Policies

Table of Contents

PRIVACY POLICY

You can find our privacy policy here.

RELEASE OF LIABILITY

By attending Mysterium, you assume all risks and hazards incidental to your voluntary participation in the activities of Mysterium weekend, and do hereby waive, release, absolve, indemnify and agree to hold harmless the Mysterium Committee and Falling Man Group for any claim arising out of any injury to the fullest extent allowed by law. You are fully aware of the potential dangers and risks inherent in this activity, including physical injury, death, or other consequences that may arise or result directly or indirectly from participation in this activity.

MYSTERIUM MINOR POLICY

All children under the age of majority in the hosting city/country must have a parental permission form (available at the registration desk or here) on file with the Mysterium Committee.

No children under the age of 16 are allowed to attend without a parent or legal guardian on site. Children 16 and older must have a designated responsible party on site.

Children under the age of 10 are required to be accompanied by their parent or guardian to all Mysterium events, unless it is a previously designated children’s event. Provided these rules are followed, children under the age of 10 may attend the convention free of charge.

Parents/guardians should be aware of when After-Hours (see General Rating section, below) begins, and may wish to have minors leave the convention space before that time.

GENERAL RATING

Mysterium is a family-friendly event. As such, the convention space should be considered a “PG”-rated area. During scheduled event times, please refrain from the use of strong language, inappropriately sexual dress or behaviors, or strong depictions of violence or blood while in the convention space. Please reserve any more mature activities (such as Cards Against Humanity games) until After-Hours, or take them to a private area that can be guaranteed age-appropriate.

After-Hours starts at 9pm local time, unless otherwise specified.

HARASSMENT

The Mysterium Convention has a ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY for harassment of any kind, including but not limited to:

  • stalking
  • offensive or discriminatory verbal comments
  • harassing or non-consensual photography or recording
  • intimidation
  • physical assault and/or battery
  • sustained disruption of panels, signings, and other events
  • inappropriate physical contact or unwelcome attention
  • inappropriate sexual advances/sexual contact/sexual assault
  • interfering with the use of one’s bathroom of choice (bathroom policing)

In relation to, but not limited to:

  • race
  • ethnicity
  • gender
  • national origin or ancestry
  • gender identity/gender presentation
  • sexual orientation
  • economic status
  • body size
  • appearance/clothing/costumes
  • citizenship or immigration status
  • age
  • disability, including mental health conditions
  • use of medical devices, including masks
  • religion
  • pregnancy
  • military or veteran status

If you feel you are a victim of, or a witness to, harassment at Mysterium, please see here for information on how to file a report with convention staff, or talk to any Mysterium staff member.

CONDUCT

Attendees are expected to show respect to presenters and panelists. Disrupting events by heckling and/or shouting out will not be tolerated and may result in your being temporarily removed from the event. Repeat offenses will result in a loss of your badge.

Attendees agree not to attend Mysterium if they feel ill or if their attendance may jeopardize the health of those with whom they come into contact at Mysterium. Moreover, attendees agree to immediately stop participating in Mysterium if, once at the event, they have a temperature or are experiencing symptoms of a contagious illness. Failure to follow the preceding health and safety guidance may result in removal from the event, including loss of your badge and being barred from future Mysterium events.

Attendees are also expected to show respect to staff. You are welcome to approach staff with any questions during Mysterium; however, if a staff member has made a formal decision do not continually argue with them in the hopes they will change it. Repeated violations of this policy will result in a loss of your badge.

REFUNDS/TRANSFERS

Refunds on registration and other items will be provided, upon request, up to 90 days before the date of the convention. However, no refunds will be given for t-shirts/swag/other physical items after they have been ordered by us.

No refunds will be given within 90 days of the event. Any registration items or swag not claimed by the morning of the final day of the event are considered forfeit and not subject to a refund.

We reserve the right of refusal over any request to transfer any purchases into someone else’s name.

Any attempt to circumvent our refund policies via charge dispute may result in a lifetime ban from FMG-sponsored events.

BADGE POLICY

Your badge and badge name must be visible at all times when in convention spaces. You may not cover your printed badge name given at registration in any way (including with a D’ni version of the same name).

Replacement of lost badges is at the discretion of registration staff, and is not guaranteed. If we discover that a replacement badge is being used to give someone else access without paying, you will both be ejected from the event without refunds.

PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEO RECORDING

Cameras and other recording devices are permitted at Mysterium, but please keep some common courtesy in mind. While photography is a common occurrence at conventions and attendees should have an expectation that they may be photographed while in the public convention space, please be respectful of anyone who asks you not to take their picture. Mysterium staff also reserve the right to prohibit photography or recording at certain events or locations during the convention. When on Mysterium-organized outings, attendees are expected to follow the photography and recording policies of the places they visit.

Mysterium events are generally recorded and streamed. By attending or participating in Mysterium events, you are giving your consent to be recorded and/or appear in photographs, and you waive any and all claims regarding the use of your image in said recordings or photographs.

ABANDONED ITEMS

Any lost items that are found or turned in to Mysterium staff, and which are not claimed by their rightful owner before the end of the convention, will be handled or disposed of as the staff deem appropriate.

DRUGS & ALCOHOL

Alcohol and other intoxicating substances are not permitted in the convention space. Attendees who appear to be under the influence will not be allowed to enter the event, and may be ejected without a refund. Unlawful consumption or possession of alcohol by individuals under the legal age in the hosting city/country will not be tolerated, even for international attendees. Serving or providing alcohol to minors in violation of the law is strictly prohibited, and will result in your removal from the convention without right of re-entry. Mysterium staff may also file a report with local law enforcement.

Illegal substances, including those that are legal under state/local law but banned under federal law, are prohibited at Mysterium. Attendees found in possession of these substances will be ejected from the convention without a refund, and may be reported to the appropriate authorities.

Additionally, Mysterium staff will enforce any substance possession policies set by the convention hotel, per the Hotel Policies section below.

HOTEL POLICIES

All attendees are expected to follow the policies of Mysterium’s host hotel, whether in the convention space, hotel room, or other public area of the hotel. This includes noise policies. If hotel staff or Mysterium staff ask you to close your hotel room door or lower your volume, you must do so. Failure to do so may result in being ejected from the event without a refund.

SLEEPING AT THE CONVENTION

Please refrain from sleeping in the convention space. If you need sleep, we ask that you return to your room.

FOOD & DRINK

In the interest of maintaining a safe environment for those with food allergies, as well as maintaining a clean and inviting convention space for all, no food is allowed in the main Mysterium meeting room. Beverages are allowed, but only in covered containers.

WEAPONS, PROPS, & COSTUMES

Costumes must adhere to the convention’s PG rating. In addition to the clothing of your costume, the following policies apply to any props, weapons, or accessories:

Possession of weapons in violation of applicable law is prohibited. Functional weapons of any kind are strictly prohibited in the convention space, even if the attendee has a weapon permit or concealed weapon permit. Anyone found with a weapon on convention grounds will be subject to immediate ejection from the convention without right of re-entry or refund.

All weapons that are part of a costume must be non-functional and peace-bonded. Peace-bonding is a visible lock or tie on the weapon that renders it inactive and harmless. Examples include zip-ties over triggers such that they can’t be pulled, or bladed weapons tied into their sheath. You must provide your own materials for peace-bonding your weapon props. If you are unable to do so, you will be asked to leave the convention space until you can return without it.

Projectile weapons such as water pistols, Nerf guns, silly-string guns, air-soft guns, and pellet guns are not allowed. Replica projectile weapons should never be pointed at anyone, and should remain holstered or slung so as to make them immobile while in the convention space.

Bladed weapons must remain sheathed at all times while in the convention space. Play-acting or otherwise brandishing bladed weapons or staffs of any kind is not permitted. Live steel weapons, such as swords, daggers, knives, and other bladed metal capable of holding an edge, are prohibited.

ANIMALS POLICY

Animals are not permitted in convention spaces, including Emotional Support Animals.

However, Service Animals, as defined by the Federal ADA and/or applicable local laws, are welcome at Mysterium.

SUBMISSIONS POLICY

By submitting any Work to Mysterium, you grant Mysterium, the Falling Man Group Ltd, and Cyan Inc a perpetual, royalty-free, non-exclusive, world-wide right and license to use, print, publish, broadcast, reproduce, modify, adapt, distribute, and/or publicly display the Work, alone or with other works, in any means of expression by any method now known or hereafter developed.

You also grant us, in perpetuity, the right to market and/or sell the Work, or any part of it, alone or with other works as we see fit. It is understood that any proceeds arising from the license set forth in this policy will go solely to Falling Man Group Ltd in support of Mysterium-related events.

You must have full ownership of the Work you are submitting, and it must not violate anyone else’s copyright or trademarks. If it makes use of Cyan-related content, it must abide by Cyan’s Fan-Made Content Policy. Submissions generated by Artificial Intelligence tools are not permitted. AI may be used for brainstorming but the final product must be your own original work. This applies to all submission types including both visual and written works.

Unless you request otherwise, we shall make reasonable efforts to provide credit to you as the creator of the Work.

Copyright and trademark rights in the Work remain in your name and you reserve all rights except as granted in this policy. You shall not be prevented from using the Work in any manner and for any purpose except as outlined in Cyan’s Fan-Made Content Policy, or by individual agreement made between the artist and Cyan.

This policy constitutes the entire understanding between the artist, Mysterium, the Falling Man Group Ltd, and Cyan. This policy supersedes and cancels all prior written and oral agreements and understandings with respect to the subject matter of this Agreement.

CO-STREAMING POLICY

Co-streaming is both allowed and welcomed for all Mysterium event streams, unless otherwise noted on our event schedule.

SALES POLICY

The sale of items or services is generally not permitted within Mysterium and Falling Man Group spaces.

We may allow sales under very special circumstances, on a case-by-case basis, provided you have a license from Cyan and have received written permission from us in advance. That said, you should generally expect requests to sell items at Mysterium to be denied.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

If you have any questions about these policies, please contact us at info@mysterium.net, or speak to a Mysterium staff member while at the convention. We understand that not everyone will be 100% familiar with these policies at all times, and we will prefer to take positive corrective action in the event of a violation. However, please understand that some behaviors such as assault or illegal drug use will not be tolerated, even once.

JURISDICTION

These policies, and any agreements or disputes, shall be governed by and interpreted pursuant to the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

SEVERABILITY

If any provision of this release is held unlawful, void, or for any reason unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, then such provision shall be deemed severable from this agreement and shall not affect the validity and enforceability of the remaining provisions.