Questions about Kumoricon and Cons

[EvilMonkey]

I'm working on compiling a good FAQ for the site.  If you have questions about Kumoricon, Portland, the Hotel, or any other numbers of topics related to Kumoricon.  Even if you know the answer, feel free to post the question, as someone else may not have thought to ask it.

[rarnom]

Any word on how we get custom nicknames on our con badge if you have already preregistered?

On the preregistration form there was no place to enter a nickname...

[Neko_Chan]

If you are underage, is there a restirction on;
What time you can be out and about and any of the rooms you can be let into?

[Negima]

I looked through a few threads and found several questions to add.

Where do I sign up for event at the convention?
Depending on the event, the location to sign-up may be different.  Chances are it will take place at the Convention information desk.  If it is a game event (ex: DDR tournament), sign up will probably be in the game room (it was last year).  Keep in mind of the deadlines to sign up as some are right before the event or even a day before.

Is staying in the hotel mandatory?
No, it's just convenient for some people who live an hour or two away from the convention.  You can stay in a friend's apartment, house, even in your car for the convention.  Staying in the hotel just means you get to be close to the action at all times and not have to worry about the commute.

Peacebinding?
Peacebinding is done by security on objects or items that they consider to be a danger somehow.  Peacebinding shows that you have checked your sword, staff, whatnot and are responsible for not misusing it.

Dating Game?
Lots of threads have come up on this.  A good summary was written by Luana-neko on it.

Pretty much there's a hidden bachelor or bachelorette, and the moderators ask the crowd anime related yes or no, one or the other type questions. Ex: "Do you like shounen or shoujo anime? Shoujo fans, raise your hands!" and after everyone's made their decision, they have one of the two groups sit down and are out of the running. Once there's 3 or 4 contestants left, they sit them at the front of the room and have the bachelor or bachelorette ask them questions. After a few questions, the crowd helps the bachelor/ette pick their choice. There's usually some really fun questions and answers in the game, it's a lot of fun to watch even if you aren't participating 'cuz you're taken ^_^

Do the answers sound right?  I wasn't too sure about defining the "Peacebinding" one.

[Panda]

What kind of provisions are made for those attendees with disablities? Are conventions required to be ADA compliant? For example: Are the eisles wide enough for attendees in wheelchairs, walkers, crutches, etc.. to get into the dealer's room?

[RemSaverem]

great question, panda!

here is a question that was brought up last year, by one of my fanfic panelists, and which i had myself this year, at kumoricon:
are panelists considered staff? volunteers? guests? a separate category unto themselves? how is this reflected in terms of access to privileges accorded to guests, volunteers and/or staff? how is this reflected in terms of what panelists are expected to pay?

[shadowfox]

Any word on how we get custom nicknames on our con badge if you have already preregistered?

On the preregistration form there was no place to enter a nickname...

yeah, i want to have a badge name this year.  do we get them?

[eerielunarose]

Here's some partial answers...

Badge names:
Lyle, our registration guru, is all about having the nicknames; the lack of it on the previous prereg forms was an oversight, and we'll do our best to fix it for you individually. Lyle seemed willing to put in the extra hours sweating over a hot computer to get those fixed, so hopefully you all gave correct email addys you can be reached at.

Peace Bonding:
To clarify on something Negima wrote, peace bonding of weapons is mandatory for pretty much any prop weapon or non-weapon prop that could be used as a weapon. Peace bonding is indicated on the prop by colorful tags or ties, showing it has been inspected by con security and has been judged not to be a hazard unless misused, and also tells people the prop owner has agreed to be responsible for making sure it is not misused by themselves or other people.

Underage Curfew:
For this year, the curfew is midnight and applies to all those under 18. This will also be posted in the convention policies on the main site; they should be going up soon.

Panelists:
To answer Rem's question, panelists are not staff, and unless they are special guests of the convention who have made an agreement with our Relations Department, they are not guests either (some guests will of course run panels). However, if I have anything to say about it, yes, panelists will have their own separate badge category and will be provided with pretty much the same perks as volunteers in appreciation for the content they are providing in programming. We should discuss this some more, Ellen, when I next see you.

ADA Compliance:
I would assume most if not all areas in such a large and reputable convention facility would be accessible to the differently abled, but again, that is just an assumption on my part, and for specific concerns about accessibility, it is best to check with the hotel. I will try to become better informed and if I find out anything is not fully accessible I'll post about it to the forums. Or, if our hotel liason knows something more than I do about this, please post it here?

[Paladin Cecil]

I've got some questions about Kumoricon that I was wondering about.

Will any of the events have an admission fee? If so, which ones and what are  the fees?

[SailorNaboo]

I've got some questions about Kumoricon that I was wondering about.

Will any of the events have an admission fee? If so, which ones and what are  the fees?

Other than your admission and paying for your hotel room (if you decide to stay at the hotel), there are no fees for any of the events at the convention.  There are plenty of things you might decide that you want to buy though.   There are really cool Kumoricon shirts and we're looking into a few other items, and the dealers room will be filled with great anime related stuff to buy!  There might be someone who takes professional pictures that you can buy as well.  Water will be available, but we're not going to feed you. (Sorry).

Almost all hotels I have ever stayed in have policies against bringing in food from outside and eating it in the common areas of the hotel, so if you are not bring outside food directly to your room (or a friend's room) -- like if you go to the foodcourt at the nearby mall-- make sure to eat it at the mall or the place you get the food.  (Unless you hear otherwise).  I doubt they'd mind your own large bottle of water or something like that though.  

(This is a general statement about nice/fancy hotels in general because I've stayed at many of them.  I have not stayed at the hotel where the convention will be so the rest of this post is not about our hotel!  Understand?  With that in mind:

Some hotels are more picky about this than others and in some cases, it depends on which people are working.  Some hotel staff members look out for this, and some have different priorities.  It's kind of like school.  Some teachers make a big deal about some rules and other teachers make a big deal about other and they ignore different rules....)

[Paladin Cecil]

Okay. Cool. Thanks for the info. I was wondering about it because at Sakura Con, the cosplay and AMV contests had admision fees.

[eerielunarose]

I was wondering about it because at Sakura Con, the cosplay and AMV contests had admision fees.

Aww, no! I'm sorry to hear you thought that! Actually, the Cosplay and AMVs were free at Sakura, you just had to stand in line to get a free ticket because there were only so many seats available and the entire convention's worth of people could not fit even in the biggest ballroom. Tickets were not charged for, they were just first come, first served, so that you could be sure to get a seat for the event.

[SailorNaboo]

Okay. Cool. Thanks for the info. I was wondering about it because at Sakura Con, the cosplay and AMV contests had admision fees.

I know that those were events at Sakura Con that required tickets to get in,  but as far as I know, these tickets have always been free with your admission.  The tickets were limited because the room only held 800 people and they didn't want 2000 people lining up to watch the Cosplay.

I also know that they have offered special paid admission to watch just the J-Pop concert and not attend the rest of the con, but that is a different situation.

[rarnom]

Here's some partial answers...

Badge names:
Lyle, our registration guru, is all about having the nicknames; the lack of it on the previous prereg forms was an oversight, and we'll do our best to fix it for you individually. Lyle seemed willing to put in the extra hours sweating over a hot computer to get those fixed, so hopefully you all gave correct email addys you can be reached at.

So, when should we expect to be contacted by mr. Lyle?  

Is there a way we can reach him?

[Panda]

I have a couple more question to add to the pile and clarification on my first question!

-Does Kumoricon take steps to prevent the sale of Grey Market Goods (bootlegs) in the Dealer's Room or is it more of a laissez faire approach to the vendors? In other words are the vendor's required to sign a contract, like that at Anime Expo, that states if they are caught offering bootlegs they will be asked to leave or is it solely up to the buyer to beware?

-Will there be a first aid station availble for minor injuries?

As for my first question in this thread, it was more directed towards the convention activites themselves and not the hotel. The hotel is required to be ADA compliant...bathrooms, ramps...that sort of thing. My question is more about attendees getting around in the dealer's room (which at conventions are always packed to the max) and panels. Will attendees with disablitlies have any provisions made for them such as an early admission to the dealer's room so they can actually move about without being knocked about?

Thanks! A FAQ section on cons is a wonderful idea. Should be very helpful and informative to all attendees.  

[SailorNaboo]

I have a couple more question to add to the pile and clarification on my first question!

-Does Kumoricon take steps to prevent the sale of Grey Market Goods (bootlegs) in the Dealer's Room or is it more of a laissez faire approach to the vendors? In other words are the vendor's required to sign a contract, like that at Anime Expo, that states if they are caught offering bootlegs they will be asked to leave or is it solely up to the buyer to beware?

No Bootlegs are allowed contractually and it is enforced.  Last year a vender was asked to remove bootleg items from what the vender was selling. Details happened.  And then the vender packed up and left the con.

-Will there be a first aid station availble for minor injuries?

There will be a well stocked first aid kit at the info desk and staff keeps a list of staff and volunteers are Red Cross Certified as well.  Our convention insurance may require additional precautions and we follow those to the letter.

As for my first question in this thread, it was more directed towards the convention activites themselves and not the hotel. The hotel is required to be ADA compliant...bathrooms, ramps...that sort of thing. My question is more about attendees getting around in the dealer's room (which at conventions are always packed to the max) and panels. Will attendees with disablitlies have any provisions made for them such as an early admission to the dealer's room so they can actually move about without being knocked about?

Operations is looking into how to implement this. Something will be done, but there's more to it than just letting qualified people in a little early.

The dealers put in very long days and many of them barely get any breaks during the day depending on how much staff they have.  Many are setting up until the last possible moment because they have a long day ahead of them.  I would hate to see a blanket statement of, "Yes, people can go in early" if it turns out that is even more dangerous because there is still stuff all over the place (like at a 24 grocery store in the middle of the night).  

There is also the question of how to qualify people for this?  Do we just take people's word for it? (I believe the vast majority would be honest about it, but I'm curious to find out how this has worked at other conventions.  Unless I heard tons of horror stories, that would be what I'd suggest, but keep in mind that I'm not involved in that department.)  Also, I can relate to this personally because there are different levels of accommodations that are needed.  Some people really do need to get in early.  Some people may need to be able to go to the front of the line.  In my husband's case (at Sakura), he has chronic pain and it is aggravated by standing in one place for a long time without moving.  If we had asked them, they would have let us cut right in line and go right in, but we did not NEED that much special treatment.  When there was an event he needed to stand in line for, he had someone hold his handicapped parking permit to save his place in line and he went and sat down nearby.  When his placeholder got to the front, he got up and joined the line again and the parking permit made it so the person behind him didn't feel like he was just cutting in.  (Note: Something like a parking permit wouldn't be required, everyone doesn't have one.  We just used it at Sakura because it saved time).  We were careful to only take what we really needed.

It's so hard to say what is "fair."  Using the opening early example again, what if we have someone that does need the extra space, but isn't able to get up or arrive that early?

I'm totally for coming up with a plan that is perfect for everyone, but it's going to take a lot of brain power to come up with that is best.  I'm going to suggest it as something that needs to be studied as an agenda item for the General meeting and I'm going to suggest a special email address be set up and them place a post asking for people to write in to say what kinds of accommodations he or she would really need and then once hard data is gathered, a better plan can be put in place.  It's easy to figure out how to accommodate one person, but to come up with policies that take everything into account will be quite a project.

I will say this.  We are one of the most attendee-centered con you'll ever go to and we can be flexible.  If there is something that someone needs to make their con experience better and it's physically possible, we'll do our best to do it and that's a promise.  (The promise is from me personally, but I know the rest of the staff well enough to believe that they would feel the same way.).

[RemSaverem]

regarding arlene's post about panelists:
your answer is pretty much exactly what i expected, and i'm certain you and i can come up with terms that meet the needs of the con while honoring the work of the panelists. thanks!

regarding the discussion about accessibility:

(a) if the cons i've attended thus far serve as reliable guides, inevitably certain rooms may become "standing room only" for brief periods of time; i.e., the crowd that shows up may exceed expectations to the level that there is no available place to sit and walking through the room becomes difficult.

in such a circumstance, i would imagine that whomever is in charge of that particular event might endeavor to engage crowd control in such a way that clear exit and entry paths, maneuverability paths, and space for folks with mobility impairments are created and maintained. this is not only ethical in terms of access, but also, i would imagine, incumbent upon us in terms of fire code compliance.

(b) while i admire the attention to the needs of folks who may face mobility impairment or comparable challenges, i must urge that this mindset broaden. many folks, particularly those who have mobility impairments or a loved one who does, and those who have no disability, often vastly oversimplify the entire complex web of disability access issues to just the ones that come to mind from that perspective, as though disability equals mobility impairment and only mobility impairment.

as far as i'm concerned, we need to be making arrangements to accommodate the entire realm of disabilities.

examples:

(a) i would like to see us have available a large-print version of our schedule. this would be as easy as reprinting a couple copies in larger font, and having them available at registration and/or info desk.

(b) i would like to see us post a thread on the forums attempting to recruit a sign language interpreter to be on call in case that were requested by a congoer. we could post on the forums that (i) if someone were to need an interpreter they'd have to let us know by a certain time, perhaps 4 or at least 2 weeks in advance; and (ii) that if someone volunteered as our sign language interpreter, they would be comp'd into the con. note: this is just my suggestion; it is not policy.

(c) if we do have anyone attending who needs sign language interpretation and/or reads lips, this(ese) person(s) would need to be accommodated in the sense of being allowed to sit in the front row of the event(s) interpreted for him/her/them.

(d) within events i personally run in my realm, such as fanfiction contests, i will personally be dedicated to doing whatever's necessary to accommodate contestants' needs. for example, if someone writes a fic, but for whatever reason can't be the one to read it him/her-self at bedtime stories (such as having a speech impediment, visual impairment, stage fright, etc.), it has been the rule from the very genesis of the event, that s/he can have someone else read it aloud for him/her, or ask and i myself will read it aloud for him/her or find someone else to do so; and s/he can still be considered a contestant. (i do have a separate prize, now, for best oral presentation; and this prize can be awarded to a pinch-hit reader as well as to an author reading her/his own work.) additionally, if someone creates a fic, but for reasons of physical disability, such as cerebral palsy, or learning disability, such as dyslexia, is unable to type or write such fic to turn it in in written form, i will accept said fic in an oral format, such as on audio cassette, and still allow it to be entered into one of the fanfic contests. additionally, if someone presents that s/he is, for example, dyslexic, i could accommodate by not counting misspellings against the text of the fic in evaluating it in a contest.

(e) in my other hat, as one of the assistants to the con chair, i will be advocating for a variety of new policy directions that could assist in broadening our accessibility. among them:
    (i) at sakuracon, there were "panel volunteers". i do not know with what they are charged officially, but i can vouch personally that the one assigned to the marriott on the saturday night saved my event, in the sense of conveying messages and conducting errands and physically searching for, obtaining, and setting up a mic and amp for it. i do not know to what extent kcon plans on having the equivalent to panel volunteers; but i would strongly suggest that we not only have them, but also provide them with diversity, sensitivity and accessibility info/training on various issues of access.
    (ii) i would also like to see diversity, sensitivity and accessibility info/training disseminated amongst volunteers for info booth and for registration, and would be more than willing to assist in such.
    (iii) it would also be important for guest relations staff and volunteers to know how to present an open and comfortable atmosphere in which guests could safely request whatever accommodations they need, be they around physical, developmental, or emotional disabilities. in my case, my disability is the latter. the accommodations i required, and was granted, at sakuracon closing ceremonies were very simple: to know where i was in the lineup, preferably by seeing the lineup in writing; to know who was two people before me, so when that person got on, i could use the facilitites; and to know where to find those facilitites. very simple accommodations; but with my ocd, if those weren't met, i would have been stressed about going on stage in front of about 1000 people. thankfully, melissa bernoudy, mark ngyuen and loren toy all were very sweet and open about those accommodations and very helpful. i would love to be able to know for a fact that that is going to be how we are at kcon, if anyone--from the highest paid guest to the newest volunteer to the shyest congoer--were to need accommodations around a mental illness. again, this is an area of both personal experience and professional expertise for me (as i have a masters in social work and also was an advocate for the human rights support system for the human rights commission for the city of eugene). so i'd be delighted to help in such manners.

i'll copy and paste this into the discussion on the staff mailing list.

thanks and love
rem.

[52max]

if your under age do you have to be running around with someone over 18 or can you go alone?

[Teshinun]

Here's some partial answers...

Badge names:
Lyle, our registration guru, is all about having the nicknames; the lack of it on the previous prereg forms was an oversight, and we'll do our best to fix it for you individually. Lyle seemed willing to put in the extra hours sweating over a hot computer to get those fixed, so hopefully you all gave correct email addys you can be reached at.

So, when should we expect to be contacted by mr. Lyle?  

Is there a way we can reach him?

This is something I'm also interested in.  By the sound of eerielunarose's post it seems pre-reg'd con goers will recieve an email about nicknames on badges?  I would kind of like to have "Teshinun" on mine since I'm known on this board and others by that name.  But anyways, if there's something we need to do besides passively wait for an email, let us know

Question #2: I'm just curious if any web comic/manga artists are schedualed or being considered for the con?  Specificly, I'd love to see CTRL+ALT+DEL or Megatokyo represented

[guspasho]

I know it's not the first time it's been mentioned, but I thought I'd just get it out there, and maybe others can help build on this. What is available near the con in the way of sushi restaurants, liquor stores, grocery stores, hardware stores, fabric stores (you wouldn't believe the places we ended up at trying to make a last-minute costume at Sakuracon) and other possible con necessities?

(I know what's available near the Doubletree, but for others' benefit...)

[Kyuubi]

if your under age do you have to be running around with someone over 18 or can you go alone?

last year i had a note from my parents that said i was my own guardian and i got through

[black marth 07]

Will there every be usergroups???

or this site not big enough??

[EvilMonkey]

The usergroups are only for staff permissions.

[PezCat]

if your under age do you have to be running around with someone over 18 or can you go alone?

last year i had a note from my parents that said i was my own guardian and i got through

Officially, if you are age 13-17, and you have a parental consent form (downloadable from this site), you're okay to run free, as long as you (of course) still follow con rules and policy.  Under age 13 (as in ages 12 and lower) will need to be accompanied by a guardian at all times, as will anyone age 13-17 who does not have a consent form.

On another note, we're still working on the special names on the nametags thing, but we WILL get this done.

PezCat

[Panda0_0]

@PezCat

so if we have parent consent we (as in me age 17) can run around freely without the shadow of a elder?

nifty!

Also the nickname on the tags would be very helpful!

[PezCat]

@Panda

Yup.  Just make sure we have that consent form so that all the legal stuff is taken care of!

PezCat

[Panda0_0]

@ PezCat

will i get a copy of the agrement so i can proove that i have it?

also same with my elder so they can also show that they have a copy?

or should i just cerry it around and keep it safe so if someone asks i can show them and what not!

[PezCat]

@ Panda

Well, since you can have the form in-hand prior to con time (as it's on the site), you can make a copy of it before bringing it to registration to get your badge if you want your own copy.  If you don't have one then, we can have you fill one out at registration, but that one won't be duplicated unless you run off to Kinko's or 7-11 to copy it yourself.  Since you can't get a badge without fulfilling the consent form requirements, if you have a badge, you'll have been cleared by registration at that point.  If there is a problem after badge pickup, then it can be handled at that point (I don't recall us having many if any age issues last year)

PezCat

[Panda0_0]

@ PezCat

Pezcat i have a question! will they have the forums there when i pick up my preordered badge? beacuse my printer went out of wack when i printed out some info about my registration or what now... my verafacation numbers or whatever... so will they have something my mom could fill out there or would i posably be scrooed over by not pringint it out....

Also do i print out a badge when i preorder beacuse my mom is pushing on my back telling me to ask evrything i need from preregistering! i put our names down and bla bla bla then payed with the CreditCard and printed out the page it asked me to... after that my computer closed the window cuz its retarded... so did i miss anything?

sorry if my words are out of wack im in a bit of a rush with this question beacuse my mom wants to know right now from me and i dont know so im typing as fast as i can to get this out!

Thank you for helping!

[PezCat]

@Panda

Yes, there will be blank copies of the consent form available at the con, so if you don't have one filled out in advance, you'll be just fine.

As for printing your own badge, don't worry about that - we'll be very mean and angry and throw things at you if you print your own badge.  These objects that we throw will likely be very gooey, stinky, and generally unpleasant, in addition to being difficult to clean up and stain-inducing.  No, you'll just want to wait until we give you our nice pretty shiny badges of goodness when you get to the con, guaranteed to keep security from their goo-flinging sprees.

And as for the goo flinging policy, our site admin and former con chair is a monkey.  You do the math.  =^~_~^=

PezCat

[Panda0_0]

@ PezCat

Thankyou so much! that help alot!

ok well thx for evrything but the monkey part......

[sumomo_san]

Ok, hate to sound like a n00b but I need to get everything straight:

Pre-registering covers what days? As in paid for. I originally had thought it only covered the 1st two days but I'm not sure...

The con is in the same location as last year, isn't it? I realize there is an address telling me where its at, but numbers mean nothing to me and I can only physically remember where it was ^_^;

When sending in a pre-registeration form, if I included the parental consent form it would count for all the days I registered for, how ever many that is (refer to question 1) correct?

Thanks in advance!

[EvilMonkey]

@sumomo_san

Pre-registering is good for the entire length of the convention, from Friday night (if we get things going in time to open gaming or a video room) until Monday when we shut down.

The con is actually at a hotel on the other side of the river from last year.  It's right next to the Lloyd Center Mall, and is possibly the best location I've ever seen a con due to all the amenaties in the surrounding areas, like free light rail to downtown, large mall across the street, large park across the street, etc.  I expect us to be at this hotel for some time hopefully.

The parental consent form covers all the days you're at the convention.

[cheese-angel]

What are the ID requirements for minors? For example my younger sister is 13, but the only ID she has is a bus pass, which doesn't have her age, and isn't very official.

[Comechatcha]

Question on props.  Would a katana with its edge ground off still be counted as live steel, or would it be okay to bring?

[EvilMonkey]

@ cheese_angel

Since she's 13, when she registers she's going to need a guardian with her anyway, so there shouldn't be an issue.  Don't forget, the Minor Consent Form is on the registration page off the main site.

@ Comechata

It'd be best to still have a sheath for it.  Due to Portland city regulations, and exposed blade (even ground down) if you're outside with it can be concidered brandishing.  If it's sheathed we can peacebond it easier.

[Kyuubi]

@EvilMonkey

so would this let a 16 year old go alone:
I allow (name of minor) be his/her own guardian for the time of Kumoricon.
Parents Signature________________
Minor's signature_________________

[EvilMonkey]

@Kyuubi

For a 16 year old, yes, for a 15 year old, no.

[Kyuubi]

@EvilMonkey
Arigotou gozimashu

[Kyuubi]

Is Bakazoku going to be at this one? (i know this is a little question)

[EvilMonkey]

@Kyuubi
Yes, they will always be welcome at Kumoricon for as long as they can tolerate us    They were there for our first event, so we love them!

[Neko_Chan]

Squee! Bakazoku! :DDD

My friend Aislyn is staying in California right up until September, and if she registers now, and ends up not making it to the convention, does she get a refund?

[Shadow]

Sorry to sound like a noob, but this will be my first convention. ^^;;;

Does it matter which day you come? I mean, are people let in through out the con? Because I`m thinking of going on the 4th.

[PezCat]

Officially, no, it doesn't matter.  Your only worry will be if registration is capped at some point, which it was last year.  We don't anticipate it being a problem this year, but then again, we didn't anticipate it being a problem last year either.

PezCat

[Negima]

Sorry to sound like a noob, but this will be my first convention. ^^;;;

Does it matter which day you come? I mean, are people let in through out the con? Because I`m thinking of going on the 4th.

Traditionally, most Cons' events take place on the second day of the con so if you can only make it to one day I would recommend the second.  (In this case, the 4th)

[Shadow]

Officially, no, it doesn't matter.  Your only worry will be if registration is capped at some point, which it was last year.  We don't anticipate it being a problem this year, but then again, we didn't anticipate it being a problem last year either.

PezCat

Thanks for answering my question. But will I be ok if I pre-register?

[PezCat]

If you pre-register, you're in regardless.  Pre-registrations are -not capped at all-.  Though you cannot pre-register for single days... you do have to register for the whole con.

PezCat the Dead-Tired

[Shadow]

If you pre-register, you're in regardless.  Pre-registrations are -not capped at all-.  Though you cannot pre-register for single days... you do have to register for the whole con.

PezCat the Dead-Tired

So what should I do? I can`t afford to stay at the hotel..=_= If I pre-register then, I would have to come back all three days? Not that I`m complaining about that...

[Negima]

So what should I do? I can`t afford to stay at the hotel..=_=

Well, do you live in the Portland area or are you at least within driving range?  You could commute like that.  Staying in the hotel isn't mandatory.

[Shadow]

So what should I do? I can`t afford to stay at the hotel..=_=

Well, do you live in the Portland area or are you at least within driving range?  You could commute like that.  Staying in the hotel isn't mandatory.

I live in Canby, Oregon. Which is somewhat close to Portland. But my friend`s parents are going to take me and two other people to the convention. And we were just going to go on the 4th. But if pre-registration doesn`t work for single days...do I just have to register at the door?