Attendee Relations

Attendee Relations is here to help with all things attendee-related. We assist with crowd management and line control while also being available for attendee questions. In addition, we handle peace-bonding to ensure that everyone is safe on the convention floor with props and costumes. 

You can email us at attendee.relations@fanime.com 

The FanimeCon Props Policy

Props Policy

FanimeCon reserves the right to modify or update this policy at any time and without prior notice. Your FanimeCon badge means that you agree to comply with this Props Policy. You further understand and agree that, for your own safety and the safety of everyone at FanimeCon, designated staff members have the absolute and immediate discretion and right to inspect your costume, prop weapons, and any other item you bring to the convention. We may temporarily or permanently remove any attendee’s peace-bond at our sole and absolute discretion at any time for violating this Props Policy.

  • Your prop must accompany the costume that you are wearing in order to be peace-bonded.
  • Mobile and Medical Assistive Devices are not required to be inspected or have peace-bonds.
  • No prop that is designed primarily as a weapon (such as a sword, staff, or club) may be made of metal, regardless of how sharp or dull the prop may be.
    • Props with metal decoration or adornment will be judged on a case-by-case basis. 
  • No firearms, airsoft weapons, replicas of guns, or props that use components of these in their construction are allowed.
    • Any prop gun must look like a prop from 50 feet away. This is for your safety and for the safety of our other attendees. 
    • Gun and firearm-style props must have an orange tip that covers at least 2 inches on the front of the prop firearm, as well as 2 additional easily-visible orange-banded areas on the prop firearm.
  • No functional bows and arrows. 
  • No metal or wood bats, metal pipes, or long metal chains.
  • Props should not be made of glass or contain glass components.
    • This includes, but is not limited to, bottles, glass tubes, solid glass statues, etc.
  • Any item that is designed or manufactured with the intent to cause bodily injury or death, any item that is illegal in the state of California, or any other item that appears dangerous or may pose a risk of harm will not be allowed on the premises. This will be up to the sole discretion of FanimeCon qualified staff.
  • No smoke machines are allowed within FanimeCon spaces. These spaces include, but are not limited to, the San Jose Convention Center, South Hall, San Jose Civic, Marriott, Hilton, Doubletree, Hyatt Place, and Signia.
  • Any lights that blink rapidly or brightly enough that they disturb other attendees should not be included in props. Lights that slowly transition from one color to another or gradually increase in brightness overtime will be judged on a case-by-case basis.
    • Lightsabers are allowed, but you must be careful with them. 
  • Operating a prop to shoot an object of any material is not allowed at FanimeCon and will result in your peace-bond being removed.
  • If you buy a prop at FanimeCon, you may have it tagged with a peace-bond as long as it belongs with the cosplay you are currently wearing and follows the props policy. If not, it needs to be removed from the premises and immediately taken to your hotel room or car for storage off of convention property. 

We may revoke the peace-bonding at any time at our sole discretion. For example, we will revoke approval if you use or brandish the item in an inappropriate fashion (such as play fighting, swinging the weapon around, or if someone is hit intentionally or otherwise). We will also revoke approval if we receive complaints about the way you are using or displaying your prop, or if you tamper with the peace-bonding used to show that your prop has been tagged. If your peace-bond is revoked, you will need to take the prop off of convention property immediately.

Peace-bonded Weapons at the Event: 

You may display your prop weapons only as costume pieces. Do not swing or brandish your prop weapon in any way that could be considered unsafe or threatening. You may pose with a prop weapon in a brandishing manner, so long as no reasonable person would interpret it as anything but a pose for dramatic effect. FanimeCon staff or FanimeCon management may stop your brandishing pose at their sole discretion. 

Current US military uniforms, costumes that may be confused with law enforcement, or costumes similar to other emergency response personnel uniforms are not permitted at FanimeCon. 

FanimeCon Costume Rules & Limitations

  • All con attendees must wear shoes at all times while in official convention space. This includes, but is not limited to: San Jose Convention Center, South Hall, San Jose Civic, Marriott, Hilton, Doubletree, Hyatt Place, and Signia. Even if a character goes barefoot, the cosplayer must wear shoes.
  • Costumes and daily wear shall not expose the body in such a way as to be deemed indecent exposure under California or City of San Jose ordinances. Private parts must be covered in an opaque material and not be subject to slippage or gaps. Liquid latex or other conformal body coatings will be judged on a case-by-case basis.
  • All costumes worn within the convention center must fit through a standard doorway.
  • No costume may generate odor, smoke, or fog, or have overly bright or flashing lights.
  • All costumes with limited visibility and/or movement must have a “handler” to assist with crowd navigation and safety. This also applies to costumes with large “wings” or other oversized elements.
  • No costumes may be realistic depictions of American Law Enforcement or current American Military uniforms, or have the words POLICE, POLICIA, SWAT, FBI, DEA, CIA or any other official Government Agency names or initials on them.
  • Costumes that contain metal components may need to be inspected by FanimeCon Staff to ensure they are safe and follow the Code of Conduct.
  • Official flags shall be respected, and cannot be worn as part of a costume. They must be on a flagpole. Home-made or unofficial flags are exempt from this rule.