1 - REGISTRATION, TABLE:
Spaces for Artists' Alley are available on a FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE basis.

Where is Registration? The registration will be done on an online form via the Anime Boston webpage. At the pre-advertised time, a link to the form will be placed on the Artists' Alley Welcome Page. You may need to refresh the page. At no point will we be doing table registrations in person at a physical location. DO NOT go to the Hynes Convention Center, we will NOT be there. When is Registration? Date and Time: 8pm EST on Saturday, January 12th How does the online table registration work?          Step 1 - wait for the link to appear and click it when it does. You will be taken to a very small, two part form. Place your name and email address into the form and click the submit/enter button. Be very careful to type it all in correctly. Step 2 - You will be taken to a brand new page.                   STOP!!! This page will congratulate you on getting into the Artist's Alley - now no matter what happens electronically, you do have space. But most importantly, DO NOT hit the back button on your browser or close the browser. This is because there will be a confirmation # on this page. So make sure that you write down, copy and paste, or screen capture your confirmation number before doing anything else. Note: A confirmation Number is a random set of numbers and capital letters Step 3 - Now that you've received your confirmation number and written it down, you can finish the process. Now you can return to the previous page. As soon as the last artist has reserved space, the page form will change over so that you can log in with your confirmation number and access the second form - the information form. This form will not be available until all the spaces are reserved, so please wait a few minutes to allow people to reserve their spaces. Step 4 - Congratulations. This is the last place you need to go. Here you fill in the information we need to actually process you and fit your needs. The first part guaranteed you a spot, so take your time filling out this part to make sure everything is correct. i.e. If you misspell your name, nickname or studio name, I'm not going to email over 100 artists to double check things and I'm not going to assume it's wrong. It's your job to catch it. There is ONE time limit. You have 24 hours from your initial log in to complete this registration form. We had to institute this because of the sheer number of people who were on the reserve list last year and the people who originally got in and decided they didn't need it for one reason or another, but refusing to contact us about it. We cannot move on until we know what's going on. So now you have a time limit. If we go thru the entire reserve list and we still have room, we'll go back to anyone who didn't fill this out before hand and you'll get another chance.

2 - INFORMATION NEEDED:

Real Name Badge Name (this is what you want on THIS badge, not what you got on your convention badge) Studio/Group Name (if any) # of additional artists or assistants (do not count yourself) if any Real names of additional artists/assistants Badge names of additional artists/assistants (Please place badge names in parenthesis and separate each person with a comma. EXAMPLE: John Doe (Jack), Janet Doe (Jane) Complete mailing Address Phone Number Website URL (if any) Permission to post name and website (more on this later) Special Requests (do you need electricity, wall space, to sit next to someone or AWAY from someone....) Table Selection There will be a drop down selection window with 4 choices. PAY ATTENTION! We will not be fixing it afterwards if you forgot to buy a convention badge with your table purchase. Be certain that all Real Names, Badge Names and Studio/Group Names are spelled correctly. We are not guessing, and we don't have time to confirm with every single artist. We will write on your badge and on the map listing exactly what you give us (group names are listed when given).

3 - RESERVE LIST:

If you didn't get in, email the Artists' Alley to be placed on the reserve list. You still have a good chance of getting in. We managed to handle a list of over 30 people last year and were only unable to give a chance to 2 of those people. Make sure to give a valid email address that you check regularly. There may be many people waiting to get in, so we have a two day time limit for you to respond. If we go through the entire list and still have room, we will give you another chance. Please do not email us a dozen times in the space of two weeks asking if you can get in. We have to wait on other people before we know if we can or not. We will tell you that you've been on the waiting list, and as soon as something opens, we will email you. We require that any artist who puts themselves on the reserve list or starts a registration but never finishes it, answer any emails sent to them by the artist alley staff. If you have changed your mind about needing a table, please don't assume we can read your mind. Instead of wasting time waiting for your answer before moving on to the next person on the list, you can make the whole process faster by answering your emails or just letting us know. Why are we asking for this courtesy? People last year were understandably worried about not getting tables. So two different situations developed:          Situation 1: Artist A would list Artist B at their table just in case Artist B didn't get one of their own. But Artist B did get in and took a long time to finish their registration. But because of Situation 1, we couldn't separate out the artists who were using:          Situation 2: Artists who were planning to be at the same table anyway and both of them signed up just to make sure they got one table. The second sign up would then just sit there, unneeded. But we couldn't tell and nobody answered their emails. So please be considerate to the AA staff and help us make things move along faster! UNRESERVED SPACES If any spaces are unreserved by the start of the convention, at-the-door registration will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Pricing for any spaces available at the start of the convention will be the same as advance registration. Cash or money orders will be the only form of payment accepted at the door.

4 - SCHEDULES:

Hours of Operation (when convention goers can get in)          Friday 10am to 11pm Saturday 10m to 12 midnight Sunday 8am to 4 pm Early Set up Times (Artists and staff only)          Thursday 8pm to 10pm Friday 8am to 10am Take Down times: (basically 1 hour allotted. If that's not enough, please start earlier)          Friday 11pm to 12 midnight Saturday 12 midnight to 1am Sunday 4pm to 5 pm Closing Hours - Artists' Alley staff will start turning away convention goers at the entrance 15 minutes before the closing hour. At the closing hour, we will start emptying the room of the rest of the convention goers. Again, you must be able to pack up whatever you are not leaving within an hour of closing. You will NOT sit at your table and continue to do portraits or other commissions. You can always work on them elsewhere (I'm not being mean, I've done it myself.) Whether you're cleaning up all of your setup or only part of it, you must be out when we say. We cannot leave till you do. The Hynes cannot lock the room up until we leave. If the room isn't locked, the items other artists have left behind won't be secure. And if we are to get there early in the morning before the convention center staff opens the doors to the public, we need to be able to get SOME sleep.

5 - SPACES AND CHAIRS

Location: We will be in Rooms 302, 304 and 306. The rooms open up to be one giant room. It's slightly smaller than last year, but we think its a little easier to find. Its between the escalators on the 3rd floor. Being in a room allows us to lock up so artists have the option now of leaving behind the bulkier parts of their setup each night. If, however, you can't guarantee that you'll be there upon the rooms opening up, I wouldn't suggest it. The alley is really big nowadays and it's much harder to watch for shoplifters. Setup: Tables will be split into two spaces. Each space will be 4 feet wide and automatically comes with 1 chair. One space can have a max of 2 chairs. Someone who buys two spaces can have a max of 4 chairs, but you have to request the extra chair if you haven't listed anyone as working with you. If you are a portrait artist, you may have 2 chairs in front of your table in addition, but you do need to ask for them. Maximum Limits: There is a max limit of 2 spaces purchased per artist/group. There is a max limit of 2 chairs per space There is a max limit of 2 people per space. Clarification: if your group consists of three people, you can still all come, but you won't all be able to sit behind the table at your space at the same time. This can be a good thing. Some artists don't have anyone to sit with them at all or watch their table so they can go get food, catch a show, use the bathroom....so having 3 people can allow you to do that. So, extra people means Rotation Schedule.

6 - ELECTRICITY

Available at no cost but with limited access. It will be available on a first come - first served basis only and must be requested on your form. If you can reach an outlet on the wall from the middle of the room be sure to TAPE DOWN the wires so no one trips. USE ONLY GAFFERS TAPE. Hynes Convention Center will fine for the use of any other kind of tape.

7 - PAYMENT

We accept three types of payment: Paypal, Check or Money Order. Mailed Payments: They must be received or postmarked within 1 week of completing your online registration. Please note that if the person who is paying for your space is not you (i.e. you being the person who signed up for the space), then your name must be placed on the money order or check so that we know who paid. For those of you using Paypal, there is a notes section during transaction, please have your name placed there.

8 - REFUNDS:

Effective 2/22/08, your Artists' Alley table payment will not be refundable. Please alert the Artists' Alley staff via e-mail as soon as possible if you cannot attend. If you e-mail a cancellation notice before this date, you can still get a full refund. We can only give you a refund of your art table registration. ALL CONVENTION registrations are non-refundable and non-transferable, regardless of where you got it.

9 - BADGES:

There are two badges for artists and both are important! Con Badges          This is your three-day membership badge for the Anime Boston convention itself. This is required to attend the con, even as an artist. Artist Badge          Received upon check in at the Artists' Alley info desk, this is to keep people from 'squatting'. This means that by having an Artists' Alley-specific badge, we can keep people who did NOT pay for a space from setting up shop at what they think is an empty table and thereby taking someone else's spot. If you do not have an Artists' Alley badge and you are found sitting at an artist's table, you will be evicted. It's important that you get your badge on check-in. When you sign-up, you'll be asked how many artists there will be and who they are. If you decide to add more after this, that's also perfectly fine but be sure to inform us as soon as possible so that your badges can be ready upon check-in. You do not have to be an artist to get the badge. Assistants are welcome so that artists can have help and breaks. Just tell us so that they can get a badge too. In addition to this important feature, there is also the fun feature that the badge becomes a nice little keepsake.

10 - NUMBER ASSIGNMENTS

What do all those different Numbers mean?          Confirmation Number - is the 1st number you will get. It just lets you log back in to complete your registration. Placement Number - Artist Alley spaces are sold on a First Come, First Serve Basis. This placement number allows us to see who came first. This does NOT indicate your table number due to the layout of the room and special requests. Table Number - You will be emailed with a link to the map and a listing of who is at what table. THIS will be your table number. Please remember this number as it will make check in at the con easier. Convention Registration Number - if you chose to buy one through us, you will be assigned a convention goer number. It has nothing to do with the artist alley.

11 - CHECK IN PROCEDURE:

Each artist from a group has to 'Check In' at our Artists' Alley Info Desk (found just inside the entrance of the Alley) to pick up their Artists' Alley Badges individually. You must present your convention badge so we can check who you are against who you're claiming to be. While we believe most of our Artists to be honest, it isn't the ones who are IN the alley that we're worried about. We're checking to make sure someone isn't trying to take your place by pretending to be you. At least one artist from each group or space must check in for that group by 11am on Saturday. If nobody checks in, the table is forfeit, no refunds, and can be sold to someone else. If you are at the table and you never checked in, and we sell the space, then you must leave. You did not follow procedure. Upon check in, which occurs at the Artists' Alley Info Desk at the entrance of the alley, you will show your convention badge to receive your Artist Alley badges and be pointed towards your table location. If you can remember your table number, it makes it easier to check you in. Once checked in, you are registered for the entire convention, regardless of how often you use your table.

12 - ANIME BOSTON IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR STOLEN ITEMS.

Never leave your table unattended. If you must have a bathroom break, find someone to watch your table. If you plan on being away for two hours to get dinner, pack up your belongings and materials and bring them back to your room. The only time you can leave your stuff behind is at lockup. Artists' Alley is in a room for the second year, so we can lock up the room at night. However, if you do not show up promptly at opening time, we will not be responsible for anything you left behind. Disclaimer: As stated above, Anime Boston is not responsible for lost or stolen items.

13 - LOCATIONS IN THE ALLEY

In the past, a map was put online and artists were able to -- in a limited sense -- choose their tables.          Space Choosing Artists' Alley has grown so big that space selection is no longer possible. Instead, when the online registration form fills up the last table, the form will automatically shut down. There is a reserve list, but it is being handled manually. Email us if you miss registration and you will be placed on the Reserve List. The art staff will then place artists at tables based on their timestamps for a first come, first serve basis. Special Requests If you need to be placed with another artist, you and the other artist must take note of it and we'll do our best to place you together. When all artists have been placed, the map and artist location list will go online for review. We ask that all artists check the map to make sure they are listed the way they want, their names and such are spelled correctly and website links are working. We will give it one week for corrections before placing it online as is. If you need electricity, you'll need to take note of that as well. Its limited availability, but we'll do our best to seat you near an outlet on a first come, first serve basis. Also, if you are an artist who has a very large setup, please note that as well. We'll try to put you on one of the wall tables to make things easier to manage. The availability of getting a wall table with electricity is even more limited than just getting electricity, but we'll do our best. Changes It's perfectly fine to make switches or changes as needed, but there are guidelines: If changes are needed, the staff must be contacted by all parties involved in the change. (If you are part of a group, we only need to hear from the head of the group and the artist or head artist of the other group if you and said artist/group have agreed to switch tables.) Changes will no longer be available after the program guide goes to print. (This date will be printed as we get closer as well.) This is to try and keep our map as current as possible as we prepare for physical print outs of this map.

14 - AVAILABILITY OF TABLE LISTINGS AND/OR MAP

The map will be posted in three places that are open to the public:          Online, mainly for artist review Program guide The map at the Artists' Alley info desk If you do not want to be listed on this map, you can click "No" on the options during online sign-up. However, you won't be listed on ANY map. If you have a web site, your site will be linked online for potential customers to review, so think of it as free advertising. You do not have to have a web site to be listed. The only information that will be posted is the name of the artist OR studio name (or both if asked) and web site (if available). If you don't want your real name listed on the map, we can alter it for you. This is why it goes for artist review before being officially made public.

15 - CONVENTION REGISTRATION:

It has been confirmed that we will once again offer the OPTION of getting a convention registration through the Artist Alley. Here are the details for how it works: You will be given the option to buy a Convention Registration with your Table Registration. If you have already bought one, then you don't need to worry about it. ONLY 1 Convention Registration is available for purchase no matter how many spaces you buy. The price of your space will increase if you decided to purchase a Convention Registration with it. The cost of a Convention Registration, if bought through the Artists' Alley, will be an ADDITIONAL $35 on top of the cost of purchasing space. i.e. if you choose the convention registration option with one space, the cost will then be $65. if you choose the convention registration option with two spaces, the cost will be $100. On the Table Registration form, you will find a drop down selector that asks you if you want one space or two. Those are only 2 of the 4 choices. The other two choices will ask if you want one space with convention registration or two spaces with convention registration. If you wanted to buy space with a convention registration and you fail to choose one of those options, it is too late. All the information needed for your Convention Registration is already part of the Online Table Registration Form. Because of this, ONLY THE PERSON FILLING OUT THE FORM is allowed to buy the Convention Registration since they are the ones filling out the personal information needed for both the Artists' Alley and the Registration Department. You will then receive separate confirmations from the Artists' Alley about your space registration and from the Registration Department about your Convention Registration. You will ONLY receive confirmation on either of these items AFTER your payment has cleared. If your payment does not clear, in fact 'bounces' either by check or via Paypal (it is possible), then you may loose your space in the alley unless you can resend a VALID payment (at this point we would only accept Money Orders) within a week of notification of failed payment. To Reiterate: Buying a space in the artist alley does NOT guarantee you a convention badge. It is not part of the price. You have to specially select the option of getting a convention registration with your space (or spaces) or you will not get one. It will cost more as a package then the prices listed for the space/spaces alone will. Please check your options carefully.