Bubonicon - Sci-Fi & Fantasy - News

Bubonicon Policies, Rules & Accessibility

These Are The Rules & Your Rights at Bubonicon. Please Read Carefully.

The following policies are in place to help create a safe and fun environment for all attendees, but do not encompass all expectations. State and Federal Laws do not stop at the convention door. Please notify any Convention Committee person if you have any questions or concerns. We can only fix what we are told is broken.

GENERAL RULES:

  • All attendees under 14 years of age must have a parent or guardian present at Bubonicon.
  • The Bubonicon Convention Committee reserves the right to expel any attendee for current and future events, without refund, should they be unable to comply with any of the Bubonicon Policies.
  • No unauthorized commerce allowed in Bubonicon hotel event space.
  • Press passes, given to members of qualified news outlets, are good for three hours maximum. If additional time is needed, it must be authorized by the convention chairperson(s) in advance of the convention.
  • All payments to Bubonicon must be drawn on USA funds, and made payable in US dollars. All checks will require a valid & current driver’s license for name, address, phone number and license number/expiration date.
  • Attendance at Bubonicon is limited to 1,200 individuals 14 years of age or older, per fire code for the Albuquerque Marriott Uptown. We will cap attendance to comply if necessary, and are not obligated to allow entrance to anyone not holding a membership badge to all convention event space, including hallways adjacent to Bubonicon events, the Dealers Room & the Art Show that would put us over capacity.
  • Art Show & Dealers Room are open to the public. No pass is required to enter and purchase merchandise for sale from authorized sellers.

PHOTOGRAPHY POLICY:

  • Taking photographs at conventions is one of the best ways to remember the weekend, and posting photos online is common and usually expected. However, please use common courtesy and ask permission before photographing someone or posting that photograph online. If permission is refused for any reason, please honor that refusal.
  • Photography of the Costume Contest is allowed during the presentation. For safety reasons, photographers cannot stand in or block aisles and other exit avenues. Also be aware that contestants will not stop and pose for photographs during the contest. We are setting up a photography area in the “Green Room” where entries can pose during the judges’ deliberations and after the awards are given.
  • If posting photos of costumes online (with permission, of course) please accurately acknowledge the creative efforts of your subject by giving credit where it is due.

BADGES:

A Bubonicon pass (with badge or wristband) is required to attend programming, gaming, the con suite and the costume contest. Visual badge checks will occur throughout the convention.

HOTEL POLICY:

Without our hotel, we have no convention. Respecting the hotel’s rules and property is absolutely necessary.

  • No smoking or use of e-cigarettes (vaping) anywhere within the hotel. There are designated smoking areas outside.
  • No hanging anything on the walls without approval.

ROOM PARTIES/CLUB ROOMS:

  • All Room Parties must be on the designated 3rd floor. Any Room Parties on other floors will be closed down by the hotel.
  • Any individual or group wanting to host a Room Party must inform the Bubonicon Con-Chair(s) at least 4 days (96 hours) in advance of the convention. Do NOT depend on the hotel to inform us. You must directly contact us! And the individual or group hosting a Room Party must ALSO inform the hotel management –see Hotel page – at least 4 days (96 hours) in advance.
  • Nothing that blocks traffic will be allowed in hallways (robots, drink stations, mannequins, etc).
  • No furniture shall be removed from the sleeping rooms. The nature of Marriott’s furniture will not allow this possibility. We recommend a tarp over the bedspread and then a piece of plywood if you want to use the bed as a table. (Maybe with a more decorative tablecloth on top of that.)
  • Noise must be kept to a reasonable level as there will be people sleeping on the party floor. Again, the hotel has the right to shut down any party deemed to be a nuisance to other guests. The same goes for Smoking! Party rooms could be held responsible for people smoking in the stairwell or hallway, and shut down. Please monitor your party guests…
  • Any damage done to hotel property shall be the responsibility of the room renter, and will result in additional charges. Deliberate ignoring of these rules shall be grounds for banishment from the hotel and future Bubonicons.

HARASSMENT:

Bubonicon is dedicated to providing a safe space for our community to come together for a weekend. We want to make it clear that harassment of any kind is not acceptable, and if issues arise, we want to know about them. We take all complaints seriously, and will work to resolve them in an appropriate manner. If an incident occurs that you are involved in or witness to, please report it to the Con Com Safety Officer – Caci Cooper – any member of the Marriott Uptown Hotel security staff, and/or any Convention Staff at Registration, the Gofer Station or our Dealers Table, so that we can investigate it and take appropriate action. This policy is in place for the protection of and applies to all persons regardless of level of attendance (guest, panelist, dealer, general).

Harassment includes, but is not limited to:

  • offensive verbal comments [related to gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, religion]
  • deliberate intimidation, stalking, and/or following
  • harassing photography or recording, including denial of permission
  • sustained disruption of talks or other events
  • inappropriate physical contact, and unwelcome sexual attention.

Any person(s) asked to stop any harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately.

Report any harassment to the Con Com Safety Officer(s) (Jessica Coyle or Craig Chrissinger), any member of the Marriott Uptown Hotel security staff and/or any Convention Staff at Registration, Gofer Station or Dealers Table.

What Will Happen Once a Report is Made:

  • The On-Site Convention Committee Safety Officer, and/or appropriate Convention Staff, will work with the victim to find an appropriate solution.
  • Any accused will be separated from the general attendance until resolution.
  • The Bubonicon Convention Committee reserves the right to expel any attendee for current and future events, without refund, should they be unable to comply with this or any of the Bubonicon Policies.  The Marriott Uptown Hotel reserves the right to ban a person from their property (and if necessary to involve local law enforcement).

ACCESSIBILITY:

Bubonicon is committed to being a diverse and inclusive event that attempts to provide accommodation for people with disabilities.

Bubonicon strives to provide reasonable accommodations for all who need them. Please contact Jessica Coyle, our Accessibility Liaison, if you have any concerns about your needs during the convention weekend.

Bubonicon also supports breastfeeding mothers. Mothers are more than welcome to feed their infants in any Bubonicon space. If you would like a more private space please tell any Convention Committee person to gain access to a more private area for mothers with infants or who need to express.

If you are an attendee with disabilities, Bubonicon wants to make your experience as fun and as entertaining as possible.

  • Seats at the front of the room are available for visually-impaired and hearing impaired attendees. Seats on either side of “center” in that section are available for lip-readers so that panelists’ faces are more easily visible. Audience seating includes spaces for wheelchairs and scooters in large rooms, several spaces at various points in several locations.
  • If you cannot stand for long periods of time and need to bypass event lines (like for Mass Autographing Session) or if you need special seating for a panel or event due to mobility, sight or hearing, please contact our Accessibility Liaison, Jessica Coyle, in advance of the convention weekend by clicking here, or by requesting to speak to our Accessibility Liaison during the convention by alerting any Convention Staff at the registration, gofer station or dealers table, and you will be accommodated to the best of our abilities.

If at any time you need help with accessing part of Bubonicon please let a staff member know. If you have any questions about accessibility or if you would like to request any sort of accommodation, please contact us here.

  • Hotel Needs – If you need a particular type of hotel room the Marriott Albuquerque Uptown is fully A.D.A. compliant and has multiple accessible rooms. Please contact them directly for more information regarding the property’s accessibility.
  • Mobility – Bubonicon makes full use of the hotel facilities. Events are spread out throughout the hotel and a significant amount of walking will be needed to access all spaces. There are a number of places to sit and rest in the hallways outside the ballrooms, and in the main lobby of the hotel. However, we recommend that if you use mobility aids, you should bring them or arrange a rental for the convention.
  • Service Animals – Bubonicon and the Marriott Albuquerque Uptown welcomes all attendees with service animals.

If you have ideas about how we might improve Access Services, or if you would like to volunteer to help, we would love to hear from you. Please contact us here.

PROPS AND WEAPONS:

Props should be carried and posed with in a way that does not inconvenience or injure other attendees.

Bladed weapons and replica firearms are allowed at Bubonicon, either as parts of costumes or as part of dealer displays. Blades can only be displayed openly when worn as part of the entire costume. Blades and/or firearms should never be carried openly by themselves in the hotel.

Replica and toy firearms are allowed, but not weapons which can actually fire any potentially damaging projectiles (or which ever could have). Actual pistols and rifles, BB guns, crossbows, and similar weaponry are all not allowed, even if they have been altered so that they can no longer fire.

COSTUMES:

Costumes must be tasteful and cover appropriate areas of the body. Please adhere to the legal regulations concerning nudity and cover the essential “bits” while in the public areas. This means what is illegal outside the convention is still illegal inside the convention. Also, children and teens will be about, especially during daytime hours. Keep it PG-13!

Most importantly, have fun – and be nice.  Enjoy yourself and together we can have a great Con!

Updated August 2023

New Mexico Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention