The Mephit Fur Meet Weekend Rules

(otherwise known as – “The things you don’t want to hear but they make us tell you anyway”) Yes, this applies to everyone – Attendees, Volunteers, Vendors, Staff

1. You must wear your convention badge at all times to be admitted to any convention function.  

You must wear your badge on the outermost part of your clothing or costume at all times while in public convention space. Your badge will contain a badge name of your choosing and a unique number. You may not alter the badge in any way to permanently obscure any of these elements. You must show the full badge, to any member of con staff, security, hotel staff, or law enforcement agency that requests it. If you alter your badge in a way to break this rule, you will be required to replace your badge at your own expense. Any person found using a counterfeit badge will be turned over to hotel security. Anyone found making copies of their badge for others will have their membership permanently revoked.

2. Possession of alcoholic beverages by a minor or anyone under 21 years old is grounds for expulsion from the convention without refund

MFM security members, committee members, and uniformed officers may require you to furnish acceptable legal identification at any time. Do not leave it in your room!

3. Please keep all behavior that polite fans would find offensive in public where it belongs — in your room. 

Any attendee under the age of 18 will be issued a Minor badge, and any attendee who is under the age of 16 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian at all times in MFM-controlled areas, including the Dealer’s Den and the Con Suite. Parents/Guardians will be held responsible for issues or damage caused by their children

The general rating of the convention is considered to be “PG” at all times in all convention and public hotel spaces.  Special events that are designated as “After Dark” events are considered inappropriate for minors, and are an exception to this rule.  Security or MFM staff will attempt to prevent any unauthorized access by minors. Badges must be worn at all times during these special events.

4. Reserved for when stupidity trumps rational behavior.

At which point management of Mephit Fur Meet will make an ultimate decision. 

5. We can offer sympathy, but MFM is not responsible for lost, stolen or damaged property or for injuries sustained during the course of the convention.

Please do not leave any valuables in your vehicles or plain view in your room especially if you are hosting room parties. The hotel and MFM will do all we can to ensure nothing will be taken but are not responsible for anything missing.  In other words, use common sense, but ultimately, keeping your valuables safe is not the responsibility of Mephit Fur Meet.

6. Programmed events and guests are subject to change and/or cancellation without notice.

7. We reserve the right to ask you to leave the convention and refuse to refund your registration fee

If you are behaving like a jerk DO expect us to enforce this… Any attendee found intentionally engaging in acts that endanger life or property (pulling fire alarms as a prank or hotel vandalism are good examples of this) will have their membership revoked on the first offense. They will also be considered unwelcome to future events sponsored by MST3A. For egregious offenses, law enforcement may be called. Issues will be handled by Whispering Woods security, who may choose to file criminal charges. 

8. Please adhere to our weapons policy.

NO functioning projectile weapons; this includes but is not limited to water pistols, silly-string guns and ping pong pistols. Permitted weapons must be sheathed and peace-bonded by MFM SECURITY at all times. No clowning around or showing off in the commons areas. Any weapon used in an offensive manner will be confiscated and rule #7 enforced. We expect you to use good judgment.

9. Con security, hotel security and local law enforcement officials will treat anything that looks like a real gun as a real gun.

We do not post bail.

Read rules 7 and 8 again.

10. NO SLEEPING IN THE CRITTER CAFE OR LOBBY! 

If you are found sleeping in the public convention or hotel areas, you will be asked to go to your hotel room. If you do not have a room, security will be forced to ask you to leave.

11. Please do not eat the hotel.

We’d like to do this again. Do not damage hotel property. This includes, but is not limited to drawing on walls, furniture, tablecloths, etc. You are liable for any damage to the hotel property. Any damage to hotel property will be handled between yourself and our hotel, not Mephit Fur Meet. Mephit Fur Meet will provide the hotel with as much information as they request for the purposes of identifying the parties responsible for damages, including (but certainly not limited to) use of our Security team and registration database.

12. Attendees, Costumers & Fursuiters: Remember that no costume is NO costume and there are public decency  laws in Mississippi

Please wear appropriate clothing in the common areas. Attendees, while in public areas (lobby, parking lot, hallways for example) may not wear clothing that is overly revealing or inappropriate for the “PG” rating of the convention.  Bondage, fetish gear including leashes are not allowed in public spaces.  Due to the nature of the fandom, collars are permitted, however, leashes are considered not only a fetish item but a safety hazard, and may not be worn in public spaces. Because of the risk of injury, leashes may not be connected to someone’s neck at any time, regardless of location. 

Security staff will ask that articles of clothing/costumes that are representative of hate groups, gangs, terrorist organizations, or that are determined to be inappropriate be removed and not displayed while at the convention.  This includes certain military uniforms both reenactment or cosplay versions. Making everyone feel welcome at Mephit Fur Meet is always our goal, so our Directors reserve the right to make a decision at any time on the appropriateness of attire.

13. There is no rule #13. Never was. Move along.

14. PDA (Public Display of Affection) While the Mephit Fur Meet promotes tolerance and diversity, PDA (Public Display of Affection) and nudity will not be allowed. Back scratches and hugging are acceptable, regardless of gender or sexual orientation. Please use common sense. If you have to ask or think twice about doing something in public, take it to your room.

15. Pursuant to regional smoking bans, smoking/vaping is unlawful in all enclosed areas. Per hotel policy, all public areas and sleeping rooms of the hotel are non-smoking. This includes vaping. Whispering Woods is 100% smoke-free, you may only smoke in designated areas outside the hotel. Whispering Woods’ policy on E-Cigarettes / Blu cigarettes/vapor cigarettes is that it is treated as a regular cigarette and can only be used in the appropriately designated areas. Evidence of smoking in the guest room will result in a $150 charge to the guest’s credit card by Whispering Woods.

16. Inappropriate Artwork If an attendee is found to be drawing, displaying, affixing or writing hateful, offensive items, or items that violate our PG rating in/on public message boards, art jam posters, convention signage, or any other hotel or convention area will have their membership revoked and will not be welcome back at MFM in the future.  

17. Goods for Sale There is to be no selling of any goods or services outside of the Dealer’s Den and MFM-sanctioned auctions. Please consult the MFM Dealer’s Den Policies for more information. If you are found selling outside the sales area, your information will be turned over to the Mississippi Department of Taxation for sales tax collection. 

18. Service Animals

Do not interfere with service animals. They are there to provide for the safety of our attendees who require them. Do not pet a service animal without the permission of its handler.  If you harass a service animal, it will be viewed as harassing the owner and the harassment policy will be enforced.

Service Animals must be leashed and under the control of their owner/handler at all times while in convention space. Retracting leashes must be locked to prevent the animal from freely roaming away from the owner/handler.  If a service animal becomes a nuisance (running free, growling, excessive barking) at or to other service animals or attendees, the owner will be asked to remove the animal from the convention space.  We follow ADA regulations as far as Service Animals and will do what we can to accommodate Emotional Support Animals but the same MFM rules apply for either.  If your service animal creates a mess (#1 or #2) inside the hotel, you are required to clean it up to the best of your ability and notify the hotel.

19. Pets

Pets are not allowed in con-controlled areas. You are encouraged to check with the hotel to determine what their policy is regarding pets in your hotel room. Mephit Fur Meet is held during the summer in the south, You are not allowed to leave pets in your car. 

20. Press and Media

In accordance with local and state laws, Mid-South and Tennessee Anthropomorphic Art Association doing business as Mephit Furmeet and also known as MFM, will not allow any type of photographic or video media coverage in any convention controlled areas. This includes but is not limited to any convention-controlled space. MFM also requires that every attendee must consent in writing to being photographed or recorded in any public space at the convention hotel location by the press and the written consent must be kept on file for a minimum of one year. Unless all attendees consent to this, then any type of broadcast or publication is not allowable by any media outlet. It is also not allowed to photograph or record from any public space into any convention-controlled space. Any media wishing to discuss coming to MFM must do so a minimum of 90 days prior to the start of the event. 

If a member of the press is found by any MFM attendee, they should contact a staff member immediately so that the staff member may present them a written copy of the MFM Press Policy in addition to an information packet about MFM.

No photographs or video of MFM may be used for any type of commercial use without the prior written consent of the Mid-South and Tennessee Anthropomorphic Art Association and cannot be used for any financial gain. Any personal photos or video that are taken at MFM and placed on the Internet, if asked, must be taken down immediately.

21. Internet Access

Hotel-provided internet is offered as a convenience for attendees. Any attempt to compromise or gain unauthorized access to the hotel networks will be seen as a crime and turned over to hotel security and local authorities.

Anyone found using an MFM-provided network for illegal or inappropriate activities such as trading of copyrighted music, software, movies, or mature subject matter will have further access to all MFM-provided networks terminated permanently. Violators may also face revocation of convention membership privileges.

22. Barbeque Grills / Open Flame

Barbeque grills may not be used inside your hotel room or on hotel balconies. You may not have an open flame in your hotel room, hotel spaces, or balcony. Seriously JUST DON’T do this!

23. Room Parties

Please see MFM’s separate policy for Room Parties. ALL RULES WILL BE STRICTLY ENFORCED!!!

24. Alcohol Consumption

There is no open consumption allowed in any MFM-controlled space without prior written approval from the MFM Directors. Consumption should be limited to private rooms or in the hotel bar or restaurant area. Any minor found consuming alcohol will be turned over to hotel security. 

**25**. Harassment is not acceptable behavior.

Do you really have to ask?

Okay, harassment includes offensive verbal comments (related to gender, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, or religion), sexual images in public spaces, deliberate intimidation, stalking, following, harassing photography or recording, sustained disruption of any event, inappropriate physical contact, or unwelcome sexual attention. What’s going to happen? Refer back to Rule #7.

If you are being harassed, notice that someone else is being harassed, or have any other concerns, please contact Security or a Director immediately.

WEAPONS POLICY 

The practice of carrying or wearing personal weapons at conventions is one of the oldest traditions in fandom. MFM respects this custom and we would rather not do anything to interfere with it. Unfortunately, a few fans have created problems in the past by abusing this custom and behaving very badly with weapons. Therefore, we have established the following weapons policy to address these concerns. Please read it because it will be enforced.

1) All knives, swords, axes, shuriken, and other bladed weapons, whether sharpened or not, must be covered by sheaths, cases, reinforced cardboard, or some other protective wrapping. All blades or other small weapons, such as nun-chucks, must be secured to the wearer’s person or clothing so that it may not be unsheathed or made threatening without substantial time and effort.

This applies in public or semi-public areas of the hotel including hallways, the lobby, and all function space. Any of the above-mentioned items must be inspected and Peace Bonded by MFM Security.  Convention Security can inspect any weapon-like item and require it to be Peace Bonded.    (Exceptions will be made for displays in the Dealer’s Room. 

2) All functional firearms, pellet guns, lasers, sound projectors, tasers, and other projectile or distance weapons are absolutely forbidden.

No exceptions will be given (don’t even ask). 

3 ) Replicas, blasters and zap guns are allowed.

Any convention or hotel staff member or uniformed security guard may, at any time, require proof that the weapon does indeed not function. 

4) Anything can be used as a weapon.

Therefore any object used in a dangerous or threatening manner or in such a way that it becomes a general nuisance to the attendees of the convention will be regarded as a  weapon by MFM. 

5) Any weapon being carried or misused in violation of this policy will be confiscated and held until the convention concludes on Sunday afternoon.

Afterward, the weapon may be picked up in Operations.  

  • Anyone who refuses to surrender a weapon when asked to do so by a MFM representative will be ejected from the convention without refund. In the event of a serious violation, the hotel will be asked to evict the violator without refund and the violator may be liable for criminal or civil damages

5) No assassination games will be permitted.*

Attendees will be ejected from the convention without a refund when caught.

Please note that this includes Laser-Tag™ and similar games.

*Any convention-sponsored events are excluded from this restriction during their scheduled times. 

 6) Anyone who deliberately or negligently injures another or causes property damage to the hotel, meeting rooms, or the contents thereof, will be ejected from the convention without refund, ejected from the hotel, and may be subject to arrest and criminal and/or civil prosecution. 

 7) Interpretation and enforcement of this policy will be at the discretion of any MFM Director.

In cases of disagreement, the decision of any two (2) Directors will be final. 

8) All attendees please note: The civil authorities have been known to take a dim view of persons carrying swords, knives, martial arts weapons and/or large-bore particle beam weapons.

Please show some discretion when making excursions into Mundania.

PLEASE NOTE THESE RULE ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE AS SOME OF YOU FIGURE OUT WAYS TO GET AROUND THEM.  Please see rules #7 and #8.