[kuro_ketsurui]

I'd like to know how a band goes about playing in the lobby area, under the elevators where the Spoony Bard/Their-New-Name plays. If possible, I'd like to reserve a two hour block to play on Friday and/or Saturday. Thanks for your help.

[TheRabbi]

There are no slots to sign up for or anything like that. Groups just take it on themselves to play there. Groups that want to play in this area should contact... I'm guessing Panel Programming (at panelprogramming-dh at acen dot org)? I am not sure that the specific area where the ex-Spoony Bards played last year will be open for performances (we want to use that area for lining people up, but we'll see if that's in the final plan), but there are no rules against a band or similar performing group finding a public space and performing for the public in any of the buildings the con is in.

The only reasons we may ask you to move or stop are:

• If you are causing a crowd control issue. This is far and away the most frequent occurrence. In this case, we'll generally ask the crowd to reshape itself rather than tell you to stop playing, but you can help avoid this by not setting up in a place where people who stand (or sit!) to watch you would be blocking doorways, escalators, registration lines, entrances to Artist's Alley, fire exits, and so on.
• If you are charging money for people to watch you play. This would be a big issue; it has the potential to fall under all sorts of laws about necessary permits and requirements for performance venues and tends to make the cops nervous, which tends to make us nervous. So a tip jar is all right, but requiring people to pay to hear you is not. Selling CDs (CDs! When are we, 2002?) is fine, but you can't have a sign advertising their costs, because that is technically against ACen's no-signs policy not okay, as this is against ACen's policy.
• In general, if any signs you put mention money. So no pricing advertised on the CDs (though note I'm not saying you can't charge money for them), and no "we play for tips!". A labeled tip jar is fine in my opinion. (Writing this stipulation has made me realize that it might be worth going over the ol' no-signs-policy and making it a little more nuanced.)
• If you are causing a noise issue. This means, for example, if you have set up near Main Programming and people inside can't hear the programming in there because of you, or if you set up in the lobby and people with rooms in the atrium balconies can't concentrate or sleep because of you. It's unlikely this will come up unless...
• The hotel asks us to ask you to move or stop. We can have all the policies we want, but it's the hotel's property, and if they ask us to ask you to move, it's because they are being polite and letting us interact with our own attendees instead of doing it themselves. This shouldn't really happen if you follow the guidelines above, but occasionally the domains of things like "acceptable noise level" and "causing a crowd control issue" have slightly different definitions in IRT's collective consciousness and in the hotel staff's. We like being at the Hyatt, though, so we are most likely going to take their side. Likewise if Rosemont Public Safety asks us to shut you down; that one is (a) a no-brainer, and (b) really, really, unlikely to happen. Like, I'll eat my hat if that happens. Well, I'll buy a hat and then eat it.

I hope this helps. Let me know if you have any more questions. I'm looking forward to randomly stumbling on your band!

This post has been edited by TheRabbi: 04 October 2011 - 11:52 AM
Reason for edit: Rearranged the post to reflect Purplegodess's comments below.

[kuro_ketsurui]

That's a huge help, and pretty much summed up any questions I might have had. Thanks a lot!

[Purplegodess]

Some notes on this....Actually the Spoony Bards were approved to play and that area was set aside for them last year. If you require power it needs to be approved, or the hotel will get ready to give you a handy dandy big electrical bill. And CD's are not allowed to be sold, there's no selling of merchandise unless you have and artist alley or exhibitor badge, and are under those contracts.

[Voltaire30]

In addition if you would like to check out the Artist Alley and or Exhibitor information, you can find them by following these helpful links.

Artist Alley & Art Show General Information

Exhibitor General Information

Artist Alley Rules and Regulations

Exhibitor Rules and Regulations


Please remember that no one, or company, is allowed to sell anything in the Hyatt, as that conflicts not only with their contract, but also with the convention policy on selling items only in the convention center.
If you have any questions about where you are permitted to sell items if it is approved, how to obtain a contract to sell items, or any information about the Artist Alley, Art Show, or Exhibitor Hall, Please send an email to one of the email addresses in my signature.

[TheRabbi]

My primary answer post has been changed to reflect the notes given above.

[kuro_ketsurui]

Thanks for the clarification. Would it be okay to contact them sometime in November-December, before Christmas? I want to have all of my ducks in a row before I talk about stuff like power requirements.