Press

Otakon 2008 Press Access Pre-Registration Policies

Welcome to the Otakon Press Information Page. Please review our policies carefully. If you were granted a complimentary membership last year,
please email the Press Department Head (using the form on our contacts page before proceeding.

Application Procedure

Press interested in covering Otakon should apply in advance; the cutoff date for Press applications is July 18th and we will only accept applications from professional media once Otakon is underway. Those requesting press access at the convention without pre-registration should speak to the Press Department Head at Press Operations, located in the Pratt West Show Offices in the Baltimore Convention Center during the convention.

If you are interested in attending our event as a member of the press, you must first register as a Member of Otakon. You can do this either by renewing a member record from last year or creating a new one. As you register to become a Member of the convention, save your progress with the "Save my Submission" link before submitting payment options. You will be sent an e-mail with a link that will allow you to complete the pre-registration if needed. Save this e-mail!

After you have registered for a membership, please complete the following Press Application Form. Generally, you will need to provide credentials that confirm your status as press. Please read the requirements for Press applications carefully - if your application is missing anything, it may be denied or delayed:

Take me to the 2008 Press Application Form

After your email has been received and your information has been reviewed, you will be sent a response with an address to which you will send your Press Application Materials. This will include:

• Copies of official government-issued photo identification showing your name and date-of-birth. Every member of your organization that plans on attending Otakon on a Press access tag must submit copies of their photo ID. You will need to show your ID again when picking up your Press access tag at-con.
• Samples of your work. (Instructions will be included in the response email).

What Happens Next?

After your complete application (initial application message and subsequent materials) has been reviewed and you are granted press access, you will receive a confirmation email. In certain cases, the Press and Publicity Department may choose to issue organizations with complimentary Membership to the convention. If you are eligible for complimentary Membership badge(s), this will be indicated in the confirmation email.

However, if you are granted press access but are not eligible for a complimentary Membership badge, you must pay for your Otakon Membership. Everyone who holds a Press access tag must also have a Member badge. You will only be admitted to the convention with a Membership badge, there are no exceptions! To pay for your badge, follow the link in the e-mail you received from saving your registration submission and finish your registration.

Regardless of your complimentary Membership badge status, please save the confirmation email because you will need to show it to pick up your Press access tag at Otakon.

Picking up your badge and press tag at Otakon

When you arrive at the convention, please first proceed to the Special Needs booth to pick up your Otakon Membership Badge. You will need to present your confirmation email to the staff person at the Pratt Street Lobby entrance (at the head of the line) to bypass the line. He or she will direct you to the Special Needs booth.

After you have collected your Otakon Membership Badge, then proceed to Press Operations, located at the Pratt West Show Office to pick up your Press access tag.

You will need to show a valid photo ID and the confirmation email to get your Press access tag.

Without your Press access tag, you will not have access to Press seating at selected Otakon events, access to the Press Ops room, or the ability to request interviews with Guests.

After the convention, we would appreciate a courtesy copy of your coverage for our records.

Thanks for your interest and we hope to see you at Otakon this year!

Please Note:

• Press access tags only give you access to Press-specific areas. They do not offer access to the convention on their own.
• All applicants for Press access must register as convention Members. There are no exceptions. Every person in possession of a Press access tag at Otakon must wear their Membership badge at all times. Press must have the Press access tag visible at all times. If you do not wear your Membership badge, you will not have access to the convention.
• Submitting a request for Press access does not guarantee that you will receive Press access.
• The total number of Press access tags is limited; as such every name submitted for your organization may not receive Press access.

Please check the Press and Publicity RSS News Feed on the Otakon website regularly for updates. If you have a question, please look in the Otakon forums to see if your question has been raised and answered in there, or use the Otakon contacts page if you require a prompt response.