Frequently Asked Questions

Ohayocon 21 is digital! Access is completely free via our year-round Ohayocon Public Discord Server. See you there! _{(Return to questions)}

We are proud to offer a new pre-registration service that solves many problems our customers have brought to us over the past few years. The new service now offers several customer-requested features, such as the ability to transfer badges without going through our customer service department, the ability to use your confirmation email as a proof of purchase at check in, and the ability to create accounts to manage your own contact, billing, and registration details. This service charges us a fee per transaction, as does our credit card processor. We pass these fees on to you so we don’t have to raise badge prices for those who choose to pay in cash at the door, which is of course still an option. (We actually take a slight overall loss on the service fees, but we want to put our customers first.) Thank you for your understanding, and we hope you enjoy the new pre-registration service! If you have any questions or concerns about the new service, please contact us. _{(Return to questions)}

You may collect your badge on any day of the convention during the registration center’s operating hours. _{(Return to questions)}

If you need to change your name or other badge information, or make a transfer, access your account dashboard and follow the prompts. _{(Return to questions)}

Our registration system automatically prepares an account for you when you finish purchasing your badges. In order to access it, you must “claim it.”

• If you have not yet claimed your account, visit the account center and click the “Claim My Account” link. Follow the prompt and check your email (including your spam folder) for the link to claim your account, then follow the instructions for “If you have already claimed your account.”
• If you have already claimed your account, visit the account center and log in. Use your account dashboard to edit your existing badge information. Be sure that the name of the person you put on the badge matches the one on their acceptable ID. The software does not automatically resend confirmation emails when you do this.
• If you would like to send the new person a confirmation email after completing the transfer, update the email address on their badge. Then visit the main registration page, click the “Resend Confirmation” link, enter their email address in the box, and click “Lookup & Resend.”

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It be that way sometimes. The ATMs run out fast, so please remember to bring some with you. _{(Return to questions)}

If you’re buying your badge at the door, it doesn’t matter, because we won’t be checking them for your name. You can write whatever you want on your badge. If you’re pre-registering, then the name registered to your badge must match the name on the ID you will use to claim it. This is to ensure only you can claim your badge. We’re not printing your name on the badge or anything, and you can write whatever you want (even nothing!) on your badge. For more details and a list of acceptable forms of ID, please read our policy about it. _{(Return to questions)}

Visit the account center and attempt to claim your account. If you don’t remember which email you used, try checking your bank and credit card statements to see if you paid for a registration. If you’re still not sure, you can ask us, but it will likely take several business days for us to respond to that question. We thank you for your patience. _{(Return to questions)}

Yes! We offer a $5-per-badge pre-order discount on groups of ten or more. The discount is only available for pre-registration, so make sure you do it by the last day of pre-ordering. You must purchase all of the badges in the group in the same transaction in order for the computer to award you the discount. (You will need each person’s full name, phone number, and email address.) Follow the instructions on the page about creating group orders, and the computer will automatically update the price once you complete the information for your tenth person. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please contact us. (We highly recommend creating an account on the registration site so you can update your orders, if needed, and have access to your purchase history.) _{(Return to questions)}

Unfortunately, badges are non-refundable and only good for the show they’re purchased for. We will refund if the issue is our fault. If you think we did something wrong, please send us a message. You are welcome to transfer your badge to another person. _{(Return to questions)}

Thank you for your interest in covering Ohayocon! All the information about media passes is available on our Special Badges page. _{(Return to questions)}

Generally speaking: after the deadline for that application. Staff and Kohai applications should have a much shorter turnaround time, definitely before the deadline if you submitted it early enough. If it’s been a meaningfully long time (say, three weeks) after the application deadline and you still haven’t heard from us, please contact us. _{(Return to questions)}

Dealers: Applications for 2021 will be available Oct. 1, 2020. For more information, visit the Dealers Room page.
Artists: The Ohayocon 21 Artist Alley application is available now! It is due Aug. 15, 2020. (No exceptions!) For more information, visit the Artist Alley page.
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We do not. We do not wish to offer maid cafes as an activity at Ohayocon. _{(Return to questions)}

Thank you for asking. All attendees must follow generally accepted community standards of dress and behavior. Please read our public safety policies and cosplay rules. If you still have questions, feel free to send us a message.

(In case you’re wondering, any kind of clothing depicting imagery that is pornographic in nature is strictly prohibited, and we will hold you accountable according to our harassment policy.) _{(Return to questions)}

Thank you for asking. All attendees must follow generally accepted community standards of dress and behavior. We cannot give you any specific approval for any item until we can inspect it in-person at the event. Please read our public safety policies and cosplay rules. Props must fit certain dimension requirements and be safe to handle in a crowded space. All toy firearms must have an orange tip — you may not paint over it, remove it, or otherwise obscure it. Anything that has a string, rope, line, or similar component longer than two feet is prohibited — the only exception is for trained service animals. (If you need it for a scheduled photoshoot, you must carry it in a safe, gathered manner and not allow it to be extended until you are posing for the shoot.) Authorized Ohayocon volunteers, staff members, and venue officials have the final word on whether your item is acceptable. _{(Return to questions)}

Please feel free to take commemorative photos for your own enjoyment. You are free to share your pictures in the manner of your choosing, but you are on your own regarding the appearances of individuals in your photos. (That is, we are not giving you permission to share photos of anyone in particular, and if there is a dispute with someone wanting you to remove a picture with them, that’s between you and them.)

We do not permit you to sell photographs, raw or edited, at or during Ohayocon. You risk forfeiting your admission if you do so. After the convention and off-premises, we do not care as long as you are not using our branding or image and you are not telling people that your photos are “official” or that you work(ed) for Ohayocon. You are permitted to make appointments in advance and charge for your service as long as the actual payment occurs off-premises and not during Ohayocon.

We prohibit you from setting up photo booths unless you have an agreement with us in advance, and we will likely refer you to our Dealers Room staff so you can negotiate purchasing vendor space. At-con photography is generally not considered for Artist Alley. If you have any questions about our policy, please send us an email.

(You can also read all the photography policies.) _{(Return to questions)}

Thank you for your interest in Ohayocon. We are not accepting solicitations for photography contractors. However, we may have room for staff photographers who can also write PR and marketing copy and do graphic design. The Editors™ are making an Organization-wide Photograph Scavenger Hunt this year, and you are invited to apply for a staff position and take part in the “fun.” _{(Return to questions)}

Trained service animals are welcomed in accordance with venue policy and the laws of Ohio, Franklin County, and Columbus. The venue prohibits emotional support animals and pets. _{(Return to questions)}

Yes! We offer a full-service Accessibility Services department. If you would like to make arrangements with us, please send us a message. _{(Return to questions)}

We hope you find it! Please bear in mind that we cannot accept responsibility for lost or stolen items. Here are some places to look:

• After the convention: we give all of our lost and found items to the Hyatt front desk. At this point, the Hyatt treats the items according to their own policies and procedures. You can call the Hyatt Regency Columbus front desk at 614-463-1234.
• During the convention: if someone finds something, we ask them to take it to the Ohayocon public safety office. In 2020, that was the Clark Room. It may be a different room this year (check your map). We store all lost and found belongings until the end of the convention, at which point we turn them over to the Hyatt front desk.

Unfortunately, emailing us is an ineffective way of finding your lost belongings, because all our customer service team can do is wish you luck and instruct you to either visit the Clark Room or call the Hyatt front desk. _{(Return to questions)}

At the moment, no, but given the large amount of requests for these, we are considering options for 2021. _{(Return to questions)}

At midnight on the calendar day of your birthday. For example, if you want to get into an 18+ restricted event at 1 a.m. on Saturday, you need a Friday or Weekend badge, and your 18th birthday must be on or before Saturday. For more details and examples, including a list of acceptable forms of ID, please read our policy about it. _{(Return to questions)}

Yes, but we generally will not respond. It’s not that we don’t like you, it’s just that we receive many solicitations per week and most of the time it’s agents’ trying to sell us someone we never wanted in the first place. To make up for this, we occasionally survey our paid attendees to see if they want anyone in particular to visit Ohayocon. _{(Return to questions)}