Vitals: Registration

Otakon 2009 pre-registration is closed!

However, there are still memberships available for Otakon 2009, and we will be making those available at the con!

At-con registration will be available all three days of the convention. The price of a membership is $65 if purchased at the convention. A membership allows you to attend all convention functions from the time of purchase till the end of the convention.

The forms of payment we will accept for at-con registration include cash, credit cards (Visa and MasterCard only), money orders, and travelers checks. Please be aware that we will NOT be accepting personal checks for at-con registration

Thursday Night Pre-Reg Pickup

Once again, we'll have our doors open for pre-registered members to pick up their badges on Thursday.

Thursday Pre-Registration pickup will begin at 5:00PM and end around 11:00PM.

A note on Thursday Night Pre-Reg Pickup from your friendly Staff:

From our comfortably air conditioned vantage points in various hotels overlooking the BCC, we have watched in awe as Otaku line up as early as Wednesday night for Thursday night Pre-Reg Pickup. While we appreciate your enthusiasm, lining up that early is really not necessary!

Thursday night pre-reg pickup is just that, line up, get badge, go home. There are NO Otakon activities on Thursday, so there is no need to show up extra early, or hang around once you have your badge. As a matter of fact, you will speed the process along for those behind you if you go back to your home, hotel, boat, car, or yurt once you are done. It takes very little time whether you arrive at the back of the line, or camp out.

So, unless you are one of the types who has to have the distinction of being the first person in line, we recommend you show up between the hours listed for pre-reg pickup. If you simply must be one of the die hard(heads), then PLEASE, we beseech you to BRING WATER. Summer temperatures in Baltimore are nothing to be trifled with. If you expect to survive a full day camping out in 90 degree plus heat, then you must, repeat MUST HYDRATE. While there will be Otakon Staffers monitoring the line for Pre-Reg Pickup (during the normal pre-reg pickup hours), the water they are carrying is intended to keep themselves alive, not you. So please, bring water.

DRINK the water. Absorb, belt, chug, consume, down, drain, gargle, gulp, guzzle, imbibe, indulge, irrigate, lap, nip, partake of, put away, quaff, sip, slake, slosh, slurp, soak up, sop, sponge, suck, sup, swallow, swig, swill, tank up, thirst, toast, wash down, wet your whistle. Just drink. See the water....BE the water.

At-Con Registration (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday)

The Pratt Street Lobby will open for all pre-registration and at-con registration on:

Friday and Saturday: ~8:30 AM to ~10:00 PM
Sunday:9:00 AM to noon.

The at-door price for a full weekend registration is $65. Full weekend memberships are available for purchase at this price during all three days of the convention.

You may notice that the rate for a membership on Sunday is back to $65. Although the lower rate was rather popular, we are currently unable to support it as we had originally intended. We apologize for any inconvenience this might cause.

The purchase of a membership grants you access to Otakon for the entire convention. For example if you pay for a membership for yourself on Friday, it is good till we close the doors on Sunday. One does not need to buy a membership every day of the convention.

Advice about Registration

• Members who have picked up their badges are encouraged to use the Charles Street entrance during peak registration hours (Friday and Saturday mornings). You'll avoid the masses that way.
• People who pre-register are reminded that a government-issued photo ID is required to pick up a badge; bringing your printed registration confirmation will help speed badge pickup.
• Lines in the mornings are often very long, and August in Baltimore is generally muggy (90 degrees and high humidity). To avoid health issues, we remind you to dress appropriately for the weather and drink plenty of water. (You may want to wait to don your heavy cosplay outfit until after you get your badges.)
• On that note, make sure you've read our line etiquette policy. It'll be enforced to the best of our ability.