Dealer Den Policies

What follows are the Dealer Den Policies for Mephit Fur Meet. Please read them, we do our best to stick to them.

Hours

The Dealers Den will be open to convention members during the hours listed below, unless otherwise noted. We will make every attempt to communicate changes to dealers.

Thursday

  • 5:00PM – 9:00PM – Dealer Setup ONLY

Friday

  • 10:00AM – Noon – Dealer Setup ONLY
  • Noon – 6:00PM – Open to Membership
  • 6:00PM – 7:00PM – Closing for Dealers ONLY

Saturday

  • 9:00AM – 10:00AM – Dealers Opening ONLY
  • 10:00AM – 6:00PM – Open to Membership
  • 6:00PM – 7:00PM – Dealers Closing ONLY

Sunday

  • 9:00AM – 10:00AM – Dealers Opening ONLY
  • 10:00AM – 5:00PM – Open to Membership
  • 5:00PM – 8:00PM – Closing and tear down for dealers ONLY

Please note: Dealers are not required to be in the rooms or selling during the open hours.

Memberships

Dealer tables come with NO memberships. All dealers and their assistants must have purchased a membership before they can enter the dealer’s room.

On Thursday evening for setup, this rule may be relaxed to allow a dealer or assistants with a preregistered membership to enter the room before they pick up their badge.

Dealers and assistants will have a marking on or attached to their badge to show they may enter the room during dealer setup/closing time. All assistants must be connected to a dealer and there is no limit on the number of assistants that can be connected a dealer, but there may only be two people (including the dealer) behind each table at one time.

Dealer Room

The Dealers Den will be secured when not open. Hotel and/or convention security will be patrolling the area at all times. At the discretion of the Dealer’s Den coordinator, a security person may sleep in the room.

Do not, under any circumstances, leave cash or other valuables inside of the Dealers Den that you may need after the den closes. This includes laptops, MP3 players, or medication. Once the Dealers’ Den is closed and secured, it will not be reopened until the next morning without good cause. Be aware that leaving work in the room that you wanted to complete overnight generally does not qualify as such.

Taxes

All dealers are required to collect taxes on all purchases that are done in the Dealers Den. If you think you are exempt from paying taxes, it is up to you to provide proof that the state of Mississippi has approved this.

Taxes are collected on an honor system. Mephit Furmeet will not be running a central register. Dealers will be provided a form and envelope to collect taxes in. Before closing your space for the final time during the weekend, you are required to turn in this form and the UNSEALED envelope containing the amount of money that you have collected for taxes to a member of the dealers den staff. Your tax money is then sent into the state with all other dealers and artists.

Current tax rate for Mississippi is 7%. Please note that this may change for the convention and dealers will be informed of any changes at the start.

Failure to turn in taxes will result in the dealer being banned from the Dealers Den and/or reported to the state of Mississippi.

Space

Tables are approximately 6 feet by 3 feet. Each table will have a table cloth, skirt and two chairs. If you need additional cloths (to cover merchandise), it is advised to bring your own as there may be a limit to the number of clothes provided by the hotel.

Unless you are given permission by the Dealers Den coordinator, you may not alter your space by moving your table or removing any of the items provided.

Each table will also have at least three feet behind it. If you setup requires additional space behind your table (for display or stock), please let us know as soon as possible.

We have tried to maximize the number of dealers that can attend, and, as a result, we must ask that all dealers keep the aisles clear and passages open. Stored and displayed items must not impede traffic flow, both in front of and behind tables. We have a maximum limit of two people per full table behind each table.

Electricity

Electricity is provided on a first come, first served basis. There no fee for access to power.

Internet

Wireless Internet connection will be available in the Dealer’s Room. As of this time, it will be free and provided by the convention center, however, circumstances beyond our control may change this. As much notice as possible will be given if this changes. Mephit Furmeet can not and does not guarantee the uptime or speed of the connection.

Requests

Mephit Furmeet will make every attempt to satisfy any and all special requests, but we can’t guarantee anything. If you have a special request, you are urged to contact us as soon as possible. Requests for electricity and wall space will be fulfilled first. Other requests, such as to sit near a specific dealer or in a specific section of the room, will be the last to be fulfilled. For example, if dealer A requests wall space and dealer B requests to sit near dealer A, dealer B will not be placed next to A unless all request for wall space have been fulfilled.

Display Guidelines & Behavior

Please remember that not everyone may share your tastes, and that your behavior is representative of the entire fandom. In accordance with state law, we must require that any adult material must not be displayed openly; for example, art/print dealers we request, where applicable, that two separate binders (“clean”, “dirty”) be kept. Additionally, any “naughty” parts of must be covered in some fashion (Post-It notes work well for this). This satisfies State requirements about underage viewing and is discreet for purchasers. Dealers are responsible for keeping unsuitable material out of the hands of minors in the Dealers Den.

Minors will be clearly identifiable; a sample minor badge will be available in the Dealers Den.

In addition to the above rule, we have several other regulations which we ask dealers to abide by:

  • No space may be resold without permission from the Dealers’ Den Director.
  • No loud or annoying displays will be permitted. Any loud noises will be multiplied by the dynamics of the room, so please keep CDs/DVDs at a reasonable volume.
  • No pirated works may be sold in the Dealers’ Den. Piracy is theft, plain and simple. Exceptions can be made for material that is not readily available in the United States (hard-to-find anime, etc.), but this will be decided on a case-by-case basis. Anything that you sell that is not entirely your creation; you should have permission from all other parties before selling.
  • Free standing displays or stands may not be used in any way that causes a safety issue or clogs the walkway. If you plan on using a stand or display with your table, please inform the Dealers’ Den staff so it can be positioned in a way not to cause problems.
  • No weapons may be sold in the Dealers Den. Exceptions can be made on a case by case basis, but will need to be cleared through security.
  • No more than two people may be behind a single table at any given time.
  • Please keep your area clean and take your trash with you when you close up each night.

The Dealers Den Director will have final say on all disputes in the Den. You can appeal to the convention Director, but he’s likely to decide in favor of the Dealers Den Director.

All Mephit Furmeet Policies apply in the Dealers Den.

Waiting List

Dealers Den space goes fast. In the event that the Dealers Den sells out, we will be instituting the waiting list. When the Dealers Den is full, applications will be placed in the waiting list in a first-come, first- served manor. Payment will not be due until a table is granted to you, however, if you are granted a table off the waiting list, payment must be sent or arranged within 48 hours of your notification of receiving a table.

Canceling

If you find you are unable to attend, the same rules shall govern Dealers Den that govern registration: If you cancel by August 1st, 2017, we will refund you the entire cost of your table. After August 1st, we can not guarantee that we can issue a refund or credit. Canceled tables cannot be transferred to other dealers at the request of the canceling dealer, but will go to the next person on the waiting list.

Final Notes

Complaints or concerns concerning the Dealers Den should be addressed to the Dealers Den coordinator at dealers@mephitfurmeet.org. Tables that have not been claimed by 10:00AM on Friday, without notification to the staff will be considered abandoned and given to the next waiting applicant on the list. No refunds or credits will be given for abandoned tables.