Detroit's { Anime / Manga / Gaming / J-Music } Experience
Frequently Asked Questions
Pre-Registration
- Where/When do I get my badge?
- At the convention registration desk located in the back of the lobby. No badges are mailed. Hours will be posted on the registration page closer to the con.
- What do I need to get my badge?
- The confirmation number that is e-mailed to you. If you're under 18, you'll also need a parental consent form.
- When will I get my confirmation number?
- Most online registration payments are processed within a couple days. PayPal transactions made with E-Checks instead of a standard transfer take up to a week to clear. Mail-in registrations take longer to process than online registrations. E-Checks and mail-in registrations are confirmed within 30 days of the payment clearing or the check being received.
- I've lost my confirmation number. What should I do?
- Retrieve it with the form at the top of the registration page.
- Where do I send mail-in registrations to?
- Youmacon 2008
P.O. Box 554
Troy, MI 48099-0554
- Why is it a "three-day" badge? Shouldn't it be "four-day"?
- No badge is required for Thursday night's programming.
- How can I get a refund?
- Refunds are permitted only within 30 days of pre-registration. E-mail registration to request one.
Cosplay
- Is my prop weapon allowed?
- If you're uncertain after reading the general cosplay rules, e-mail cosplay to get a solid answer.
- How do I become a piece in Cosplay Shougi?
- A signup form will be posted in the cosplay forums in early 2008. If there are still pieces available when the con arrives, Shougi signup will also be available at the cosplay signup desk.
- Do I have to compete if I cosplay?
- Not at all. In fact, only a small portion of cosplayers do. Unless you're competing, the only rules you have to worry about regarding your cosplay are the general cosplay rules.
Maid Cafe
- Is this Hooters for otaku? Are the maids/butlers going to act fanservicey for me?
- If seeing people dressed nicely or in frilly dresses gets you hot and bothered, well, more power to you. There will be no flashing panties, kissing, or otherwise acting like a bizarre otaku strip joint.
- Isn't this just a boy-friendly event?
- Both girls and boys staff the cafe. The Youmacon maid cafe combines the elements of both maid cafes and host clubs to appeal to both genders.
- Why such a high price? Why can't it be free?
- The cost goes towards reimbursing those involved and convention funds for future events. After the first hour, the cafe is free, but there's no guarantee you'll meet the guests then.
- Will there be b33r?
- No, alcohol is not served or permitted in the cafe.
- May I get autographs?
- Some guests may be nice and do this for you, but it's generally discouraged. Autograph sessions are the recommended time to request autographs. Pictures are permitted, but make sure you ask nicely first.
- May I leave a tip?
- If you'd like. It's not required as it is a free event, but the maids and butlers do appreciate any donations for their work.
- How can I work in the maid cafe?
- E-mail Artists' Alley expressing your interest and you'll receive a short application to complete.
Panels
- How do I sign up to run a panel or event?
- Complete our panel application form.
Anime Music Videos (Video/Audio Track)
- When will the AMV Contest Rules be posted?
- Sometime in June.
- What is the VAT?
- Those of you who came to the con in 2007 will remember that there was a dedicated AMV room. The VAT is essentially Youmacon’s dedicated AMV room, however it will not be subject to only AMV programming. VAT stands for Video/Audio Track. As such the VAT centers on fan created videos. This could be AMVs, Flash videos, Parodies, and any other types of fan created video work. So while much of the programming will be AMVs, due to the abundance of them, there will also be other things present.
- I have this cool video that should be in the contest, can I bring it with me to the con?
- Short answer: no. Long answer: The contest showings are prepared weeks in advance, so we just cannot accommodate at-con submissions. As such the AMV Contest is strictly pre-convention submission only. However, the VAT staff will gladly accept videos from individuals who bring them to the convention and we will try to show them during free-play in the VAT. However, all videos will be screened first in order to figure out when the videos can be appropriately played.
- I saw (insert video here) at the con, can I get a copy of it?
- It is the responsibility of the creator of (insert video here) to release their video for distribution. The VAT staff does not allow attendees to copy videos from the contest. A list of videos in the contest and winners will be posted to both the AMV.org and Youmacon forums, please relate to this when searching for videos.
- But (insert video here) wasn’t played during the contest! Can I get of copy of it?
- Generally, any video shown during the convention can be easily downloaded from the internet. The VAT’s video archive is massively large, so finding videos can be difficult and our staff simply do not have the time (or free PC resources) to burn disks or copy videos for you.
- I want to find (insert video here) myself, can I get a listing of videos played to help me search?
- As stated before, all videos shown during the AMV contest will be listed on the amv.org and Youmacon forums. It is up to the panelists to provide a listing of videos they play during their panels, the VAT staff will not have them. The VAT staff can help you find information on a video you have seen, but will not provide a list of videos played. Simply ask them about a video you recently saw and they should be able to give you the video title, anime, and creator. Please bring pencil/paper with you, the VAT will not have extra for you to use.
- I REALLY love AMVs. Is there any way I can get a copy of the archive?
- Only under rare circumstances will someone be allowed to copy the VAT’s archive. The time it will take to do is long, considering the size, and only one person can be accommodated at a time. At the time of the writing of this FAQ the archive currently occupies 1 TB, however by the time the convention rolls around the archive is expected to be even larger. This size does NOT include any late night videos, you would need more space to house those as well.
- I want to see (insert video here.)
- Requests will be gladly accepted for all free-play showing blocks and during any event specifically stating that requests are welcome. All other panels/events will not be request friendly unless the panelists or event coordinators state otherwise. A piece of paper or some other device will be provided to take requests. You will find this at the VAT desk (the table with all the computer equipment) and should only request videos by filling out the form provided. If you are unsure where it is ask the VAT staff and they can point it out for you.
- I saw this cool video in the contest but it didn’t win anything. Can I give it my own award?
- Yes. On Sunday the VAT will hold their very own closing ceremonies. This is where we will wrap up our business for the weekend as well as hand out awards that have not been picked up in past years. We will also announce Guest Awards. These Guest Awards are a special award that a video can receive from any attendee at the con. You are limited to 1 award to give out, so choose wisely. In order to send your award you will need to come down to the VAT sometime Saturday after the AMV Contest or Sunday before closing ceremonies. The VAT desk will have a form for you to fill out.
Artists' Alley
- When does artists' alley open and close?
- Artists may check in in the early afternoon on Friday. From then, the alley is open at all hours until the convention concludes.
General
- When/Where is Youmacon?
- See the Location page.
- How big is Youmacon?
- Not too big, not too small. Over the three years of Youmacon's existence, we've grown from 1,078 to 3,119 attendees. How much we grow this year depends on you.
- When does the convention open and close?
- Programming begins in the evening on Thursday and concludes at 5:00 on Sunday. Video, AMV, and gaming programming run all night, while major events and panel programming end in the late night and resume at 10:00 AM the next day.
- When will the schedule be posted on the Web site?
- By mid-October.
- Where can I eat?
- The Hyatt has a few places for snacks and meals, or you can walk across the street to Fairlane Town Center, which has many restaurants to choose from, including a food court. Your program guide will include a dining guide listing all the restaurants of the surrounding area.
- How do I get on staff?
- A good way to start is to volunteer. Volunteer duties earn you registration and room space, and many well-performing volunteers are invited to work as staff in future years. Occassionally departments in need of staff will have open invites; check the department forums for these posts.
- What if I have a question that's not listed here?
- Look in the corresponding forum to see if anyone has already answered what you're looking for. If not, e-mail the appropriate department.
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