We encourage creativity and want you to enjoy your experience at HaruhiCon as a Cosplayer but we also want all of our other attendees to enjoy their time just as much. The following guidelines are to ensure the enjoyment and safety of all HotaruCon attendees (and other hotel guests).
Please bring your props to Operations HQ (Ops) to be checked by our Cosplay Liaison. You’ll receive a wearable token to show your prop has been cleared. You may be asked to present your token by committee or gophers, or to inspect your weapon if you do yet have a token. In the event that your weapon or cosplay does not conform to our guidelines you will be asked to return it to your room, vehicle or luggage as appropriate.
Please note that we, as an event, do not operate a cloakroom for you to store cosplay props/parts, luggage, hopes, dreams or goldfish. The Birmginham Hilton Metropole does operate a cloackroom but please note this has a fee charged by the hotel and is entirely seperate to HaruhiCon.
That said, please find a list of our guidelines below.
Costumes or Fashion:
🌸 Costumes or fashion must not include symbols, emblems, insignias, flags, imagery or sound associated with organisations responsible for, or associated with, crimes against humanity
🌸 Makeup, body paint, prosthetics and/or forms of body alteration to depict a real life race is not condoned
🌸 Costumes or fashion should retain enough mobility that you should not need to borrow, hire or use mobility aids designed for accessibility outside of your real-life accesibility needs
🌸 Costumes or fashion should provide enough coverage to be worn in public and not violate the laws of public indecency in the UK
🌸 The costume dimensions must not exceed 2m in any direction, unless that portion of the costume can be collapsed to within 2m (e.g. wings). Please keep your costume collapsed in all event spaces or remove larger pieces before enterring*
🌸 If your costume reduces your visibility or mobility, or is particularly large or bulky, please ensure you have, at least, one handler with you at all times to guide you
🌸 Ensure there are no sharp edges protruding from your costume that may injure others
*Costumes intended for the Cosplay Masquerade with dimensions exceeding 2m should be maid clear to the Cosplay Liaison ahead of time
Weapons and Props:
Permitted
🌸 Non-realistic weapons
🌸 Plastic or foam weapons
🌸 All weapons and props must have rounded, blunted, or padded edges incapable of causing harm
🌸 Replica firearms with a brightly coloured safety tip visible from a distance, are permitted within the event for the purposes of photos but must not be carried openly or displayed outside the event space, even if just taking photos
NOT permitted
🥀 Weapons made of wood or metal
🥀 Props that produce fire or open flames
🥀 Props that project water or chemicals (this includes smoke, bubbles and confetti)
🥀 Projectile weapons capable of holding tension (e.g. bow)
🥀 Firearms, airsoft rifles or artillery
🥀 Ammunition that can be fired by the above
If you are in any doubt contact us to check and a member of our team will get back to you