If you are an artist interested in reserving a table in Artists Alley, please familiarize yourself with the following policies before submitting your application for a table. We have recently revised our Artists Alley Policies, so please take the time to read and understand all of the rules and guidelines below.

Artist Etiquette

• Be courteous and considerate to your neighboring artists.
• Do not play music too loudly or make loud sounds that would disturb those around you.
• No yelling will be tolerated in the Artists Alley. Do not yell out for people to come visit your table. People will make their way around the Artists Alley without artists needing to announce themselves.
• Do not use space that you did not pay for. This includes setting items or displays on a table that is not yours without permission and lying around behind or beside artist tables. If you have friends that want to hang out, they must be behind your table and not hindering other artists’ business.
• If you see something suspicious, please report it to the Artists Alley staff or Security. This includes people taking items without permission or people sleeping under tables, etc.
• The Golden Rule: If you don’t have anything nice to say, then don’t say anything at all. Your thoughts about your neighbors work should be kept to yourself if you have nothing good to say. Artists should stick together and support one another, rather than putting each other down.

Table Reservations

Reserved tables may be used for the duration of the convention. There are no single day reservations available. Animazement is not responsible for any lost materials, so please make sure you have someone to watch your table at all times when in use. It is a good idea to have several people manning one table so you can take turns and get a chance to eat, sleep, and enjoy the convention. Remember, you are responsible for your own belongings!

Table trades, deals, swaps, etc. made without consent and confirmation of Animazement staff will not be honored. Don’t lose your opportunity to show off your work by doing something shady. This means that you CANNOT transfer your table to a friend, and you CANNOT sell your table for more money than you paid for your table. If you must forfeit your table, please tell us first and we will work it out.

1. Table Types:

• Artist Alley Ballroom Table: These tables will be $20 for a half table and $40 for a full table. These tables are located in Ballroom C and will be sharing a room with the Art Show. There will be set hours that this room will open and close. You may leave items in the room. However, if you leave prior to closing time, it is your responsibility if you end up losing items. This room does not have wireless internet available in it. Do not expect to have access to any electrical outlets. No one will be granted access after hours. Do not leave anything important behind, you will not be allowed back in to get it until opening time.
• Artist Alley Balcony Table: These tables will be $60 each, and are located on the balcony in front of the Main Events Ballroom. There are a limited number of Balcony tables, and these will only be sold as full tables, half tables are not available. This area will be open during the regular convention hours of operation. However, if you leave your table unattended, it will be your responsibility if you end up losing items. So please be prepared to take everything with you when you leave, if you are assigned a Balcony Table. There will be wireless internet available at these tables. Do not expect to have access to any electrical outlets. These tables are VERY limited, so if you want one, apply early! You may request a balcony table when you apply, however, you may not get your first choice. You will be notified of your assignment before you are invoiced. We will not charge you balcony table rates unless you have been assigned to one.

2. Payment information

• You will be invoiced once your application has been processed and accepted. You will hear back from us about acceptance or denial within 14 days. Please give us time to look through all applications.
• Please be prepared to pay promptly online with a credit card, once you receive an invoice from us.
• The credit card holder does not need to be the same person who the table is registered under. If you are under 18 and do not have a credit card, it is OK for your parents to pay with their card and have the table under your name.
• Debit cards that can be used as credit cards are fine. (Example: If there is a Visa logo in the corner of your debit card, you can use it as credit.)

3. Table sharing is fine as long as you only use the space you paid for.

4. Electricity will not be provided. Do not count on your table having any electricity.

If you bring laptops, please charge them ahead of time or try to plan accordingly prior to entering the convention center. Wireless will be free in the common areas of the convention center, but not in the ballroom.

5. You may not purchase more than 1 Full Table per registrant.

You may not purchase more than 1 Full Table per registrant, due to high demand and a very limited number of tables. If you are in a group that would need more space than this, have the other people in your group register a table and request to sit next to each other. But, please keep in mind that each artist can only have their artwork displayed on 1 table max.

6. All location assignments are final.

You may not ask to move your table once you know your location. Tables are selected by lottery so everyone has a chance to be in better spots.

7. The specific person who registers for the table MUST be the person who checks in at the table.

Please bring a Photo ID to check in. Unless there is a special circumstance which must be discussed with Artists Alley Staff prior to the convention, this will be an unbendable rule.

8. If an artist must cancel their table after it has been paid for, you MUST contact Artists Alley prior to the convention.

All tables are non-transferable between artists unless formally arranged by the Animazement Artists Alley. Do not tell your friend that they can have your table without talking to us first. Under no circumstances will table reselling be tolerated. There is a waitlist, and other artists that have completed registration are waiting in line.

9. Artists Alley reserves the right to FULL DISCRETION of whether or not you have broken any rules that have been listed.

We will decide whether or not you only deserve a warning or if you will be removed from the artists alley without a refund. Being banned from the artists alley does not mean you are banned from the convention unless you have done something that we deem extremely inappropriate or not allowed based on the Artists Alley Rules.

Table Waitlist Policy

Any table reservations that are unclaimed after 3pm on Friday will be made available on a first come first serve basis. We will take an online waitlist by emailing This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it but this waitlist will be dissolved 1 month prior to the convention. If no one forfeits a table by that point, the waitlist will be first come, first serve at the con only.

Overbooked Registration Policy

We do not expect any overbooking, as we will only invoice artists whose applications have been accepted and have been assigned a table.

Late Table Check-In

Tables not claimed during Artists Alley Check-In Hours will be made available to artists on the waitlist. If you know you will be unable to check in during our normal check-in hours, please email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it as soon as possible to make arrangements for a late check-in.

Artists Alley Table Specs

Each table is 8 feet by 2.5 feet, so your display should not take more than 4'x2.5' if you bought half a table. Each table will only get a MAX of 2 chairs per table. If you have more than 2 artists at a table, please do not bring extra chairs, just work out a way to watch the table in shifts while others enjoy the convention. This may change prior to the convention.

What is acceptable content for sale in Artist Alley?

• All work sold on Artists Alley must somehow relate to Japanese Culture. Animazement’s mission is to enlighten and educate people about Japanese Culture and the same goes for the Artists Alley. It is not only a place for artists to showcase their work, but also a place where people can learn about the different sub-styles within Japanese styled artwork. **** Clarification: Work that we encourage on the artists alley is work inspired by and relating to Japan in some way, shape or form. If the committee cannot see a link to Japan in the very least, then your work will be questioned. But if you do have specific questions, do not hesitate to send us examples of your work to look at prior to registration. Example of what is NOT OK: Realistic rendering of Jack Sparrow from a photo.
• All artwork MUST be done by the artist(s) present at the table. Original artwork is always encouraged.
• Prints of original work are allowed (unlimited).
• Fan Art is allowed as long as the work has originality and artistic merit. If we see any Fan Art that is a direct copy from an art book or copy written (official artwork), then you will be asked to pack-up and leave the Artists Alley. You will not get a refund for your table, but you may still attend the convention.
• Prints of Fan Art are allowed as long as they meet the criteria above.
• Crafts or merchandise with copyrighted logos will NOT be allowed. For example, do not put the Zelda Triforce logo on a bag, button or anything. This would be considered bootlegging. The same goes for the Soul Eater Logo, Gurren Lagann Logo, and anything else similar.
• Commissioned 2D artwork will be allowed. If working in paint or marker, please be careful not to spill or mark on anything that is the convention center’s property. Commissioned 3D artwork may NOT be done at the convention. We have had problems in the past with engraving, air brushing, etc. So please do not ask if you can do any of those things on demand.
• Fiber Arts (clothing or plushies) are allowed only if there is obvious artistic merit. This means that if you bought a top hat from the doll section at the craft store and glue ribbon on it, it is not allowed. If you hand-crafted each piece from scratch, it is allowed. For Fiber Arts, we will judge on a case to case basis whether or not the work being sold pertains to Japanese Culture and whether the work has artistic merit. You will be required to submit a link to images or a website with your work on it when you register for a table. If you are unsure, you can email us, or just submit photos with your table registration. We will contact you if we see any problems with your work--but if you don't hear back from us, then your work is fine.
• The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act that affects those who make plushie toys and plushie hats has been put into affect as of 2009. You may NOT sell items that are aimed at children ages 12 and under without having it approved and tested by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. So anything sold in Artist Alley MUST be sold as a collectible, therefore, the targeted/recommended age for products sold out of Artist Alley is 13 and up. We will not be held responsible for those who do not follow these rules. We recommend that everyone who is selling toys younger children would want buy to ask the child to bring their parent or guardian to buy the item for them so that the parent or guardian can make the decision rather than the child. For more information on this, please reference the CPSIA website.
• Cosplay Items (i.e. Cat ears, cat tails, elf ears…) and Trinkets (i.e. Buttons, pins, etc.) are only allowed if they are not the only items being sold and must be in limited quantities - maximum of 30 of each item sold per day. Otherwise, we consider them to be mass produced. They also must meet the Fiber Arts requirements above. Example: The plushies you buy in the dealers room are hand made by people in other countries, but are considered mass produced. If there isn't a "rarity" factor to them, they are considered mass produced.
• No Chainmail will be allowed. It is not Japanese nor relevant to Japanese Culture. Chainmail begain in Renaissance Europe, and was an imported phenomenon in Japan for a short-lived period of time.
• Printing photos or prints on the spot, etching, airbrushing, etc. will not be allowed in the convention center. Please prepare everything you will sell ahead of time. Do not make these items on the spot for people. You can take orders and get the information from people and ship them the products you do not have or give them a web address they can visit for inquiry.
• Pins, buttons, badges, bookmarks, and the like, are allowed as long as they are not mass produced. This means that you have a limited quantity and should not have over 30 of each to sell PER DAY. If this is a problem, please consider supply/demand when pricing your products.
• Club tables and other Anime Conventions are allowed to promote in the Artists Alley, but these tables are on a first-come, first-served basis. These tables are also limited, so please inquire ASAP.
• Printing out the same designs on T-shirts year after year and selling them at the con does NOT qualify you for Artist Alley. This is now considered appropriate in our Dealers' Room only.
• You may NOT sell raffle tickets for a raffle. You may give away tickets for a raffle, but you may not sell them.
• No Food or Drink is allowed to be sold in the Artists Alley.
• Large Vendors, publishers, and merchants of commercially marketed products, please refer to our Dealers' Room page for further information. If you have a question about whether or not something you wish to sell is acceptable, please email the Artist Alley Coordinator ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ).
• Gamers who want to set up a system to play will not be allowed on Artists Alley. If you are interested in hosting a gaming booth, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and inquire about helping out in the Game Room.

Adult-oriented artwork

All artwork is welcome, however, Animazement is a family oriented convention. ALL adult themed artwork must be in a clearly marked folder or section thereof, and must not be publicly displayed at the table. If someone looks through your adult art folder and leaves it open, it is up to the artist to close the folder or flip back to an acceptable section.

Do I have to pay for the Convention Registration and pay for the Artists Alley Table?

Yes. To enter the convention you MUST Register and have a Con Badge to Check-in for Artists Alley. There will not be any tables available for use for free by artists. Any tables that are not yet reserved will be sold at the con on a first-come, first-served basis. Check the Artist Alley Check-In table for information on availability.

Can I bring my own table?

No. The space you are allotted is the space that you pay for. Do not bring a table to set up in addition to the space you have been assigned.

What do I need to know about NC Sales Tax?

Animazement's official policy is not to give tax advice. Artists are encouraged to contact the North Carolina Department of Revenue for any tax-related questions at:

N.C. Department of Revenue
P.O. Box 25000
Raleigh, NC 27640
Phone: (919) 733-3661
Fax: (919) 715-2999
http://www.dor.state.nc.us/taxes/sales/

These rules and prices are subject to change.

If you have any other questions, please contact our Artists Alley Coordinator.