Artists Alley Specific Policies
Last Updated : April 2, 2023
Please read both Artists Alley Specific Policies AND Vendor Hall Policies
Hours: Subject to change, Artists’ Alley will be open 10am-6pm on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
Who to contact: The Artists’ Alley Coordinator and Staff are responsible for the Artists’ Alley. If there is a question or concern that arises and no Artists’ Alley Staff member is available in the Alley, please find any member of staff or security to contact them.
Space: Space in the Artists’ Alley is available strictly on a first-come, first-served basis. There will be no charge for space in the Alley. Each artisan will be assigned a single chair and a half-table space in which to work on projects and offer their wares for sale. Since the tables are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis; the number of spaces will be limited to the number of tables in the Alley.
Space in the Alley cannot be reserved. Artisans will be permitted to leave their space for short breaks (up to 20 minutes), however it is requested that if the artisan leaves for an extended period, that they take all possessions to free the space for another person. The staff will not be necessarily keeping track of times that an artisan is away from their table. If a space is noticed to be vacated for an extended period of time by the staff, the staff reserves the right to remove the contents of the space to ConOps and free the table for another artisan. When this happens, the original artisan may claim his or her possessions from the staff in Convention Operations. The original artisan is not entitled to their original space back.
If you sit in a seat that is designated for accessibility be aware you may be asked to move as long as there is another open seat available. As the Alley is first come, first serve if there are no seats available for you to move to you may keep your current spot.
Power: The Alley has no access to power in its current space.
Adult Works/NSFW: Material openly displayed in the Artists’ Alley must not exceed the PG-13 rating of the convention! Any material of an adult nature will be kept by the individual dealers in a closed folder or otherwise covered or unseen location. Additionally, any adult parts in the artwork must be covered in some fashion (Post-It notes work well for this). This satisfies State requirements about underage viewing and is discreet for purchasers. Artisans are responsible for keeping unsuitable material out of the hands of minors in the Alley. Minors will be clearly identifiable; a sample minor badge will be available in the Vendor Hall. In addition, if an artist is not of legal age to purchase adult material, they are not of legal age to sell adult material. Any underage artists found selling or offering adult works will be removed from the Alley, and face removal from the con.
Taxes: It is the intention of Furry Weekend Atlanta to remain within the law at all times. All artisans will be required to deduct and report 7% sales tax from their transactions. Furry Weekend Atlanta will NOT be providing register service – instead, we’ve arranged with the Georgia Department of Revenue to use a special Miscellaneous form, same as our dealers, to report sales tax that does NOT require artisans to have tax IDs. The form, Georgia Form FS-32 is exceptionally simple and should take less than 5 minutes at the end of the day to complete. Assistance will be available for those who need it. Artisans must, however, track their own sales.
Tax Document: https://dor.georgia.gov/documents/fs-32-miscellaneous-events
Other Rules and Notices:
- When you leave your space, make sure to take everything, including your trash. There will be trash cans provided in the room.
Please do not leave business cards/ promotional materials, or otherwise when you leave your table. - Furry Weekend Atlanta is not responsible for connecting artisans to convention attendees, however we will be keeping a list of current artisans posted as best we can at the Staff Table.
- Furry Weekend Atlanta is not responsible for missing and/or stolen items out of the Artists’ Alley.
- Please do not sit outside of Artists’ Alley waiting for a table to come free. This crowds the hall and entrance. Anyone caught sitting outside will be asked to move along.
- Large Signs which are possible to be knocked over and disturb fellow artists may not sit on top of the table.
- You are allowed to have hanging banners and colored tablecloths for your seat, so long as they do not extend outside your workable area. (3ft wide)
- Damaging (or “modifying”) tables in any way, shape, or form is not allowed. This includes modifying the tape that separates spaces.
- The sale of pirated material, copied material, or anything the artisan didn’t create themselves or of items that do not feature the artisan’s work. The Artists’ Alley is only for selling personal creations.
- No weapons. Exceptions can be made, but must be cleared through Security and the Dealers’ Den Director.
- No open sweet drinks. This includes cans and drinks with open-center dome lids.
- No eating in the Alley. Exceptions can be made for individually packaged foods, but if you need to eat a meal you must vacate your space and leave the Alley.
Failure to follow the rules: For the first offense, the artisan will be reminded of the rules and expected to comply quickly with them. For the second offense, the artisan may be removed from the room for a period of 12 hours. For the third offense, the artisan may be removed from the room for the convention.
Depending on the offense and action of the artisan, the staff reserves the right to remove the artisan from the room for any period of time deemed appropriate and/or report them to the board for further actions on the first and/or second offense.
Final Notes: Furry Weekend reserves the right to make changes to this policy as needed. The Artists’ Alley Coordinator will have final say over any disputes and will have discretionary powers in the Alley. Accepting space in the Alley constitutes acceptance of these policies.
FWA Vendor Policies
Last Updated : March 2, 2023
While unlikely, all policies are subject to change without advance notice. Policy changes may occur in response to venue requirements, state or local law, or convention function requirements.
Any questions concerning these policies can be sent to :
By purchasing space in the FWA Dealers Den, the FWA Artists Alley, or participating in the FWA Artists Alley, you agree that you have read and understand these policies.
Furry Weekend Atlanta General Attendee Convention Policies
https://www.furryweekend.com/attendee-policies/
Furry Weekend Atlanta Privacy Policies
https://www.furryweekend.com/privacy-policy/
As of 2022, the current coordinators for vendor spaces are as follows:
Kay Dracorex - Dealers Den Coordinator ([email protected])
Tommi Cat - Artists Alley Coordinator ([email protected])
FWA Vendor Space Definitions
Starting in 2023, the vendor spaces at Furry Weekend Atlanta have been organized into three categories in order to best meet the needs of individual vendors. All Dealers Den spaces will have access to wifi and electric power (conditions of which are TBA). Artists Alley will not have access to wifi or power.
These definitions do NOT necessarily mean separated vendor spaces. The location of each space will be determined in accordance to venue availability. Each vendor space will have clear signage and labeling on all FWA Maps and Applications, and will be announced at least 5 months before the convention.
- Dealers Den : This is the general vendor hall including furry businesses, publishers, and product makers who focus on goods such as fursuits, merchandise, plushies, prints, posters, books, etc. This space also includes the Adult Dealers Den.
- Artists Alley : This space functions similar to the Dealers Den just with a focus on artist accessibility. These tables and booths are built to be functional for commission artists who are creating art at-con as well as a focus on prints and individual made works that may want a clearer space with freelancer emphasis.There will be both Reserved tables and first come first serve tables in the Artists Alley area.
Artists Alley
Starting in 2023, the Furry Weekend Atlanta Artists Alley will be offering two kinds of spaces:
- First come first serve tables, the classic Artists Alley! These tables will allow artists to set up at-will according to table availability. Artists who vend in these areas will not need to pay for tables, but they will be expected to know and follow all Vendor Hall policies.
- Reserved tables. These tables can be applied for using the same application form as the Dealers Den, which opens on October 5th. These are single table spaces that follow all policies in this document that can be purchased before the convention, and belong to the artist through the duration of the event. Artists will not need to remove their displays at the end of the day (Reserved table areas will be secured at closing in accordance to the following policies) and will be selected by jury system by December 2022.
Vendor Booth/Table Sizes and Prices
| Booth Size | Space | Price | Includes |
| Artist Table | 8’ x 7’ | $150 | 1 Table, 2 Chairs |
| Small | 10′ x 10 ‘ | $250 | 1 Table, 2 Chairs |
| Medium | 20′ x 10′ | $450 | 2 Tables, 4 Chairs |
| Large | 30′ x 10′ | $650 | 3 Tables, 6 Chairs |
| Extra Large | 20′ x 20′ | $900 | 4 Tables, 8 Chairs |
For the Dealers Den Booths (not including Artists Tables) electric power will be provided. Wifi is available (at cost) directly through the Hyatt Regency. More information concerning Wifi will be sent to vendors directly.
Applications for Vendor Spaces
At this time, applications for the Vendor Hall spaces are Closed and the Waitlist is Entirely Full!
Applications require contact information, samples of works and products, and visual samples of potential setups.
As of FWA 2018, vendors for both the Dealers Den and for the Reserved Artist Alley are selected via a juried application system. A diverse group of FWA Staff from multiple departments, demographics, and professions assist in the selection process. The goal of this system is to ensure a diverse array of goods and services for our attendees while also making it easier for new vendors to secure vending space.
Vendors as well as Waitlist Vendors will be selected early December 2022.
The Waitlist is NOT in any particular order. Vendors will be pulled from the Waitlist and offered vendor spaces based on diversity and product needs of the vendor areas. We are unable to provide an estimate as to if or when a vendor on the Waitlist may be offered space.
There will be separate Waitlists for the Dealers Den and for Reserved Artist Alley tables.
Portfolio
We are asking that every prospective dealer or artist submit a portfolio showcasing a selection of their goods or services. The portfolio could be pictures that show your work or links to a website that displays your work.
Adult content in portfolios is acceptable. All members of the jury are of legal age and are comfortable viewing adult material for selection.
What We Look For:
- Quality: We want to offer the best to our attendees, so we will look at the overall quality of your product.
- Variety: We want to offer a large selection of products to our attendees. We will look at diversity in your work as well as the overall diversity of products in the Dealers Den.
- Quantity: In order to supply the large number of attendees we have every year, it is important that our dealers be able to provide an appropriate amount of product.
- Previous dealer experience: While previous experience is not necessary, if you have been a dealer with FWA or another con please let us know. If you have photos of your previous tables available, please include them with your application.
- Prior violations of FWA policies will also be factored into the decision.
Acceptance and Payment for Vendor Spaces
When accepted, vendors will be contacted via email by FWA staff. There will be a two week period for vendors to pay for their respective spaces and fill out the FWA Vendor Survey, which contains questions about vendor needs. This survey is critical to ensuring vendors requiring accessibility assistance are properly accommodated.
Vendors were required to pay for their vending space no later than December 31st, 2022
Any vendors who do not respond to contact or deliver payment by the above date forfeited their acceptance.
Refunds
Refunds for vendor space were offered until February 15th, 2023.
The budget for the convention and the supplies, maps, and staffing of the vendor halls depend on vendor selection being consistent after this date. Thusly, FWA cannot offer refunds after February 15th, 2023.
For any questions regarding refunds, please contact [email protected]
Membership
Vendor tables do not include membership registrations. Please be advised that you will need to purchase registration separately! You will not be permitted to vend at FWA in any capacity without valid Registration.
https://www.furryweekend.com/registration/
The vendor areas will have exclusive registration at load-in, where vendors can go to pick up badges during the set up hours. This is to save vendors from needing to wait in the general registration line. Vendors will also be provided a vendor tag and bright lanyard. Each vendor will have allocated vendor badges according to their staff count. These badges are tags that must be worn in addition to the convention wristbands in vendor areas.
General Vendor Information
Space
Each table will have a table cloth, skirt, and two chairs. Each booth has a number of tables acceptable for its floorspace. If you need additional cloths (to cover merchandise), it is advised to bring your own as there may be a limit to the number of cloths provided by the venue.
We have tried to maximize the number of dealers that can attend, and, as a result, we must ask that all dealers keep the aisles clear and passages open. Stored and displayed items must not impede traffic flow, both in front of and behind tables. We have a maximum limit of two people behind each table.
Display constraints depend on the vendor booth size and area. Vendors are not allowed to extend outside their booth or table space measure.
Dealers Den vendors are permitted displays upwards of ten feet in height off the table. Tents, light displays, etc. are permitted in the Dealers Den.
The Artists Alley (including Reserved artist tables) are permitted displays up to six feet off the table. These displays are encouraged to emphasize the artist’s work and not to block or crowd surrounding artists.
Venue
Starting in 2023, Furry Weekend Atlanta will be expanding! The convention will occur across multiple spaces, all connected by short skybridges. The main hotel room block will open before vendor selection in order to allow vendors to acquire boarding. Additional room blocks will open between November 2022 and the date of the event, with many diverse rooms available! Traversal from the furthest end of the event to the other is about a 10 minute walk, as confirmed by the Dealers Den Coordinator. All available space has accessibility access and recommendations.
The Vendor Hall areas will be located in the Hyatt Regency.
The Initial FWA Room Block will open in November 2022, with an additional block opening later in 2022.
More information about specific vendor space locations will be provided in accordance to venue policy.
Details about load in, load out, and at-con expectations will be given directly to vendors via the vendor newsletter. This is to protect the security of vendors as well as their materials.
If you have any questions or immediate concerns, please contact [email protected].
Any issues with your room reservations should be directed to the hotel with the note that you are navigating your FWA 2023 room block.
Hotel
FWA Dealers Den Vendors will be ensured a hotel room at one of the FWA event hotels.
It is strongly recommended that vendors aim to acquire a room via the general room block openings, announced on the website and on twitter through the end of 2022. This will ensure that vendors acquire the room type, size, and bed count they desire.
However, if an accepted vendor is not able to acquire a room, FWA will be able to provide vendors available rooms at one of the convention hotels according to what is available. Attempts will be made to meet vendor requests for room specifics, but cannot be guaranteed.
All rooms available for vendors will be within reasonable distance from the Vendor Hall. All convention areas are within five minutes from the main event hotel, the Marriott Marquis. There is effective disability access to and through all skybridges to all areas of the event.
Vendor rooms were distributed during the month of February. Please contact [email protected] for any questions.
Vendor Assistants
Vendors will be permitted to have assistants/staff to accompany them in managing their booths. Furry Weekend Atlanta asks that vendors confirm their assistants names and information no less than three weeks prior to the event. Surveys will be sent to gather this information from vendors. This is to maintain security in the vendor areas and ensure we provide the proper number of vendor badges to the correct people. Vendors are limited to “one assistant per chair”, so each table will allow for two people total. This also applies to Artists Alley Reserved and First come first serve tables.
Please contact [email protected] for any questions about assistants or if you need additional accessibility or alternating assistance during the event.
It is critical to security that Vendor Hall coordinators are aware of who is meant to be in vendor areas.
Example:
If WawaWolfy has purchased a small booth in the Dealers Den, they can invite their friend BoogleGoogleMcSmoogle to assist them at the table. They may NOT also invite Boogle’s partner JimJams to assist at the same time. If Wawa wants Boogle and Jim to alternate during the event (Boogle helping on Friday, Jim helping on Saturday), they MUST contact the Coordinator at least 3 weeks in advance.
Display Guidelines and Behavior in General Vendor Spaces
Please remember that not everyone may share your tastes, and that your behavior is representative of the entire fandom. In accordance with state law, we must require that any adult material must not be displayed openly; for example, art/print dealers we request, where applicable, that two separate binders (“general”, “adult”) be kept. Additionally, any “naughty” parts of art must be covered in some fashion (Post-It notes work well for this). This satisfies State requirements about underage viewing and is discreet for purchasers. Vendors are responsible for keeping unsuitable material out of the hands of minors in the vendor areas. Minors will be clearly identifiable according to their registration.
In addition to the above rule, we have several other regulations which we ask vendors to abide by:
- No space may be resold or transferred without permission from the Dealers Den Coordinator.
- No loud or annoying displays will be permitted. Any loud noises will be multiplied by the dynamics of the room, so please keep audio at a reasonable volume.
- No pirated works may be sold in the vendor areas. Anything that you sell that is not entirely your creation should have permission from all other parties before selling.
- Free standing displays or stands may not be used in any way that causes a safety issue or clogs the walkway. If you plan on using a stand or display with your table, please inform the Dealers Den Coordinator so it can be positioned in a way as to not cause problems.
- No weapons may be sold in the vendor spaces. Actual or replica weapons may not be sold in the vendor spaces. Prop weapons that comply with the FWA weapons policy may be sold. Please contact [email protected] if you have questions about our weapons policy.
- No more than two people may be behind a single table at any given time.
- Please keep your area clean and take your trash with you when you close up each night.
The Coordinators will have final say on all disputes in the vendor areas. You can appeal to a Director, but they will likely decide in favor of the Coordinator. All Furry Weekend Atlanta Policies apply.
Adult Dealers Den
The Adult Dealers Den will be contained in a separate area from general vending spaces. Staff and security will be posted to check both badges AND government issued IDs at entry. NO ONE UNDER THE AGE OF 18 IS PERMITTED IN THE ADULT DEALERS DEN.
Vendors and buyers in the Adult Dealers Den are expected to behave professionally, follow state law, and be respectful of each other and general audiences. Products purchased in the Adult Dealers Den should be bagged when in general convention spaces. FWA is an all-ages event, and while Adult materials are welcome, they must be contained appropriately according to the law.
Booth Sharing
Single Booths and tables may be split between two individual dealers. However, the second dealer must go through the application process just as the first dealer. Once they have been approved, the second dealer will be listed on the Convention App with their own profile if desired. Each dealer will need to apply, and can request to be seated next to another dealer.
This also applies to Reserved Artists Alley tables. Both artists at a table must go through the application process in order to share a reserved table.
Hours
Friday-Saturday
9am Open for Vendor setup
10am-6pm OPEN to public
Sunday
10am-5pm
6pm-7pm Vendor Cleanup
Dealers Den and Artists Alley will all have the same hours.
Internet and Power
Single power outlets will be available for all Dealers Den Booths in the Vendor Hall free of charge. Specialized power for dedicated machines will be an extra charge directly from the Hyatt. This will also be the case for Wifi. FWA is unable to provide specialized power or internet to vendors, and the cost is determined by the Hyatt 3rd party management. Any questions can be sent to [email protected].
Security and Safety
The most important part of Furry Weekend Atlanta is that everyone is safe at all times.
The vendor areas of FWA will be staffed at all open hours. When not open, vendor areas will be secured with hotel/event personnel patrol.
Do not, under any circumstances, leave cash or other valuables inside of the vendor areas that you may need after closing. This includes laptops, personal appliances, or medication. Once the vendor areas are closed and secured, it may not be possible to reopen them. FWA staff may not be available to assist you after hours, and hotel staff and security may not have the authority to allow you access. Please keep this in mind as you leave the vendor areas.
All vendor spaces will be required to comply with all security and safety policies of the convention. Violence, harassment, racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, and other forms of harmful behavior will not be tolerated. Products and behavior will apply and any violation of FWA policies may lead to vendor removal from the vendor spaces and convention without warning or refund.
Accessibility
All vendor spaces at Furry Weekend Atlanta are deliberately structured to be as accessible as possible for people of all shapes, sizes, needs, and backgrounds. It is important to us that vendors with any particular accessibility needs have those needs acknowledged and met as soon as possible. Please be sure to contact [email protected] and [email protected] if you have any particular needs in your vendor area.
We are happy to build these accommodations. No disability, need, or assistance is a hassle or a burden. The diversity of this fandom is what makes it beautiful and the vendor Coordinators are here to facilitate you.
If you have any questions concerning accessibility at the general convention, please contact
Communication
Starting for the 2023 event, Coordinators will use automated emails for frequent cadence to vendors as well as using the official FWA website (furryweekend.com) and Twitter (@furryweekend) to provide information, announcements, and collect feedback and vendor status. Please be sure that your email system does NOT block any furryweekend domain emails. You may receive information from the following sources:
FWA is a fully volunteer staff, and the Coordinators of the vendor spaces may not immediately respond to emails. If you do not hear back from them in three business days, please attempt to contact again before escalating. Twitter is not a reliable way to contact the vendor Coordinators. If you have an issue with any of the vendor processes for FWA 2023, please contact the Coordinators first to find an effective resolution.
Specialized Vendor Spaces
Furry business vendors of board games and video games may be considered for vendor spaces in other areas. Please contact [email protected] for questions and details.
Taxes
According to the Georgia Department of Revenue, dealers at Furry Weekend Atlanta do not need to obtain Tax IDs or business licenses. Dealers at Furry Weekend Atlanta are classified as “Itinerant Vendors” under the Georgia Tax Code and will still need to deduct and report Georgia State and Fulton County sales taxes.
Vendors will need to fill and submit the FS-32 Tax Form at the tax rate of the event
https://dor.georgia.gov/fs-32-miscellaneous-events
At the time of this policy update, the tax rate for Fulton County is 8.5%
PLEASE VERIFY THIS TAX RATE BEFORE SUBMISSION OF THE FORM!
Vendor Coordinator staff do not have professional tax experience, and cannot provide additional feedback or assistance concerning the tax rate or forms required in Fulton County, Georgia.
Due to the fluctuating nature of a county sales tax rate in addition to a sales tax rate, it is prudent that vendors check the month of the event to ensure no additional forms or rates will be required. Forms will not be provided at the event at this time due to these possible fluctuations.
Adult Only Event Vendors
Additional information and policies for Adult Only Events will be available closer to the FWA 2023 event. Please email [email protected] with any questions.
