CONPOSSIBLE MEMBER CODE OF CONDUCT (2025) As a volunteer, member, and attendee of the CONpossible convention (the “Convention”) you agree to follow this Code of Conduct during your entire time at the Convention. To put it in a nutshell, you may not do anything which is illegal, impolite, immoral, or harmful to the event, the hotel, or any representatives or guests thereof. Please be sure to read this policy and understand how it applies to you. Any questions or requests for clarification can be addressed by email.

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General Info

You MUST wear your membership badge at all times to be admitted to any convention function. Children 5 years or younger do not need a badge, but may wish to pick up a wristband at Registration. This is not required, but may help avoid being asked if the child is 5 or under by our Guardians (Safety), who will be looking for badges. ​Children under the age of 16 need to be accompanied by a parent or guardian. While we do offer a variety of fun kids programming, we do not offer daycare services. Children attending any Youth Academy events will need to have a waiver signed by a parent or legal guardian, which will be provided at Registration when picking up your badges. We expect any unaccompanied individuals at the Convention to be old enough to understand and behave the Convention rules & policies, or bear the consequences of failing to do so. We politely request that all parents or guardians of an underage attendee plan ahead to attend panels as a family, understanding that they are solely responsible for their children at all times.

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Membership badges may ONLY be transferred to another attendee prior to attending the event and after following the correct procedures as outlined by event staff. If you have lost your badge or suspect it was stolen, you may visit the Registration table during normal operating hours to see if it has been turned in. If so, we will reunite you with your lost badge or print you a new one. If it has not, you may purchase a replacement badge of the same type. If you find your badge at a later time, you are not eligible for a refund for the replacement. You cannot give or sell or transfer in any way your badge or membership to anyone else once you have picked it up from Registration.

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Please be considerate of those needing special assistance and allow them access to the areas set aside for them. Please do not sit in seats or areas marked for their use. If you would like to request special assistance, you may visit the Disability Services area and speak to the appropriate representative there.

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The Convention and its representatives are not responsible for any lost, stolen or damaged property, or for injuries sustained during the course of the Convention. Please comport yourselves appropriately.

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Conduct

CONpossible is an all-ages event. Please keep all behavior of an adult nature or which polite society might find offensive in public in your hotel rooms.
 

Possession of alcoholic beverages by anyone under the age of 21 is grounds for expulsion from the convention without refund. Possession or use of any illegal drug, narcotic or banned substance as defined by state and federal laws will not be permitted by ANYONE, and is likewise grounds for expulsion from the convention without refund.
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We reserve the right to ask you to leave the convention and refuse to refund your membership if you exhibit any of the following activities and behaviors:

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1. Harassment of any kind toward our members, guests, volunteers, hotel staff, or the public will not be tolerated. This includes both physical and verbal harassment, provoking, threatening, annoying, unwelcome attention or contact (regarding a person or property), taking video or photography without consent, stalking, aggressive or confrontational actions, use of physical force which in any way creates a disturbance that is disruptive or dangerous, hate speech as well as any boisterous, lewd or generally offensive behavior or language, using sexually explicit or offensive language or conduct, or profanity, obscene gestures or racial, religious or ethnic slurs, or other such behavior. These policies also apply to electronic communication in any of our official groups, pages, or communities. 

2. Sexist, racist, homophobic, transphobic, ageist, or any other demeaning or degrading commentary or remarks have no place at any of our events. This additionally applies to costumes, graphic tees, badges and buttons. Costuming, hate speech or gestures (to include those gestures commonly used by known hate groups), or any other means of displaying hate will not be tolerated.

3. Engaging in disruptive and unsafe behavior that disturbs members, guests of the Convention, volunteers and staff, the public or hotel staff will not be permitted. Any situation involving a physical altercation will be immediately turned over to local law enforcement.

4. Distribution of alcoholic beverages to any person under the age of 21 will not be permitted.

5. Any behaviors or engagement in activities prohibited by law will not be permitted.

6. Any act which could result in substantial risk of harm to people or property, or theft will not be permitted.

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You are ALWAYS responsible for your own behavior, regardless of "what your character would do."

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Cosplay is NOT consent. Please ask permission before taking pictures.

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NO means NO, without exception. All Convention participants are expected to ask for and receive clear and enthusiastic consent before any sort of physical contact or interaction with others. Enthusiastic consent can be as simple as “Yes!” to a clearly asked question. More complex situations may require more discussion, especially with people you are somewhat unfamiliar with or haven’t seen in a while. Continued interaction with any con goer after a NO will be considered harassment, and the perpetrator will be asked to leave the convention without a refund. If you are uncertain if consent has been given or confused about another participant’s boundaries, that is always to be considered a NO and until clear consent has been received no further interaction is permissible.

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We expect attendees to be mindful of those around them. Alternative History and Speculative Fiction appeals to a diverse group. We vary in race, age, belief, sexual orientation, personal style, body size, ability, and many more variants too numerous to fully list. When attending any event, whether in person or online, be mindful of not only who you are specifically interacting with, but those around you as well. We are an inclusive group by nature and should be celebrating everyone’s own uniqueness in our speech, gestures, and actions.

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Costuming & Attire

Convention participants are encouraged to dress up in whatever theme they’d like, including genres outside what is generally considered “Steampunk” – however, the Convention reserves the right to deem a costume unacceptable (eg, costumes must be street legal and suitable for all audiences, adhere to venue and county health & safety ordinances, must not promote hate speech or violence, etc.), and may request the wearer make modifications as necessary. In addition, the Convention venue may enforce their own dress codes, so please plan accordingly.

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PROPS & WEAPONS

CONpossible has a clear NO WEAPONS policy which will be enforced in all convention areas. All prop weapons must be non-working and peace bonded. This includes props or weapons with sharp or pointed edges. You can get your props or weapons peace bonded by visiting Convention Operations or asking our Convention Guardians. Functional projectile prop weapons – such as nerf guns, water pistols, ping-pong pistols, etc – may not be used outside of officially sanctioned areas, such as in the case of an officially moderated and supervised prop duel held outside. Any damage caused to the hotel or convention property by an individual will be the sole responsibility of that individual, and all repairs and expenses incurred will be their responsibility alone. Bladed weapons must be cased or sheathed at all times.

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We expect you to use good judgment and not wield your props in an offensive or careless manner. Failure to exercise good judgment may result in your props being confiscated until the end of the convention. With your kind attention to these rules we can continue to allow peace-bonded weapons at future Conventions.

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Real firearms are not allowed at CONpossible. This includes those attendees who maintain a Georgia Weapons Carry License or a similar permit from another state. Convention Guardians, hotel security, and local law enforcement officials will treat anything that looks like a real weapon as a weapon. Attendees who choose to ignore this policy may be asked to leave the Convention and will have their membership revoked. (Sworn law enforcement are excused from this policy.)

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GATEKEEPING IS NOT ALLOWED. There is no “one way” or “right way” to cosplay. CONpossible represents #EveryPunk, and encourages all attendees to take their own spin on Steampunk and her sister ‘punks, or any other fandom represented at our Convention, so long as it meets the stated guidelines on appropriate apparel as detailed above. There will be no gatekeeping or elitism at any of our events. Unwelcome or unsolicited criticism of cosplay, costumes, or props is unacceptable.

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Venue

​Please do NOT damage the hotel or any convention property. Those who do so will be responsible for all repairs and expenses incurred. Remember, we are all guests here. Keeping a good relationship with our venue helps us to continue putting on conventions in the future. Please do not abuse our hotels or convention facilities. This includes putting signs on walls. The Convention provides fan tables for groups who would like to set out flyers, cards, or swag, and acquiring one of these can be done by reaching out to event organizers and filling out the request form. Additional places to hang or set out flyers or notices will be provided by the Convention, so we kindly ask you to bring your items to the Registration desk to receive direction on where they can be placed. If you are trying to get the word out about a room party or other unofficial event, you may also drop off a flyer with Information Services. Failure to work with the Convention's direction on this matter may result in your carefully designed handouts being cleared by hotel staff and placed in the trash. Further, if your behavior is found to be obstructive or damaging to the venue, Convention, or other attendees, you may be asked to leave.

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What to Do if Something Happens

We take the safety of our attendees very seriously. If at any time anyone feels that these policies have been violated, please contact one of the Convention Guardians. They will investigate any incidents where you may feel harassed, harmed, or unsafe. Your information will always be held in strictest confidence, but some details may be shared with Convention organizers and HR if it is deemed a new rule, guideline, or decisive action must be taken to keep the Convention safe. All reports will be reviewed and addressed on an individual basis and done so objectively. If the situation warrants it, or if a clear law has been broken, the proper authorities will be notified.

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CONpossible reserves the right to revoke or suspend memberships and badges. If you break a Convention rule, you may be removed from the Convention, either temporarily (to sober up, perhaps) or for the rest of the Convention. If you break the law – city, state or federal – you may be arrested. If you have been accused of harassment and feel that you were treated unfairly you may appeal to the Convention chairperson, but that decision will be final.

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Finally, it is very important that if you are being harassed or are in any way endangered, you report it immediately. We cannot address anything that we are not made aware of, and we need whatever detail can be provided, such as names, badge numbers, or other descriptive information. If you feel unsafe, please find the nearest volunteer. They will direct you to Convention Operations or a Convention Guardian. If, at any time, you feel that your personal safety or the safety of others is in jeopardy, please contact the Gwinnett County Police Department in an emergency via 911. The Gwinnett County Police Department non-emergency phone number is 770-513-5700. 

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As a member, if you see someone being harassed or taking inappropriate photos (where the target of the photo is unaware), we encourage you to speak up and say something. As a community, we need to look out for one another, and make sure everyone is treated with respect.

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If you would like more information about the Convention’s policy on harassment, or what to do if you think you have been subject to harassment, please email us.​