Code of Conduct

Penguicon retains the right, at any time and with or without refund, to remove anyone determined to be disrupting the event or in violation of this Code of Conduct. This could also result in a ban of the person from future events.

Penguicon is committed to fostering an environment of comfort and safety for everyone. To achieve this, attendees should refrain from actions that a reasonable person would feel would limit, or threaten to limit, the safe enjoyment of the convention by another person.

We will not tolerate any form of misconduct toward convention participants. This includes, but is not limited to, targeting based on gender, sexuality, relationship status, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, national origin, or religion.

Violations of this policy can be reported to any volunteer or Ops member and will be addressed by a Penguicon Convention Committee member or Penguicon Board member. The Virtual Ops Desk is located in our Discord Server: https://discord.com/invite/6vz5EQq3Cs

The #desk-trifecta channel is located in the Discord Welcome Center. You can also reach the Ops Team by emailing [email protected].

 

WHAT IS MISCONDUCT?

Misconduct includes (but is not limited to):

  • Making disrespectful and unwelcome verbal comments
  • Facilitating an unwelcoming environment
  • Preventing any attendee from entering or participating in con events (except in accordance with con policies)
  • Showing sexual images or conducting discussions about sexual topics in public spaces when the images or discussions do not allow attendees the opportunity to leave beforehand or are not presented in a respectful manner.
  • Intimidating, stalking, or following
  • Sustained disruption of talks or other events
  • Uninvited physical contact
  • Uninvited sexual attention
  • Making an individual the focal subject of a photograph or recording, against their consent. (Penguicon considers recording and photography of group activities to be part of the purpose for which we have come together to enjoy activities in public. If you do not wish to be photographed as part of an audience or group, please show consideration to others by wearing a costume, or make a special request that the activity not be photographed or recorded until you leave the frame.)

WHAT IS VIRTUAL MISCONDUCT?

Virtual Misconduct includes (but is not limited to):

  • Making disrespectful and unwelcome verbal or text comments
  • Creating an unwelcoming environment in any Penguicon online space
  • Preventing any attendee from entering or participating in con virtual events (except in accordance with con policies)
  • Showing sexual images, playing sexual audio, or conducting discussions about sexual topics when the images or discussions do not allow attendees the opportunity to leave beforehand or are not presented in a respectful manner.
  • “Zoom bombing” aka entering and disrupting a virtual event, regardless of platform
  • Intimidating, stalking, or virtually following
  • Sustained disruption of talks or other virtual events
  • Uninvited sexual attention
  • Taking screenshots or recordings of participants or their written comments on Discord, YouTube, Zoom, or any other platform, without their consent.
  • The sharing or public posting of any Virtual Platform Link found within our private Sched is not permitted. Please do not share the Jitsi/Zoom/Discord/Twitch or other links to our virtual programming.
  • Silence does not equal consent. Enthusiastic agreement does.

WHAT IS HARASSMENT?

Harassment is a category of misconduct, defined as “a pattern of misconduct toward a target over time.”

Penguicon’s Board tracks reports of misconduct over multiple years, and takes patterns of misconduct into consideration for multi-year disciplinary action, regardless of whether incidents occurred at Penguicon. We need your help to identify whether the incident you experienced was part of a pattern you do not know about. Isolated single incidents of misconduct have sometimes received a multi-year disciplinary action, based on the best judgment of the Board of Directors.

Harassment applies to electronic communication as well as physical. Participants must not engage in misconduct at any convention venues or convention-related social events, including virtual/online events, not just the Penguicon weekend. Participants asked by the Board, Conchair, Convention Committee, or Staff to stop misconduct are expected to stop immediately, or it rises to the level of harassment.

WHAT SHOULD I DO IN CASE OF MISCONDUCT?

If you feel comfortable attempting to resolve the situation yourself, try asking the person to stop, saying “no” or “please leave me alone,” or walking away. We would appreciate it if Operations was still informed to help us identify any repeat offenders. If you feel threatened or unsafe, or if your attempts to resolve the situation yourself are unsuccessful, please seek help immediately.

If you are in a confrontation, or notice someone else in a confrontation, go to Operations for help. Operations will help participants contact venue security or law enforcement, provide escorts, or otherwise assist in creating a positive space for the duration of the con. Penguicon encourages participants to consider the possibility of reporting any rape, assault, or other unlawful activity to law enforcement. We ask that all attendees try to foster an environment where speaking out is fully supported. Retaliating against a person who reports or complains about misconduct will not be tolerated.

In the virtual realm, go to channel #desk-trifecta in our Discord: https://discord.gg/6Re2wAandW, or email [email protected], or text/call 734-450-2617. We monitor those throughout the con and will be available should you need us.

Should you choose to report misconduct to Penguicon, you can expect a member of our ConCom to be called in to provide support, investigate, and take the necessary actions to ensure that the situation is handled with the utmost care and concern with clear and concise actions. Penguicon reserves the right to remove attendees from the con and/or ban future attendance as decided on by the Board of Directors if conduct and safety guidelines are not followed. The Penguicon Board will maintain a record of misconduct reports.

CONSENT

ASK FIRST is the policy of this convention.

If your actions will alter the experience of another person, you are obligated to request their permission, and then respect their decision. This might be regarding someone else’s property, their personal space, touching their costume, taking their photo, or spending all of your time in the same locations as them.

  • CONSENT is an informed,  freely given, sober, ongoing, and enthusiastic “YES!!!”
  • Anything less is NOT consent.
  • Consent may be retracted at any point, even after being given, and you are obligated to respect that decision.
  • Concerns? Questions? Contact Ops at the Ops Desk, or in channel #desk-trifecta in Discord, or text/call (enter OPS Phone number here).

SOCIAL INTERACTIONS

  • People commonly wear costumes at conventions. Please be respectful by not touching them or their costume without a clear invitation. Silence does not equal consent.
  • Please do not photograph any cosplayer without their prior consent.
  • Please keep your public displays of affection rated PG-13.

BADGES

  • All Penguicon attendees must purchase a Penguicon badge and wear that badge at all times when attending Penguicon events or using convention event spaces.
  • Forging, duplicating, or sharing Penguicon badges is not permitted.

PARENTAL CONCERNS

Children ages 12 and under are welcome at the convention. However, parents should be aware that Penguicon does not provide any programming or services for children age 12 or under, and requires that a registered convention attendee always accompany these children.

Unaccompanied children are not allowed into non-public convention areas and functions. Please also consider that some convention topics may not be appropriate for young children, and that some evening and night convention functions may involve attendee costumes and activities possibly inappropriate for children. Penguicon cannot be held responsible for any unaccompanied minors.

ALCOHOL

Penguicon recognizes that the use of alcoholic beverages by those of legal age is a matter of personal choice. Penguicon requires that those who choose to drink during the Penguicon weekend and at other Penguicon-sponsored events abide by state law and the Penguicon Code of Conduct. We expect such individuals will conduct themselves responsibly and respectfully in regard to others and to their environment, including the physical property of the host location.

Penguicon will not serve alcoholic beverages in 2024 but the Eagle Crest will. There may also be other events that will do so. We require that everyone observe the law and follow these rules:

  • The Eagle Crest will be checking IDs before serving any alcoholic beverages. You must be 21 or over in order to drink in Michigan.
  • Proof of age will be required to be served alcohol at the point of service, not during registration. In other words, you must bring your ID to the cash bar in order to drink. Con badges will NOT be accepted as proof of age. Acceptable forms of ID are driver’s licenses, state-issued picture IDs, military IDs, and passports.
  • Violations of state drinking laws will not be tolerated.
  • Each room party will need to decide how to handle appropriate alcohol management. Penguicon asks only that everyone comply with hotel rules, and that all parties follow state drinking laws. We hope that everyone has a wonderful time!
  • Please follow the law and hotel rules in regard to open containers of alcohol. Do not take open alcoholic beverages out of the private rooms where they are served. Caffeine, however, may be consumed in any location.

SWIMMING POOL

  • The Eagle Crest Hotel has no swimming pool.

GAME ROOM

  • Eating is not allowed in the game room.
  • Drinking may be allowed, but all members must remain masked except to take a drink. Please take extra care not to spill, and please properly dispose of all empty containers and waste materials.
  • Anyone under the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult. Additionally, anyone under the age of 18 must carry contact information for a parent or legal guardian at all times. Gaming staff will ask anyone unwilling to comply to leave.
  • Please respect the staff in the game room and comply with any requests, or you will be asked to leave.
  • Please be very careful with our game library.
  • Win or lose, please play fair and have fun!

CONSUITE

  • The ConSuite has no public restrooms.
  • Masks, Shoes, and Shirts are required for entry.
  • Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult at all times.
  • Please do not sleep in the ConSuite.
  • Dispose of any pop cans in recycle bins and your trash in trash cans. We need your help to keep the ConSuite clean for everyone.
  • Alcohol will not be served in the 2024 Consuite. Period. Do not bring alcohol into the Consuite. No exceptions.
  • Consuite cannot accept donations of food from our members due to our COVID-19 risk mitigation strategies. Many times our members donate items, and we thank them, but for 2024 please do not bring food/beverage/snack donations to Consuite.
  • The 2024 ConSuite is not meant to provide any meals, and cannot provide for all dietary restrictions. If you rely on the ConSuite for sustenance, you will die!

GUEST CANCELLATION

  • Our Guests of Honor and other invited Guests commit to attending Penguicon long in advance of the actual event. Along the way (and generally at the very last moment!) circumstances beyond everyone’s control may happen, resulting in the Guest not being able to attend the convention as planned. Penguicon can make no guarantee that a particular guest will be able to attend the convention, and can not be liable for the results of a Guest’s cancellation.

LOBBY USE

  • No sleeping in the lobby is permitted. Please keep exuberant displays of public affection PG-13 rated.
  • Penguicon 2024 may not be the only people in the Eagle Crest Hotel. Please respect Eagle Crest Guests who are not part of our community. Welcome them and share the best of Penguicon with them. If you encounter an issue with a Guest of the Eagle Crest who is not Penguicon, please report it to Ops immediately and do not engage them.

FINAL WORDS

Penguicon has a multi-year governing body, the Board Of Directors, who have created a bare minimum set of eight Permanent Rules, listed below. Each year, Penguicon’s Convention Chair and Convention Committee have complete discretion to expand on the rules in detail to become the full Code Of Conduct that they are willing to commit to upholding. Every member of the Board of Directors and Convention Staff commits to upholding this code of conduct.

The Permanent Minimum Rules

  • You must be 21 or over and legal to drink in the state of Michigan to be served alcohol.  We will be checking ID.
  • To use the hospitality areas you must comply with Michigan state drinking laws.
  • Any weapons or potentially dangerous items should be handled with care.
  • Smoking is only permitted in designated areas.
  • The convention might include discussions or demonstrations of an adult nature; these may be inappropriate for children. Parents are responsible for their children; the convention is not.
  • Be respectful of others. If someone asks you to leave them alone, do so.  Seriously.
  • The Convention retains the right to remove anybody from the Convention at any time, with or without a refund.
  • Have fun, but comply with hotel rules and the law.

Contact information:

2024 Conchair: Angel “Bagel” Garrison – she/her: [email protected]

Penguicon Board of Directors: [email protected]