MAGFest Code of Conduct

The primary purpose of MAGFest is for the attendees to have fun. To ensure that the greatest number of people achieve this objective MAGFest LLC has established certain rules of conduct. These rules were created to ensure that the behavior of any one group of attendees does not disturb the membership as a whole, nor detract from the relaxed and comfortable atmosphere of the festival. MAGFest welcomes everyone; however, the festival's management reserves the right to deny or revoke the membership of any individual at any time for any reason. This action may be undertaken in the event that an individual's presence or behavior causes significant interference with festival operations or adversely affects the organization's relationship with its guests or with its venue. MAGFest also reserves the right to amend these rules at any time without prior or posted notice. If you have any questions, please contact the festival operations staff, and they will assist you.

Anyone who accepts a membership badge agrees to indemnify and hold harmless MAGFest and MAGFest LLC from any claim for personal injuries or other damages or equity arising out of any individual's activities at MAGFest, even if such injury or damage is caused by negligence by or on the part of MAGFest LLC.

General Rating of the Festival and Public Decorum

MAGFest prides itself on presenting an atmosphere that is comfortable for video game fans of all ages and from all walks of life, and MAGFest members are expected to act accordingly. All festival areas are considered to be "PG-15" at all times, with the exception of events or exhibits that are specifically noted to be inappropriate for minors. Access to these activities is monitored by MAGFest Security staff.

Attendance by Minors

MAGFest strives to maintain an environment that is safe and enjoyable for all members of all ages. MAGFest cannot, however, take responsibility for the actions of individual attendees. Neither will MAGFest assume responsibility for those who have not yet reached the age of legal majority. A minor is defined as a person under 18 years of age who has not been legally emancipated from his or her parents. As such, minors must either be accompanied at all times by a parent or legal guardian, or present a signed and notarized statement (available on MAGFest's web page or from the registration department) indicating parental permission to attend without an escort. In the event of a signed waiver, neither MAGFest nor MAGFest LLC will assume any responsibility, legal or otherwise, over any minor. Even with such permission, minors may not attempt to attend any events intended for mature audiences unless accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.

In the event that a minor enters the festival under false pretenses or by forging documentation, MAGFest has no choice but to remand the minor in question immediately to the custody of the local police.

Personal Property

You must check in any equipment brought for MAGFest use. Equipment includes but is not limited to: consoles, computers, musical instruments, T.V.s and projectors. MAGFest will store member-supplied equipment and accompanying personal items but will not be held accountable in any way for them. MAGFest members leave all equipment at their own risk. Please note that any equipment intended for public use may be subject to normal wear and tear. MAGFest and MAGFest LLC will not be liable for damage to the equipment. At check-in, members will be required to label each piece of equipment with their name and badge number. To retrieve checked-in equipment it will be necessary to present an ID and membership badge. No equipment will be released to any persons refusing to present the aforementioned articles.

MAGFest reserves the right to inspect all items coming into and out of MAGFest festival areas. MAGFest is not responsible for the contents of members' systems; as there is a possibility of them spreading malware or otherwise affecting other equipment adversely. MAGFest and MAGFest LLC may not be held responsible for any equipment damaged or otherwise affected by other members’ equipment. MAGFest also reserves the right to remove any suspicious equipment to preserve the safety of other equipment.

Weapons Policy

To ensure the safety of all those attending the festival, MAGFest maintains a strict weapons policy. These policies are enforced at all times.

Prop weapons are welcome, but must be checked in with security promptly upon arrival. Sharp corners, metal rods, or any other elements of weapons that may be dangerous to others will not be allowed. If constructing a prop please air on the side of caution.

No real weapons or any item that can be easily mistaken for a weapon may be carried either openly or concealed at any time in festival space, regardless of any concealed carry permits you may possess. An exception will be made for folding pocket knives provided they contain no double-edged blades and no blade longer than four inches. If at any time a prop weapon or folding pocket knife is held or used in such a way that may be construed as threatening, it will be considered a weapon. On such occasion, a staff member may take any reasonable measures to ensure the continued safety of MAGFest members.

Posting of Announcements, Fliers, Etc.

MAGFest provides a message board near the registration desk where members may post messages, place announcements for get-togethers, etc. Since the message board is in a public area, please do not post anything that may reflect poorly on the festival as a whole. The staff reserves the right to remove any posted materials that are considered inappropriate.

Do not affix anything to or write on the walls of the hotel, including in the elevators. Hotel staff are authorized to remove any unauthorized postings on sight. Likewise, please do not affix any postings, or deface in any way, the directional signs placed by MAGFest.

Sales of Merchandise

The offering for sale of any merchandise at the festival may be undertaken only in the Dealers' area. In all cases the sale will be governed by the rules applicable to that area. Any members wishing to sell goods or merchandise must first obtain approval from the MAGFest staff. Please note that it is illegal according to multiple local regulations to sell merchandise or services in any area of the hotel that are not so designated. Such activities constitute "illegal solicitation," and may result in the perpetrator being removed from hotel grounds.

Personal conduct in festival areas and in public areas of the hotel

There is no smoking in any portion of the Hilton Mark Center, except specifically designated sleeping rooms in the separate "retreat" section. Our hosts respectfully request that those people who step outside to smoke kindly refrain from standing directly in front of any of the entrances, as the smoke is simply carried inside.

Please remember that you are a guest of the hotel, and that there may be other guests staying or dining at the hotel who are not members of the festival. It is only common courtesy to maintain a level of noise appropriate to the time and place. We expect everyone to cooperate fully with MAGFest staff, hotel staff, and any local security or law enforcement personnel. "Disorderly conduct" includes any and all fighting, any inappropriate horseplay, or any actions that directly, recklessly, or negligently cause undue disturbance or disruption of any festival or hotel function. Disorderly conduct may result in revocation of your membership. MAGFest also asks that members kindly refrain from activities including running and screaming on the entirety of the hotel property.

No items of any kind, including paper airplanes, gum, or spit may be thrown or dropped from the hotel or its adjoining patios.

No water pistols, silly string, or any other projectile-type toy may be used in any public area of the hotel.

No sleeping in the lobby or hotel hallways is allowed. MAGFest is reasonably tolerant if you nod off at your computer, but you may not use festival areas as a replacement for a hotel room. MAGFest reserves the right to remove a participant from a festival room for sleeping.

Members must not attempt to cross any barriers (such as curtains or stanchions) without being accompanied by a MAGFest staff member. Crossing such a barrier or otherwise entering an area that is off-limits to our members may result in suspension of your membership and removal from the festival.

Harassment

MAGFest is dedicated to providing a safe and comfortable festival experience for everyone. Harassment of any kind, including but not limited to: physical assault, sexual assault, battery, deliberate intimidation, stalking, or unwelcome physical attentions, will not be tolerated. If a member says "no" or asks you to leave them alone, your business with them is done. Leave them alone. Do not follow them or attempt to disrupt their festival experience in any way. If you continue to attempt to have contact with those people, you may have your membership revoked and may be removed from the premises.

MAGFest is not responsible for arbitrating or otherwise mediating any interpersonal problems that may arise between individual members. In general, we can take no action to prevent a person from attending the festival unless that person has made a specific and credible threat toward the festival itself. If you feel that a threat exists against your person, we advise you to seek a restraining order against the individual in question and to present it to the chairman in advance of the festival; otherwise, we recommend simply avoiding that individual. If that individual stalks, harasses, or attempts to assault you at the festival itself, you may report that individual to a member of the security staff and the appropriate action will be taken. Conversely, any attempt to have an innocent person removed from the festival by falsely accusing him or her of threats will be itself treated as an act of harassment and will be dealt with appropriately. The responsibility for settling interpersonal disputes lies solely with the individuals involved. MAGFest will not tolerate being used as a leveraging point in such disputes.

Substance Abuse

The sale or distribution of any illegal or controlled substances is not allowed at MAGFest. Any individual found to be distributing such substances will be removed and reported directly to the local authorities. MAGFest asks that alcoholic beverages be consumed in the privacy of a hotel room and not taken into any festival function or function space. Please note an important caveat involving minors: Anyone knowingly or unknowingly providing alcohol or aiding others in providing alcohol to anyone under the age of 21 will be guilty of a felony and will be turned over to the local 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, regardless of whether the host or any party attendees are drinking alcohol. Anyone caught drinking under the age of 21 is guilty of a Class 1 Misdemeanor under Virginia law and may be penalized harshly.

Pursuant to Virginia Code § 4.1-308, no alcohol may be consumed in hotel public spaces including festival areas. If a member is over the age of 21 and wishes to consume alcohol in the privacy of their room they may do so on the condition that the alcohol is not transported into public space.

Use of Video or Audio Recordings and Media Relations

The below terms subject to change. Updated terms and conditions with regards to this section to be posted shortly. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

MAGFest members may be photographed or otherwise recorded by other members. By accepting a MAGFest badge you are consenting to having your image published. If you prefer not to have your picture taken, say so. If anyone continues to photograph or record you against your will, it will be treated as harassment (see above).

For the purposes of this section the term "recording" is representative of any media capturing medium or devices, audio, visual, or otherwise.

MAGFest retains the rights to all recordings of the festival. Individual members are allowed private use of any recording they have personally recorded at the festival. Public broadcast of a recording of any part of the festival is prohibited without written permission from MAGFest. The sole exception to this rule involves still photos. MAGFest permits (and encourages) members to share photographs of their festival experience on personal web pages. Video and audio recordings, however, may not be made available to the public without written permission from MAGFest.

Parties interested in making recordings for public interest should contact the Chairman of MAGFest LLC for further information.

Payments to MAGFest

If for some reason you are not paying cash, MAGFest accepts credit card payments though PayPal. PayPal "eCheck" payments are also allowed prior to the event. We will attempt to resolve any dispute involving a credit card payment to MAGFest in an amicable fashion following the tenets of good faith and fair dealing. Chargebacks (denying payment to a credit card company for a specific charge) that are made for the sole purpose of avoiding payment, made without sufficient cause, or that are made without first attempting to resolve the dispute with MAGFest may result in permanent revocation of membership privileges and possible legal action.

MAGFest does not accept checks or money orders of any kind, in any form.

Members who have an outstanding balance due to MAGFest must settle that balance before being permitted to attend the festival.

MAGFest will not 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.

Miscellaneous Notes

The standards of conduct for MAGFest will be strictly enforced by MAGFest security volunteers who will be clearly identified as such on site. Please remember that your badges are property of MAGFest for the duration of the festival, 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 MAGFest's Chairman. We shall make every attempt to be fair and lenient in the case of infractions, but we cannot tolerate behavior which threatens the peace and well-being of our members or organization.

MAGFest accepts no liability for events or actions by individuals in the confines of private hotel rooms. Anyone intending to host a party is strongly suggested to check for MAGFest badges and wristbands on party goers, and to deny entrance to any person who is not a member of the festival. Responsibility for incidents occurring in hotel guest rooms rests solely upon the individual in whose name the room is rented. This includes payment for any and all damage, whether caused intentionally or unintentionally (such as from hanging something on a sprinkler head. Don't do that.) Please note that if MAGFest is provided with sufficient evidence to suggest that illegal activities, particularly those that may cause harm to another person or to the well-being of the festival as a whole, will be taking place in a hotel room, we have both a civic and a moral responsibility to report such information to the appropriate authorities.

All Applicable Local, State, and Federal Laws Must Be Obeyed While in Attendance at MAGFest.

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. We anticipate no difficulties, as our members as a whole are rational and responsible adults. MAGFest 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 of those around you while doing so!

Brendan Becker
A.K.A. Mr. MAGFest
Chairman, MAGFest LLC