Code of Conduct
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Tiny Paws Con (TPC) has a ZERO-TOLERANCE POLICY. If at any time an attendee’s behavior violates the Code Of Conduct (or the spirit of these guidelines), before, during, or after the convention, in real life or online, or if we feel any individual is a liability to the well-being of the convention and/or its attendees in any way, they will be removed from the convention and/or banned from future events. TPC takes safety and its relationship with the public and hotel very seriously and will never allow an individual to endanger our attendees or the welfare of our convention.
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If anyone has a problem before, during, or after the con, or has information about individuals violating the Code Of Conduct, come to Con Ops at the convention or contact us through the email addresses on our website and we'll assist you. Do not bring issues or complaints to the hotel front desk or hotel staff unless they specifically have to do with the hotel's service (i.e. housekeeping, billing, etc).
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Alcohol, Drugs, & Public Intoxication: Alcohol, Drugs, and Public Intoxication are forbidden in the convention space. Drug use and distribution of banned substances is illegal in the state of Connecticut and therefore forbidden on hotel grounds. Any incidents involving drugs will result in police intervention, removal from the convention/hotel, and a permanent ban. Alcohol may be consumed in moderation by adults over the age of 21 only in private sleeping rooms or the hotel restaurant or approved public areas. All persons are responsible for staying in control of their faculties at all times. Intoxicated/impaired individuals acting in an inappropriate manner will either be escorted to their room and receive a warning mark on their badge (for a minor infraction), or removed from the con space and banned from the convention indefinitely. Mass distribution of alcohol is forbidden. Anyone serving alcohol to persons under the age of 21 (whether you know their age or not) or selling, distributing, or using any illegal substances will be reported to the local authorities and banned indefinitely.
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Weapons: Weapons are forbidden from the convention space and hotel at all times. Stage weapons donated to the Charity Raffle must be taken directly to the Charity room (Turquoise) and not carried through the convention space.
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Public Behavior: When in public areas (i.e. anywhere you can be seen and heard--lobbies, parking lots, hallways, con space, etc), always act in a polite, respectful manner. No overt public displays of affection, obscene talk, swearing, yelling, rough-housing, or loud, destructive behavior. Abuse, harassment, unwanted contact, or stalking behavior will not be tolerated at TPC. "No" means "No" at all times. No defacing of TPC or hotel property. Do not block the hallways or engage in rough play on the stairways or in any other public area of the hotel. Please be polite and courteous to other attendees, dealers, panelists, convention staff, all hotel personnel, and other hotel guests.
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Public Displays Of Affection: When in public areas (i.e. anywhere you can be seen and heard--lobbies, parking lots, hallways, convention space, etc), keep your affections Rated G. Remember, hotel staff, non-convention guests, TPC attendees, and the general public have different sensibilities that need to be respected. Rule of thumb: Anything more than a simple hug and kiss, take it up to your room.
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Interacting With Hotel Guests & Staff: When talking to hotel guests or staff or when you're in their vicinity, always be kind and polite. Anyone displaying rude, offensive behavior, directly or indirectly, will have their badges confiscated and be removed from the con. We have to live in harmony with the hotel and their other guests, so be nice!
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Dress Code: Nudity, explicitly revealing costumes, or costumes referring to hate groups or hate speech are not allowed in the public areas of the hotel or convention. Fursuits are not to be worn in the pool area or restaurants for the safety of the wearer. Ears, tails, and collars are acceptable accessories. Shoes, sandals, slippers, or stockinged feet are permitted in the convention areas. However, shoes or sandals must be worn in all other areas of the hotel, including the pool area and restaurant. Bare feet are not permitted in public areas.
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Loitering: Attendees are only allowed to gather in designated convention space or their hotel rooms. Do not loiter in the public areas of the hotel (i.e. near front desk, parking lot, near entrances and exits, etc).
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Noise: Noise must be kept at a reasonable volume at all times, whether you're in public spaces or in your hotel room. This means no screaming, shouting, or exceptionally loud sounds/music in any part of the hotel at any time, as well as no stationary or roaming speakers, radios, musical instruments, cell phones, or any other noise source.
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Hotel room noise curfew for the guest room floors is 10pm. Any/all noise must be contained within your room (no noise can bleed out into halls or adjacent rooms).
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Room Parties: Room parties are not sponsored or condoned by the convention. Room parties must follow the hotel guidelines and TPC Code Of Conduct at all times. Any/all noise/music must be contained within your room (no noise can bleed out into halls or adjacent rooms). Doors must be kept shut at all times. Large quantities of alcohol may not be distributed. No room overcrowding. All attendees must remain within the room, not loiter in the hallways. Flyers for parties must be rated-G, and may only be posted on the TPC bulletin board.
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Hotel Room Treatment/Release of Liability: Hotel rooms are not to be altered or damaged in any way. Do not move/remove furniture, damage walls, or leave a mess for hotel staff. Do not place hangers on sprinkler heads, interfere with the operation of hotel smoke detectors, or have smoke or open flame in your hotel room. Rooms must be left in the condition you received them. TPC has instructed the hotel to turn over the names of persons who do not leave their rooms in satisfactory condition. Individuals associated with these reported rooms will be charged for damages by the hotel and banned from future cons.
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TPC is not responsible for what occurs in private sleeping rooms. The person to whom the room is rented will be held responsible for all activities and damages. If you are hosting an event, check the badges of those attending your gathering. If proof of illegal activities in a private sleeping room is brought to TPC's attention, we will ban all individuals involved and call in the local authorities.
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Sleeping Room Cleanliness: All odors and trash must be contained within guest rooms. If odors and/or unbagged trash are found in the halls outside your room, hotel and convention staff will intervene and act accordingly. Odorous materials must be bagged and sealed before being removed from room. Do not leave a smelly mess for hotel staff! If you are producing large amounts of trash, please bag them for the hotel staff.
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Hotel Cleanliness: Do not litter or leave a mess in any part of the hotel or disrupt hotel property. Always throw your trash away and help us keep the hotel neat.
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Smoking: Smoking of cigarettes or e-cigarettes is strictly prohibited in all public areas inside the hotel. Smoking is permitted only in specially-designated areas outside the hotel. If you are smoking outside, please be courteous and step away from the doors so your smoke is not swept back inside. Please also properly dispose of your waste. Do not leave your cigarette butts on the ground for the hotel staff to pick up.
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Elevator Protocol: Only six (6) people are allowed in an elevator at one time (to prevent overloading). Do not hold the elevator by keeping the doors open for an extended period of time. Always allow fursuiters, the handicapped, and other hotel guests to enter the elevator first.
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Signs, Flyers, & Decorations: Signs and flyers may only be displayed in the convention's designated bulletin board area. Do not hang or leave signs/flyers in hotel space, near/in elevators, or mar or block TPC or hotel signage or they will be taken down and the event organizer(s) given a warning mark on their badge. Room signs that are appropriate to the general public (Rated G) may be hung on sleeping room doors with painter’s tape—make sure no damage is done to the doors or doorway). All signs, flyers, and decorations (including door signs) must be hung with painter’s tape.
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Minors & Parental Consent: Minors (anyone under the age of 18 as of the first day of the convention) attending the con without a parent or guardian are required to have a notarized copy of our Parental Consent form when they register at the convention (un-notarized if the parent/guardian is present at the time of registration). Children 12 and under must be accompanied at all times by their parent or legal guardian. Persons under the age of 14 need to have a parent or guardian present in the hotel for the duration of the convention. Minors caught with forged documents will be remanded into the custody of the local authorities.
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Forms of Identification Needed To Register: All persons registering for the convention MUST present one of the following forms of identification (no exceptions): passport, driver's license, US state- or foreign government-issued photo ID (official ID issued instead of a driver's license), or military photo ID. All identification must be valid (i.e. not past the expiration date) at the time of the convention. Minors under the age of 14 can use official copies of their birth certificate or other government-issued identification papers. Minors 14-17 years of age must bring one of the forms of identification listed above, in addition to their Parental Consent form.
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Convention Staff: TPC's staff members and the hotel staff are allowed to enforce TPC's Code of Conduct and the hotel's regulations at any time during the convention and during your stay at the hotel at their discretion. Enforcement may consist of badge warning marks, badge confiscation and ejection from the convention/hotel, permanent banning from future events, and/or possible arrest by local authorities. Attendees are required to respect and obey all convention staff and hotel employees at all times.
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Badges & Convention Access: All persons entering the convention space must be registered with the convention and clearly display their own badge. Any person found in the convention space without a badge will be escorted to our Registration department. Failure to register or leave the convention space will result in law enforcement intervention and a permanent ban. The badge you wear MUST be the officially-issued TPC badge you received when you registered. No loaning/borrowing of badges is allowed. Any person violating badge protocol will be warned, removed from the con, and/or issued a permanent ban.
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Video/Audio, Photography, and Media Relations: Attendees may record video/audio portions of the convention for personal use ONLY and must receive consent from their subjects to record them. Tiny Paws, Inc. retains all rights to any/all video footage of the convention. Individuals may NOT publicly post or distribute video/audio footage, whole or in part, without the expressed written consent of Tiny Paws, Inc.
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All attendees confer the rights to their image and voice, as taken by official TPC photographers and videographers, to be used for promotional and historical use without compensation by TPC. Attendees voluntarily submitting photos and/or video/audio footage to TPC give consent to have their works used by the convention for promotional and historical use. Photos or video/audio footage of items in TPC Charity Raffle and Auction, or any item for sale in the Dealer Room are strictly prohibited.
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Members of the media may not seek out, interview, photograph, or film hotel or convention guests, attendees, or staff for publicly-available recordings or accounts without the expressed written consent of Tiny Paws, Inc. Anyone who violates these terms, or falsely claims to represent Tiny Paws, Inc. will have all video/image devices confiscated and will be escorted from the premises.
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Release of Liability - Personal Belongings: Neither Tiny Paws, Inc. nor the hotel shall be responsible for any items lost or damaged in the public areas of the hotel, in the hotel's parking lot, nor in any other parking area used during attendance at TPC. All attendees will take responsibility for their own possessions. If another attendee damages your possessions, it is your responsibility to seek recompense from them directly. If you are keeping valuable items (especially fursuits and computers) in your sleeping room, keep your "Do Not Disturb" sign on the outside of your door at all times. Tiny Paws, Inc., likewise, shall not be held accountable for any damage or theft which occurs to fursuits or other personal possessions left in public areas. Tiny Paws, Inc. shall not be held accountable for any damages caused by attendees. If an attendee damages hotel property, they shall be held personally accountable for their actions and for repaying any debts incurred.
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Release of Liability - Personal Injury: Neither Tiny Paws, Inc. nor the hotel shall be responsible for any personal injury which occurs due to personal negligence (such as horseplay or rough-housing) or a lack of sturdy, closed-toe footwear. Despite the convention and hotel's precautions, mishaps sometimes occur. If you are injured and need medical attention, we will do what we can to help you contact medical professionals, but we cannot provide medical care for our attendees.
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Release of Liability - Equipment Donations: Any items loaned to TPC for use during the convention are loaned at the owner's risk. We will do our best to prevent your equipment from getting damaged or lost, but please accept that accidents can happen. If you are loaning equipment to the convention, please mark it with a printed label or write your contact information on masking tape attached to the item and any accessories so they may be returned to you. Be prepared to have your badge or other identification checked by the event's staff before you are allowed to remove equipment from the room.
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Lost and Found: Any items found at the convention may be turned in to Con Ops. Tiny Paws, Inc. will hold any items turned in until they are claimed by their owner. If the item is not reclaimed during the convention, a notice will be posted on the TPC website/social media. Any items remaining unclaimed after a reasonable amount of time will become TPC's property.
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Selling Merchandise/Services: Merchandise or services may only be sold at the convention in the Expo, by the guidelines governing those areas. State laws forbid the selling of merchandise or services outside of the convention's designated areas without the proper permits.
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Tiny Paws Con is a privately run event and reserves the right to refuse admission to any individual for any reason. If you are removed from the convention for any reason and your admission revoked, you will not be issued a refund of your registration fees.