VANCOUFUR 2024 DEALER’S DEN RULES AND FAQ

Welcome to Vancoufur 2024’s Dealer Application page. The Dealer’s Den applications are OPEN from noon on August 27th 2023 and close on September 17th 2023 at 11pm pacific time. If you have not, be sure to read the rules before applying. Also keep a word doc open as sometimes the application can time out if you are writing a lot piece of text.

Please note that at this time we are experiencing some issues with our system’s mailing services. If you need to reset your password, you will need to contact us to have it manually reset. You can reach out on Discord in #infodesk or on our telegram for live assistance.

To complete your Dealer’s Den application, we require:

• Your legal first and last name as it appears on your government-issued ID.
• Your desired listing name as you wish to have it appear for use in the Con Book and Vancoufur website.
• An email address you check frequently (we recommend whitelisting vancoufur.org so emails don’t end up in spam, also check your spam regularly)
• A portfolio of your work representative of what you will be selling, with links to a proper website, art gallery, or imgur/dropbox/googledrive folder.
  **NO SOCIAL MEDIA or CHAT PORTFOLIOS WILL BE ACCEPTED AND WILL DISQUALIFY YOU.**
  This includes twitter/instagram/facebook/discord/telegram, etc. YOU MUST have a website or gallery like deviantart, furaffinity, etc or have samples curated into an image drop we can access on something like imgur or a free website site like Carrd.co or weebly. We also need to be given an idea of your price points and general range of retail cost for goods you intend to sell.
• A brief biography of yourself/business and why we should accept you.
• **NEW** If you are planning on sharing a table this year, you must apply separately for a half table (each person must apply), and put your desired partner as your preferred tablemate.
• You must comply with the convention’s covid guidelines at the time of the convention. Vaccinations are highly recommended, as spread at cons has been consistently documented.
• If you are planning on having a Dealer’s Den Assistant*, please specify who. Assistants may also be added AT the convention and will be provided with a way to identify them as an assistant. *NOTE: Assistants are individuals of your own choosing (as the table applicant) that may assist you in running your table when you have stepped out or help out in the space around your table to help you manage your wares. Dealer’s Den Assistants are not allowed to sell their own products. Only 2 people should be behind the table at any given time unless medically necessary.
• Dealers from outside of Canada should check before they apply about selling in Canada, (see note below)
• Subletting, or renting out your table at the time of the convention is not allowed.

*NOTE: Assistants are individuals of your own choosing (as the table applicant) that may assist you in running your table when you have stepped out or help out in the space around your table to help you manage your wares. Dealer’s Den Assistants are not allowed to sell their own products.

Dealers from outside of Canada should ensure that they are in compliance with the requirements to sell their wares in Canada. Also consider cost and process for getting your goods into Canada. Many vendors who apply from outside Canada (from the USA) underestimate the cost and requirements of Canadian/International customs. Please make sure you have checked the requirements of your specific product types BEFORE applying.

Subletting, or renting out your table at the time of the convention is not allowed. Please apply separately for a half table if you intend to share a table and express who you would be sharing with in your application.

Table Pricing and Dimensions

The prices listed below cover your table for the entire duration of the convention. The price is only paid once and is not recurring:

• Half Table – 3′ x 2.5 – $80 CAD
• Full table – 6′  x 2.5′ $160 CAD
• Corner table – 6’ x 2.5’(x2) $200 CAD
• Booth – 8’ x 8’ $300 CAD

Dealer’s Den Rules of Conduct

• Be in compliance with the hotel rules at all times
• Dealers and Assistants must have their con badge visibly worn at all times inside of the Dealer’s Den
• The consumption of alcohol and drugs is prohibited in the con space – including the Dealer’s Den
• Dealers and Assistants are not allowed to handle business transactions if they are under the influence of drugs and alcohol
• Wares must be in compliance with the rules outlined in the “What can I sell in the dealer’s den?” section in the FAQ below
• Be kind and respectful to the staff, dealers, and attendees – if they don’t respect you back, contact staff
• Subletting, or the renting of your table is prohibited
• All sales at your booth must be legal in Canada and the province of British Columbia
• You are liable for the behavior of yourself and your Assistants while they are in the Dealer’s Den
• If there is a mask mandate in effect during the event you will be required to wear your mask at all times.
• Upon cancellation of a table after acceptance and payment we at Vancoufur will be unable to refund your table. In case of an emergency table cancellation we may roll your funds over to the next year for you to use in the future.
• If you need to cancel your table your cut off date will be January 1st 2024. We will not roll your funds over at this time and give your table to the next person in line.

Failure to comply with these rules will result in disciplinary action, not limited to warning strikes, ejection from the Dealer’s Den and loss of your booth, loss (pulling)  of your convention badge, banning from Vancoufur, contact of police, and potential legal action. Disciplinary actions are effective immediately upon issuance. Appeals for actions will be handled according to convention rules after the convention is over.

A dealer who has their convention access revoked will also be ejected from the dealers den without compensation. This applies to the primary owner of the table.

Assistants who have their convention access revoked will not be allowed to enter or be in the dealer’s den for the remainder of the convention, under any circumstance. 

Dealer’s Den FAQ

How do I apply for a table?

To apply for a table, you need to fill out this year’s VancouFur Dealer’s Den Application online through the provided link to Convention Master – the Dealer’s Den application handler. Within 48 hours of submission of your application, you will be sent an email by verifying that your application has been received. You will be sent a separate email when your application is approved/waitlisted/declined. If you want to apply with someone to share a table, each vendor will need to fill out an application for a half table and specify who they want to be paired up with. Please make sure you whitelist Vancoufur.org in your email client so you do not miss communications.

Application approval and waitlist/declination e-mails will be sent by [email protected] .  This email will include your table type and a Convention Master link that will show you the amount due for your table. Dealer’s Den fees must be paid within 30 days of acceptance, or you risk forfeiture of the table. Please note that the price for a table does not include the price of registration for the convention.

Why do you need my legal name?

We strive to do our best to accommodate every need and concern of our attendees. However, due to the controlled nature of sales and commerce, we require the inclusion of your legal first and last name as it appears on your government ID. Additionally, we need to have it on file should government, police, or medical personnel require it. Your legal name will only be used on a strictly need-to-know basis and will not be shared with any staff members for identification purposes unless absolutely necessary.

What can I sell in the Dealer’s Den?

Vendors must sell only items which they are legally entitled to sell. Please be aware that if you have pirated, or materials that infringe copyright (including AI art) we will require you to remove the items from your table, and/or reject your application.

You are encouraged to sell your artwork, handmade items, merchandise with your artwork/creations on them, crafts, licensed furry related merchandise, and other unique/quality items. The sale of food or drink items in the Dealer’s Den, Artist’s Alley, Night Market, and Afterdark Market is prohibited. This is in compliance with Hotel/Catering agreements and policy.

NSFW and adult materials, materials containing sexual or violent imagery or purpose are permitted to be sold in the Dealer’s Den and AA provided they are kept from public view. Vendors must verify the age of people who request access to NSFW materials. If you wish to display these items freely, please apply for our 18+ AfterDark Bazzar. Please see the full rules regarding NSFW art below:

• Any material (art, sculpture, and literature) containing extremely violent and/or sexually explicit depictions must not be accessible to anyone under 18 years old.
• Adult material must be kept in closed binders/folders/bins that are clearly marked as adult.Adult material in binders must have explicit portions censored.
• Adult art in progress must be as concealed as possible from public view.
• Dealers are required to monitor their adult materials to ensure minors are not viewing them (please check government issued ID) and must be aware that the people behind the person or people browsing their materials may be minors.
• Dealers are required to check Government issued identification when exhibiting adult materials. Convention badges are not a valid picture ID and cannot be used to confirm an attendee’s age.
• For Adult Sculpture, we recommend a binder of photographs to showcase and simultaneously censor explicit portions. Examples are available on request.

Dealers found in non-compliance with these rules will be asked to rectify the problem. If on follow-up the problem persists, the dealer may be ejected from the Dealer’s Den without compensation.

How are tables approved?

Vancoufur’s Dealer’s Den applications are reviewed by a committee of Vancoufur staff and community members in an effort to fill the Den with a wide variety of exciting, diverse merchandise. Judging is based on the following criteria:

• Following application directions
• Reputability
• Uniqueness
• Quality
• Variety of merchandise
• Merchandise available at-con vs. post-con
• Theme-appropriateness
• Proper Portfolio showing your art and price range of items

Preference is given to full-table vendors with complete portfolios depicting products that will be sold at-con, and those with on-theme variants. Having less-common styles and products is also an asset. Preference is also given to artisan-made goods. Please make sure your Portfolio is either on a proper website or google document with sharing on. NO SOCIAL MEDIA PORTFOLIOS ARE PERMITTED. Selling something that can be picked up at-con vs. only taking home commissions and online sales is a plus.

The majority of our tables are filled by the selection committee; if need be, the remaining tables are filled by a random number generator lottery of the remaining applications. The table count for the Dealer’s Den will be adjusted according to interest.

The selection committee will review submissions once applications close. Applicants will be notified by Oct 2, 2023 if they were accepted, rejected or waitlisted.

Who is the Selection Committee made up of?

The selection committee consists of five to seven voting members and a non-voting chair who will facilitate the selection process. To avoid bribery, coercion and blame, we do not release the names of the committee members and endevor to keep them anonymous. You can be assured they will make judgements to the best of their abilities based on the information available to them. Any questions or concerns regarding the committee or the selection process can be directed to the committee chair or Dealer’s Den lead. (vendors@vancoufur.org).

What happens if I don’t get a table?

Dealers who do not receive a table will be put on a waiting list, broken down by their panel remarks and score and time of application. Waitlisted dealers will be contacted for a table as soon as a spot opens up. If no response is received within two business days, the table will be forfeited and the next waitlisted applicant will be contacted. Dealers who do not get in to the DD are encourage to apply for the Artist Alley or other markets.

Can I request a specific location in the Den?

While we are not able to promise a specific location for your Dealer’s table, there is a section for requests in our DD application. Please fill out this portion if you would like to be sitting next to another vendor, or have specific corridor accesses (priority given to those with mobility difficulties) and we will do our best to accommodate your request. There are no guarantees that we will be able to accommodate every request, but we will do our best.

Is electricity and/or Wi-Fi available?

We will do our best to provide electricity to your table. Please indicate in the online form if you require electricity for your table. There will be free Wi-Fi vouchers given to dealers in our Den; dealers can purchase additional vouchers for a donation to our charity.

Are tablecloths provided?

No, table cloths are not provided, you will need to provide your own table cloth. With a standard table, the table and 2 chairs are provided. If you require additional chairs, please request them as part of your application. 

What is the Dealer’s Block?

The Con sets aside hotel rooms specifically for Staff, Dealer’s, & DJs, to ensure they do not miss out on a hotel room when the block is released, since typically the hotel sells out prior to the Dealer’s Den selections being finalized. If you intend to get a hotel room or need a hotel room at the con, you can get one in the Dealer’s block if you are selected regardless of the sold status of the public hotel room block. You just need to request it as part of your application.

We look forward to seeing you at the convention!