolutions and creating new guidelines to resolve the issue in a just manner. No action will be taken until both parties have had a chance to make their case. If a vendor chooses to disregard the decision of the Vendor Coordinator and continues to engage in the behavior under dispute, they may be asked to leave Ai-Kon and will not be refunded their table fee.  If a vendor is removed from the convention for violating this policy, they will also be suspended from the following year’s event. Repeat offenders risk being blacklisted in perpetuity from Ai-Kon events.
14. Vendors understand they are bound to pay the fees as listed in the Vendor Package in order to secure booth space.
15. Vendors are responsible for collection of RST as required by law.
16. Ai-Kon is required and authorized to provide vendor information to municipal and provincial tax agencies.
17. Vendors that cancel over 60 days prior to the event will receive a full refund (minus paypal transaction fees).
18. Cancellations made 60 – 30 days prior to the event will receive a 50% refund (minus paypal transaction fees).
19. Cancellations made less than 30 days prior to the event will not receive a refund.
20. Vendors agree not to sell or distribute any adult material to minors. All ‘Adults Only’ material must be either behind the table, or if displayed, must be bagged and/or covered so that minors cannot open it. Any adult material depicting nudity or sexual conduct must be covered (blinded). The degree of this coverage is at the discretion of the Marketplace team.  Adult videos and magazines are not to be openly displayed.
21. Products/artworks created by the use of artificial-intelligence (AI) image generators/algorithms may not be sold and/or displayed.
22. Ai-Kon does not permit vendors to display or have available for sale any merchandise that is not licensed for sale in North America. These products are often known as “bootlegged” merchandise, as they are produced by unauthorized parties. For example: a product being manufactured specifically for distribution in China does not authorize it for sale in North America. If you have merchandise that you cannot confirm the authenticity of, simply do not bring it to the event. Be prepared to provide proof of authenticity / proof of an authorized distributor of your wares upon request.
    • If a vendor is found selling unlicensed merchandise, Ai-Kon will utilize a two strike policy. For the first strike: you will be requested to remove the offending item(s) from the sales floor. Further bootleg policy violations after the first strike will result in the second and final strike. The vendor must cease all sales and remove themselves from the convention. If a vendor is removed from the convention for violating this policy, they will also be suspended from the following year’s event. Repeat offenders risk being blacklisted in perpetuity from Ai-Kon events.
23. All vendors wishing to prepare / sell food items at our events will be required to complete the following additional paperwork. Upon completion, send a copy to vendors@ai-kon.org 
    • “Temporary Food Service Establishment” for review by Manitoba Health.
    • “Concessionaire Authorization Application” to be permitted as a food vendor by the RBC Convention Centre

When completing the forms, be sure to provide information such as:

• What food products do you intend to sell?
• How will the food products be stored at the event?
• How will the food products be packaged when sold to a customer?
• Information regarding the licensed kitchen the food was prepared in.
• Vendors will be subjected to a daily fee payable to the RBC Convention Centre. Rates are listed in the Concessionaire Authorization Application form.
• Applications will be reviewed by the venue and Manitoba Health to ensure all health and safety standards are being upheld. This may take the form of on site inspections at the convention.
• Vendors may be required to bring or rent equipment (and purchase all necessary electricity for that equipment) from the venue to safely store food items. 
• Commercially licensed snack food products (eg: Pocky, Ramune) do not fall under this policy.

1. Ai-Kon will not accept the applications for any vendors that share business plans or practices that are typical of multi-level marketing companies and pyramid schemes. 
2. Ai-Kon does not allow the sale of mystery boxes at Ai-Kon events by vendors. Vendors may choose instead to have these containers open and browsable as fully unconcealed bundle packages. This will allow customers to make informed choices on if they believe the value meets their expectations. Bundle contents must follow all of our other merchandise policies (bootlegs, second hand goods, weapons, etc)
3. Second hand and used merchandise is permitted to be sold at vendor tables, as long as it includes all the original materials / accessories, is packaged and is in good, sellable condition. There must also be signage to indicate which goods are second hand / used merchandise.
4. Any weapon sales to minors (those under the age of 18) will not be tolerated. If you are found to have sold to a minor, you will be asked to stop selling weapons, may be asked to leave the Marketplace, and legal action may be warranted. This is a federal violation and Ai-Kon will uphold the law to the best of its ability and is obligated to report all illegal transactions to the appropriate legal authorities.
   • See the Provincial bladed weapon policy.
   • All vendors selling weapons are required to adhere to policies and procedures for the sale and safe handling of weapons which may include, but is not limited to: No steel, edged, or wood weapons may be sold to patrons under the age of 18. This must be verified with a photo ID from the customer.
   • Receipts must be provided with all weapons upon sale as proof of purchase.
   • No individual may access weapons directly without assistance from the retailer.
   • The following information must be recorded with each sale – Purchaser’s name, residential address, date of birth, weapon model information and date of sale. This information must be logged for a minimum of two years from date of sale. 
   • Weapons must be sold in sealed packaging and immediately removed from the convention.
   • Ai-Kon, the venue, and the Winnipeg Police Services will reserve the right to revoke the distribution of weapons from vendors upon infringement of these regulations or at their discretion.
5. Unless an item is indicated as a final sale item, a custom made item, or is damaged after purchase, all items sold in the marketplace are subject to returns. Any item found to be a bootleg / unlicensed product will be subject to a return and refund regardless of a final sale indicator. Please be sure to provide a physical or electronic receipt for any item that has been sold by your organization. 
6. Ai-Kon and the RBC Convention Centre Winnipeg are not responsible for any theft or loss. Vendors are responsible for their own security during the show hours. There will be security measures provided during the closed hours of the Marketplace. 
7. The vendor agrees to protect, and save Ai-Kon, the promoter of the event, forever harmless from any damage(s) or charge(s) imposed for violations of any ordinance or regulation by the Exhibitor, their employees or agents, as well as failure to comply with the terms and agreements of this contract. Further, Vendors shall at all times protect, indemnify, save and keep harmless Ai-Kon against and from any loss, cost, damage, liability, or expense which arises out of or by reason of any acts or omission of the Vendor, their employees or agents.

In the event that any part of the event space thereof is unavailable, whether for the entire event or a portion of the event, as a result of fire, flood, tempest, snow storm, or other such cause, or as a result of governmental intervention, malicious damage, acts of war, strike, labour dispute, riot, or agency which Ai-Kon has no control, or should Ai-Kon decide that because of any such cause it is necessary to cancel, postpone or re-site the show, or reduce installation time, exhibit time, or move out time, Ai-Kon shall not be liable to indemnify or reimburse the Vendor in respect of any damage or loss, direct or indirect, arising as a result thereof.

Ai-Kon shall have the full power in the interpretation and enforcement of all contract regulations contained herein, and the power to make such amendments thereto, and such further rules and regulations as shall be considered necessary and proper. The foregoing represents the agreement between the undersigned Vendor and Ai-Kon for any events held by the Ai-Kon organization. 

If a vendor chooses to not abide by these policies, Ai-Kon shall not be held responsible for any legal action that may arise.