Exhibitor Rules and Regulations – 2027

Images and Events, Inc. is the responsible party promoting and organizing the Washington State Horror Con. The event is Friday, October 22 through Sunday, October 24, 2027 at the Washington State Fair Events Center, Puyallup, WA. Questions about these rules and regulations: wahorrorcon@gmail.com.

This Addendum is specific to Washington State Horror Con 2027. It applies together with the Master Exhibitor Rules below. By submitting an application, you agree to both.

• Show name: Washington State Horror Con
• Promoter: Images and Events, Inc.
• Event dates: October 22–24, 2027
• Venue: Washington State Fair Events Center, Puyallup, WA
• Vendor contact email: wahorrorcon@gmail.com
• Load-in: Thursday, October 21, 2027
• Load-out: October 24, 2027
• Setup deadline / forfeit-if-empty: 1 hour prior to VIP entry (exact clock time TBD)
• Buildings / areas in use: Showplex/Pavilion/Centennial Hall
• Parking / vehicle access: Orange Gate and Blue Gate
• Capped categories (Rule 9): 3D-printed goods; tumblers/mugs/drinkware; Funko Pop! and similar mass-produced vinyl figures (when 75% or more of inventory)
• Booth % limits for capped categories: 50%
• Fan art in Artist Alley (Rule 7): Allowed where Artist Alley is offered for this show

Vendors with proper badges have access to the show floor during published load-in days and one hour before opening on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, subject to the Addendum times above.

These rules apply to every exhibitor, vendor, artist, and Artist Alley participant at any show produced by Images and Events, Inc. By submitting an application, you agree to these rules and to the Show Addendum for that event.

Exhibitors are independent businesses renting space from Images and Events, Inc. and are responsible for collecting and paying their own taxes. To sell at a Washington event, you must have a Washington UBI number or a temporary UBI (temporary registration is available through the Washington State Department of Revenue at dor.wa.gov). Images and Events operates its special events under RCW 82.32.033.

• Out-of-state sellers must get a Washington temporary UBI before the event and list it on the application.
• Informational exhibitors who make no sales and take no orders or payments may be exempt. You must select “Informational – no sales” on the application. If you make any sale on site, the exemption no longer applies.

Submitting an application doesn’t mean you’ve been accepted. Acceptance is confirmed only by an invoice or contract from Images and Events, and your space is not reserved until it is paid in full by the due date on your invoice. Space that hasn’t been paid for may be released to the waitlist.

• No cash refunds under any circumstances.
• If you cancel 30 days or more before the event, you’ll get a credit toward a future Images and Events event, minus 25% per booth.
• If you cancel less than 30 days before the event, you forfeit all fees.
• No-call / no-show: you forfeit your space and all fees, with no credit or refund.
• Ejection under Rule 23 means you forfeit all fees with no credit or refund.

You must stay open and fully set up until the published close of the show on every show day. Packing up, covering, or removing merchandise before close is prohibited. If you break down early, you may lose your deposit or credits and may be excluded from future Images and Events shows.

The sale or display of counterfeit, bootleg, knockoff, or unlicensed goods is prohibited. This includes clothing, accessories, bags, shoes, watches, jewelry, electronics, software, video games, movies, toys, figures, art, and prints.

• Traced, retraced, copied, or “redrawn” work based on another artist’s work, official artwork, or screenshots is prohibited.
• Art or designs you don’t have the rights to are prohibited, even on blanks you bought legally.
• If your goods are challenged, it is up to you to prove they are your own original work or properly licensed (licenses, invoices from authorized distributors, or work files).
• Staff may require any item to be removed immediately.

• Mass-produced knockoff or clone minifigures and building sets that show licensed characters count as counterfeit. This means factory-made figures and sets bought in bulk and resold, not figures the vendor designed and produced. This covers characters from Marvel, Star Wars, DC, Disney, Harry Potter, anime, video games, and any other licensed property, when the product is not officially licensed. It doesn’t matter how the product is labeled: “LEGO compatible,” “compatible with major brick brands,” “custom,” “MOC,” “fan-made,” “unofficial,” or anything similar. Buying them in bulk from wholesale lots or online marketplaces does not make them legitimate.
• The LEGO name, logo, and packaging may not be used on non-LEGO goods. This includes product labels, price tags, booth signage, and packaging made to look like LEGO packaging. Phrases such as “LEGO compatible” or “works with LEGO” are not allowed on non-LEGO products.

What is allowed:

• Genuine LEGO products, new or used.
• Products from legitimately branded third-party brick companies that sell their own original designs (no licensed characters), or sets officially licensed to that brand by the rights holder, sold in the brand’s own packaging. Third-party products must be clearly labeled with their own brand name and as “Not LEGO” at the booth.
• Artist-made custom minifigures are allowed when the vendor designed and produced the figures themselves (for example, printing them on their own plastic). They are not knockoffs. They must not use the LEGO name, logo, or packaging, and they must be clearly labeled as the artist’s own custom product (for example, “Custom figure by [artist/brand] – not a LEGO product”). Custom figures that depict licensed characters are fan art. Under Rule 7 they may be sold only in Artist Alley, by the artist who made them. Staff may ask for proof of process (design files, sketches, or production photos).

• Inspection and proof of sourcing: staff may inspect any minifigures or brick products at any time. They may require proof of sourcing, such as receipts or invoices from LEGO, authorized retailers, or authorized distributors, or the third-party brand’s own packaging and invoices. Items that can’t be verified are treated as counterfeit and must be removed immediately.
• Enforcement: the Rule 23 enforcement ladder applies. Selling knockoff minifigures is a counterfeit violation, so staff may skip steps and go straight to removal or ejection without refund.

Images and Events supports human artists and creators. AI-generated and AI-assisted imagery is banned at every Images and Events show, in the Exhibitor Hall, Artist Alley, Maker areas, and every other sales or display area.

6.1 What it covers. The ban applies to AI imagery on any product or surface, including (but not limited to):

• prints, posters, original art, and art books
• tumblers, mugs, cups, bottles, and all drinkware
• bags, totes, backpacks, and pouches
• apparel: shirts, hoodies, hats, socks
• stickers, decals, buttons, pins, and patches
• acrylic standees, charms, keychains, and badges
• phone cases, mousepads, playmats, blankets, pillows, and wall decor
• any sublimated, printed, engraved, heat-pressed, or decorated blank, and any packaging or booth signage that uses AI artwork

6.2 What “AI-generated” and “AI-assisted” mean. All of the following are prohibited:

• images created fully or partly with an AI image generator (for example Midjourney, Stable Diffusion, DALL·E, Firefly generative fill, or similar tools)
• AI images that have been edited, upscaled, recolored, “cleaned up,” painted over, overdrawn, or traced
• AI images used as a base, reference layer, or composition for “hand-finished” work
• AI-generated designs bought from third-party marketplaces, print-on-demand libraries, or “commercial use” AI bundles and then applied to products
• products from a supplier whose designs you can’t verify as human-made

Not banned: standard digital art tools (drawing tablets, brushes, layers, basic photo editing) that do not generate imagery.

6.3 AI goods are treated as bootleg. AI-generated or AI-assisted goods are treated the same as counterfeit/bootleg goods under Rule 5, and they are enforced under Rule 6.6.

6.4 Proof of process. On request, at the time of application or at the show, you must provide proof that your work is human-made. Acceptable proof includes layered work files, sketches, WIP/process photos or video, time-lapse recordings, or design purchase records from a verifiable human artist with a commercial license. If you can’t or won’t provide proof when asked, the item will be treated as AI.

6.5 Application certification. Every applicant must certify AI compliance on the application. Making a false certification is grounds for denial, removal, forfeiture of all fees, and exclusion from future shows.

6.6 Enforcement.

Warning, then ejection. If staff find suspected AI goods, the exhibitor gets one warning and must remove all of those items immediately for the rest of the show. If the exhibitor refuses, puts the items back out, or is found with AI goods again (at this or any later Images and Events show), they will be ejected without refund and may be excluded from all Images and Events shows. Only one warning is allowed per vendor across all Images and Events shows.

• Fan art may only be sold in Artist Alley, where the show’s Addendum allows it. It is not allowed in the Exhibitor Hall.
• The artist who made the work must be present and staffing the table during open hours. The name and photo ID of the person at the table must match the application.
• Proxy selling is prohibited. You may not sell work made by someone else, unless you are an approved co-artist named on the application. Sales must benefit the artist who made the work.
• Artist Alley tables can’t be transferred, resold, or shared with anyone not named on the application.

3D-printed goods are allowed only if all of the following are true:

1. The design is your own, or you hold a commercial license for it. Files downloaded from free or “personal use” sources (for example Thingiverse, Printables, or free MakerWorld files) are not allowed unless the designer has granted a commercial license that you can show. Licensed character or brand likenesses also require a license from the rights holder (Rule 5).
2. You disclosed 3D goods on your application, including an estimate of what percentage of your booth they take up, and you submitted photos of them.
3. You can prove originality or licensing on request. This means design files or CAD/sculpt screenshots for your own designs, or a license/receipt from the designer (for example Patreon or Cults3D commercial tiers). Items you can’t verify must be removed.
4. No 3D printing on site. Printers may not run during the event, and that includes “demo” printing.
5. 3D goods must also follow the AI rule (Rule 6), the counterfeit rule (Rule 5), and the category caps (Rule 9).

To keep the show floor varied for attendees, Images and Events limits how many vendors are approved in oversaturated categories.

• Capped categories for 2027: (a) 3D-printed goods, and (b) tumblers, mugs, and drinkware (including sublimated drinkware). (c) Funko Pop! and similar mass-produced vinyl figures, for vendors whose inventory is 75% or more of these products. For this category, the 75% threshold replaces the 25% “substantial” test below.
• “Substantial” inventory: if a category makes up about 25% or more of the items displayed in your booth, or of your table/display space, you count as a vendor in that category for cap purposes. Images and Events staff make this call using your application photos and how your booth looks on site.
• Booth % limits: a show’s Addendum may set a maximum share of booth space for a capped category. For Washington State Horror Con 2027, booth % limits are TBD.
• Waitlist by category: once a category is full, more applicants in that category go on a category waitlist in the order they applied. Being on the waitlist doesn’t guarantee space.
• Separate pools: Images and Events may review applications in separate pools (for example Artist Alley prints/2D art vs. Maker/3D/craft) so that one category doesn’t take over another.
• Accurate disclosure is required. If you bring capped-category goods you didn’t disclose, or more than you disclosed, staff may require you to remove them, move you, or eject you without refund (Rule 23).

• All artwork on drinkware must be your own original art or properly licensed. Rule 5 and Rule 6 apply in full. AI-generated wraps or designs from “commercial use” AI bundles, and unlicensed character or brand designs, are prohibited.
• On the application you must say where your artwork comes from (made by you, licensed from a named human artist, or officially licensed product), and you must provide process photos when asked.
• Food-contact disclaimer: Images and Events does not test or certify drinkware. You are solely responsible for making sure your products are safe for food and drink contact as labeled and comply with applicable laws. If your products are decorative only or not dishwasher/food safe, you must label them that way.
• Drinkware vendors are subject to the category cap (Rule 9).

Adult or mature material must be kept out of sight and reach of children (covered, bagged, or binder-only as staff direct). Each show’s Addendum may set more restrictions. Exhibitors and their staff must behave professionally at all times. Harassment, abusive language, and inappropriate conduct toward attendees, staff, or other vendors are grounds for immediate removal.

Vendor badges must be worn and visible at all times inside the venue. Badges may not be shared, loaned, or transferred to get someone into the show. Badge misuse leads to the badge being confiscated and may lead to removal of the exhibitor. Extra vendor badges may be bought as announced for each show. Vendor badges don’t include ticketed or restricted programming.

Vendor badges are only for people staffing your booth. If a vendor badge is found on someone who is not working a booth, staff may confiscate it, identify the vendor it was issued to, and apply Rule 23. Limit 2 additional badges per approved vendor.

Images and Events, Inc. is not responsible for injury, or for lost, stolen, or damaged merchandise or property. Exhibitors are responsible for any damage they or their staff cause to the venue. By exhibiting, you release Images and Events, Inc., the venue, and their staff from liability for these losses. If the venue or insurer requires it: exhibitors must provide a certificate of liability insurance before load-in.

Only commercially pre-packaged and properly labeled food and beverage products may be sold, unless the venue and Images and Events give written approval. All venue concession and health-department rules apply.

No animals are allowed in buildings except trained ADA service animals, unless Images and Events has invited them. The sale of live animals or insects is prohibited.

• Booths must stay inside your assigned space and may not extend into aisles.
• Maximum display height is set by venue in the Show Addendum.
• Do not block fire exits, extinguishers, pull stations, or sightlines to them. The fire marshal’s layout controls.
• You may not move, add, or trade tables or booth spaces without written approval from staff.
• You may not operate equipment or machinery in your booth (including printers, presses, engravers, generators, or heaters) without prior written approval.

You may not sublet, share, resell, or trade your space, in whole or in part, without written consent from Images and Events given before the show. Only the business and people named on the application may sell from the space.

Images and Events may accept or deny any application, or deny access to any exhibitor, at its sole discretion and without stating a reason. Being approved in past years doesn’t guarantee approval in future years.

Handing out flyers, coupons, or promotional material outside your assigned booth, or promoting events not produced by Images and Events, is prohibited without prior written approval. If you violate this rule, you may be removed and excluded from future events. Attendees on the show floor must not be accosted or harassed.

You must accurately disclose all activities and product lines on your application, including 3D-printed goods, drinkware, any AI-related products, adult content, live demos, and equipment. Products or activities you didn’t disclose may be ordered removed and are a violation of these rules.

All exhibitors must follow the venue’s rules, including those on parking, vehicle access, smoking/vaping, alcohol, and loading docks. Venue-specific details are in each Show Addendum. Smoking, vaping, and alcohol are allowed only where the venue permits.

Load-in and load-out times are published in the Show Addendum. Booths that are not occupied and set up by the setup deadline in the Addendum may be forfeited without refund and reassigned.

• Inspection: Images and Events staff may inspect any booth or table at any time and may ask for proof of originality, licensing, or process.

Enforcement ladder:

1. Warning (verbal or written; logged)
2. Required removal of the items or activity, immediately
3. Ejection from the show
4. Exclusion from all Images and Events shows (Summer Con, Horror Con, Spokane Expo 2027, Anime Washington, WA State Gaming Expo, Rewind Washington, WA Toy Show, and any future events)

• Staff may skip steps for serious violations, including counterfeit/bootleg goods (including knockoff minifigures under Rule 5.1), AI goods after a prior warning (Rule 6.6), refusing to remove items, false statements on the application, badge fraud, safety hazards, and harassment.
• Ejection or leaving the show after a violation means you forfeit all fees for space, tables, corners, electrical, and badges. No refund or credit will be given.
• Violations are recorded in the Images and Events vendor database and apply across all shows. A warning at one show counts at every show.
• Floor decisions by Images and Events staff are final for that event.

Any vendor wishing to participate in the Washington State Horror Con must agree to and acknowledge these Master Exhibitor Rules and this Show Addendum.