Convention Policies
Convention Policies & Code of Conduct
Notice
The following general rule supersedes all others listed below and may be invoked at any time:
Any action or behavior that causes significant interference with convention operations, excessive discomfort to other attendees, or adversely affects IndyFurCon’s relationship with its guests, its venues or the public is strictly forbidden and may result in permanent suspension of membership.
The primary purpose of IndyFurCon is for our attendees to have fun. To ensure that the greatest number of people achieve this objective we have established certain rules of conduct. By them we seek only to ensure that the behavior of any one small group does not disturb the membership as a whole, nor does it detract from the relaxed and comfortable atmosphere of the convention. IndyFurCon welcomes all parties with an interest in anthropomorphic animals; however, the convention’s management reserves the right to deny or revoke the membership of any individual at any time for any reason.
The parent company, Indiana Anthropomorphic Arts, Inc., also reserves the right to amend these rules at any time without prior or posted notice and reserves the sole right of interpretation. In any dispute, the general rule above will apply. If you have any questions, please contact the convention operations staff for assistance.
Anyone who accepts a membership badge agrees to indemnify and hold harmless IndyFurCon from any claim for personal injuries or other damages or equity arising out of any individual’s activities at IndyFurCon, even if such injury or damage is caused by negligence by or on the part of IndyFurCon.
As a condition of membership, all IndyFurCon attendees are required to abide by these standards of conduct for the entire duration of their stay, even prior to Opening or after Closing Ceremonies.
IndyFurCon seeks to make its staff members available to its attendees. Staff members will be wearing special badges to indicate their status. If you have a problem, please alert a member of staff or security to the issue.
For iFC 2024, and moving forward, we will be maintaining that priority commitment to both public and attendee health as we continue to align ourselves with the Marion County Department of Public Health’s recommendations: whether that be in regard to COVID-19 or any future public health emergencies.
It is because of that fact, that as of April 20th, 2024, the IndyFurCon Board of Directors has made the decision to lift the requirements and restrictions regarding COVID-19 for the upcoming convention, slated to take place from August 23rd to 25th, 2024. See the full page here.
Remember to stay connected with us on Twitter/X in order to keep up-to-date with any and all future updates regarding iFC.
All convention areas are considered to be “PG” at all times, with the exception of events or exhibits that are specifically noted to be inappropriate for minors and to which access is controlled by IndyFurCon Security staff.
Attendees, when in public areas, may not wear clothing that is overly revealing or inappropriate to the atmosphere of the convention, such as fetish-related garb and accouterments. Collars and harnesses are acceptable and are worn by numerous attendees as a fashion statement, but leashes attached thereunto are not.
Shirts, pants/shorts, and footwear must be worn when in areas of the hotel or con space that are accessible to non- IndyFurCon attendees, such as lobbies, restaurants, and concourses, except for the pool area.
Full-body fursuits are excluded from the “shirts/pants/footwear” rule, provided that the costume is not unacceptably revealing or wearing inappropriate clothing (ie undergarments). Certain accoutrements such as leashes may be included as part of a costume at the discretion of the Security Staff. For safety reasons, fursuits are not permitted in the hotel swimming pool or dining areas.
Public displays of affection beyond what is appropriate for a polite company are frowned upon. You will be asked to express your devotion to your significant other either in less conspicuous ways or in private.
No items of any kind may be thrown or dropped from the hotel or convention space balconies or patios.
Drones and other remote-controlled devices are not allowed in con space. You may check with convention operations to see if your device is permissible to use in con space.
No water pistols, silly string, or any thrown or projectile-type toy may be used in any area of the hotel or con space.
For safety reasons, only handheld glowsticks are permitted in the dances. Glowsticks on strings or on polearms must be cleared by Security staff before being used. The decision of the Security staff on any particular item will be final.
No sleeping in the lobby, the hallways, the meeting rooms, or the Zoo. Get a room, please!
IndyFurCon attendees must abide by instructions given by IndyFurCon Security staff. Failure to do so will result in loss of membership privileges. Any disputes or concerns may be addressed onsite at Convention Operations.
IndyFurCon functions are open only to members, and all attendees should wear their membership badges at all times. A badge is valid only for the person to whom it was issued; badges may not be shared under any circumstances.
Convention attendees must wear their official convention badge at all times while in public convention areas, and it must be shown upon request to any member of convention staff, security, hotel staff, or law enforcement. Your badge will contain a badge name of your choosing (subject to staff approval), as well as a unique number. Altering convention badges in such a manner as to permanently obscure any of these elements renders the badge unusable. If your badge becomes unusable or is lost, it will be replaced ONE TIME for a fee of $5. Any person found using a counterfeit badge, using a badge not belonging to them, or making copies of their badge for others will have their membership revoked and will be asked not to return during that year or subsequent years.
There is no smoking or vaping in any area within the Wyndham Indianapolis West, their courtyard, or their con space, including the guest rooms unless otherwise designated by the hotel. Smokers are asked to use designated smoking areas provided by the facility and comply with any other smoking rules of the facility. Cigarette butts must be disposed of properly and not left on the ground.
Providing transportation or housing, or otherwise enabling an individual that is known to be unwelcome at IndyFurCon to attend or enter the Convention’s property may result in permanent revocation of IndyFurCon membership privileges.
Anyone who is under the age of 18 years at any time during the convention must present the signed and notarized parental permissions form unless accompanied by a parent or able to produce evidence of legal emancipation. There are no exceptions.
Teenagers ages 16 and 17 may attend IndyFurCon without a parent. However, at registration, they must present a government-issued photo ID stating their legal name and birth date and a “Parental Consent For Minor To Attend IndyFurCon” and a “Notary Form for Parental Consent for Minor Attendees” form signed by their parent or legal guardian and notarized by a Notary Public.
All attendees age 15 and below must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian at all times in any official convention area including, but not limited to, the Dealer’s Den, Hospitality Suite, Special Events, all panels, and dances. Parents and guardians will be held responsible for damage or problems caused by their children.
Minors are not permitted under any circumstances to enter areas that have been designated for mature audiences.
Anyone providing false documentation of identity or age will be denied membership and reported to the police.
No actual weapons or any item that can be easily mistaken for one may be carried either openly or concealed at any time on the Wyndham Indianapolis West or con space property, regardless of any government permits that you may possess. Personal pocket knives with single-edged blades less than 4 inches long are permitted. Realistic weapon replicas are permitted as part of a costume only during costume events such as the Fursuit Parade, and must be appropriately peace-bonded; see the Security Staff for instructions on how to do so. They must be cased or otherwise secured when being carried outside of costume.
IndyFurCon does not allow pets in the con space. This is for the protection of the pet, the pet owner, and our attendees as a whole. Service animals are permitted in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The hotel itself may, however, allow pets in the guest rooms, and there may be a fee required when reserving your hotel room before you can check-in. All laws and regulations, in addition to the rules stipulated by the Wyndham Indianapolis Airport, must be followed by the attendee for such purpose of having a pet with them over the weekend. Please contact the hotel directly with additional pet-related questions.
Gatherings in hotel rooms must not generate any noise that can be heard in neighboring rooms during nighttime hours.
Hotel doors must be kept shut during such gatherings and guests are not permitted to congregate in the hotel corridors.
Loud parties will be given a single warning to remain quiet. No second warning will be given before action is taken by the hotel to remove the offending individuals.
Hotel guests who host any gathering are responsible for cleaning up afterward. Excessive amounts of unbagged trash must not be left for housekeeping staff to clean up (it’s just plain rude). Trash bags are provided. Use them.
Any act of vandalism, deliberate or excessive damage to hotel property, or interference with any hotel or con space worker in the performance of his or her duties will result in permanent revocation of IndyFurCon membership, criminal prosecution, fines, or any combination thereof.
Any attendees engaging in behavior that endangers life or property (such as, but not limited to, pulling fire alarms, creating hazardous situations, etc) will have their membership revoked immediately and may be asked not to return to future events organized by IndyFurCon. If warranted, law enforcement may be called.
The person in whose name a room is rented is solely responsible for the conduct of all individuals in the room as well as for the condition of the room. Excessive trash, soiling, or other damage to hotel property, or any circumstance that may present a hazard to hotel housekeeping staff may result in permanent loss of IndyFurCon membership privileges.
The Wyndham Indianapolis West hotel housekeeping staff are required by corporate policy to inspect every room once per day, even if the room is not to be serviced. Housekeepers will not begin their rounds until 10:00 AM. Thereafter they will initially bypass rooms with “do not disturb” signs on the doors, but at the end of their rounds, they must return to those rooms and will knock on the door. Attendees must allow housekeeping staff access to the room at that time. That means that even if the “do not disturb” sign is displayed after 10:00 AM the room must at some point be inspected and serviced (if necessary) by the end of housekeeping rounds.
Do not affix anything to the walls of the hotel or con space, to the elevators, to IndyFurCon signage, or to hotel room doors. IndyFurCon will attempt to provide a message board in a public area where members may post messages or place announcements.
Requests for room amenities such as towels and pillows beyond the number that is reasonable and customary for a single room will not be honored. Kindly bring such extra items from home if they are expected to be needed.
IndyFurCon is not responsible for items left in public areas. A lost and found will be set up in the security office room. If you find something that is not yours, take it there so that whoever lost it can come to pick it up later. This includes but is not limited to: cameras, mp3 players, cell phones, fursuit heads/parts/etc, purses, wallets, and so on.
The offering for sale of any merchandise at the convention may be undertaken only in appropriate areas of the “Dealers Den”; in all cases, the sale will be governed by the rules applicable to those areas. It is illegal to sell any other merchandise or services in any other area, including the IndyFurCon “Zoo.”
Harassment of any kind, including physical assault, battery, deliberate intimidation, stalking, or unwelcome physical attention, will not be tolerated. If people tell you “no” or to leave them alone, your business with them is done. If you continue to attempt to have contact with those people, you may be removed from the premises.
IndyFurCon is not responsible for solving any interpersonal problems that may arise between individual members. In general, we can take no action to prevent a person from attending the convention unless that person has made a specific and credible threat toward the convention itself or if another individual can produce a legal restraining order.
The sale or other distribution of any illegal or controlled substances is not welcome at IndyFurCon. Any individual found to be distributing such substances will be removed and reported directly to the local authorities.
Anyone knowingly or unknowingly providing alcohol to anyone under the age of 21 will be guilty of a felony and will be turned over to the authorities. It is the sole responsibility of persons serving alcohol in room parties to ensure that every person in attendance is over the age of 21, even if that person is not drinking alcohol. The Indiana Liquor Control Board is extremely serious about this law and we ask our members to respect it. There is to be at no time any alcohol on the con floor or in the con space. All alcohol must stay in the bar/restaurant area or attendees’ rooms. Please drink responsibly and know your limit. Drunken and disorderly conduct could result in removal from IndyFurCon and the Wyndham Indianapolis Airport or jail time if the authorities are called.
All journalists, media photographers, and any other members of the press are required to display an official IndyFurCon Press Badge or be accompanied by a senior IndyFurCon staff member at all times while in the con space, the Wyndham Indianapolis West, or any IndyFurCon hotel. Members of the press who have not been issued a Press Badge may not conduct interviews or take photographs, audio, or video footage without an escort.
If members of the media are present, attendees must act responsibly. Media representatives who do not have Press Badges and are not escorted by an IndyFurCon staff member should be reported to IndyFurCon Security staff or to Convention Operations immediately. Do not speak to any unbadged and unescorted members of the press!
IndyFurCon members should be aware that audio and/or video recordings are frequently made in convention areas and that their likenesses may appear in those recordings. Individual members agree to assign without compensation the use of their likeness(es) at IndyFurCon for the use of promotional material such as the highlights videos.
The name “IndyFurCon” and the IndyFurCon logo are registered service marks of IndyFurCon, and must not be used in any fashion that disparages or dilutes that mark. Members agree to remove from circulation or publication any image or recording that is in the sole opinion of IndyFurCon. misrepresents or defames its service mark.
Please note that IndyFurCon is a 501(c)7 nonprofit organization. As such, donations to our organization are not deductible from individual U.S. Federal income taxes.
Checks that are presented against insufficient funds will be charged a fee of $30 per check.
IndyFurCon also accepts VISA, MasterCard, and Discover cards. Chargebacks (denying a charge) that are made for the sole purpose of avoiding payment, that are made without sufficient cause, or that are made without first attempting to resolve the dispute with IndyFurCon may result in permanent revocation of membership privileges and possible legal action.
Members who have an outstanding balance due to IndyFurCon must settle that balance before being permitted to attend the convention.
IndyFurCon cannot involve itself in financial disputes between individual members, and cannot divulge information about an individual member to any party other than to banking officials or legal authorities.
The standards of conduct for IndyFurCon will be strictly enforced by IndyFurCon security volunteers who will be clearly identified as such on-site. Please remember that your con badge is the property of IndyFurCon and must be presented and/or surrendered to any Staff member requesting it. If you have any problem with any action taken by a Staff member you may take the matter up with the Chief of Security or to IndyFurCon’s Chairman. Any attendee that is asked to leave will not be entitled to any manner of refund or compensation for the price of their membership. This includes all levels of membership.
Please be reminded that these rules involve, of course, “worst-case” scenarios and are put into place to ensure the safety and comfort of our members. They are also not all-inclusive; in all cases, the singular rule that supersedes all others is, “Any action or behavior that causes significant interference with convention operations, excessive discomfort to other attendees, or adversely affects IndyFurCon’s relationship with its guests, its venue or the public is strictly forbidden and may result in revocation of membership privileges.” We anticipate no difficulties, as our members as a whole are rational and responsible adults.
IndyFurCon is prepared to deal with any or all of the above scenarios in as rapid and efficient a manner as possible should they occur. We thank our members for their past cooperation and for their continued assistance in making this a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone. Have fun – just please remember to be courteous to those around you while doing so!