Welcome to the world we call MangaNEXT; But alas, this is a fallen world we live in, and not everyone always behaves as they ought to, and we must have rules. All laws and statutes which govern this section of the great state of New Jersey are operative within the hotel–this isn’t coventry, or a free zone, or even a combat zone–so please read over rules and have a great time!

1. Please wear your badge with the front showing at all times. Any attendee that loses his or her badge must repurchase a membership in order to gain access to MangaNEXT events, WITHOUT EXCEPTION. However, if you do lose your badge you may check with the staff to see if someone has turned it in. 
2. Under no circumstances are items to be left unattended. Do not ask any member of the convention staff to watch your items for you. MangaNEXT is not responsible for your property and will not be providing a place to leave any personal items. Please make arrangements for these items in advance.
3. No unauthorized signs will be allowed.
4. The staff may be required to limit the number of people in any given area or event. As a result, there will be times when attendees will be asked to wait in line to gain entry. We understand that waiting can be hard and appreciate your patience and cooperation so the staff can work to keep your wait as short as possible.
5. AUTOGRAPHS: In order to ensure that we are able to accommodate as many attendees as possible, it is necessary that anyone waiting to get an autograph signed listens and obeys all instructions given by the con staff, including any limitations on the number of items signed and the level of interaction with the guests. Also, please be aware that there is no guarantee that by standing in line you will receive an autograph. Please understand that the guests have a limited amount of time before they must progress to their next activities.
6. Please be courteous to the guests. If a guest must leave, please do not try to stop him/her. Additionally, if you happen to see any guests outside of a convention event, please respect their personal space and privacy.
7. Acceptance of membership (purchasing a badge) indicates that the attendee (or parent in the case of minors under the age of 18) has read and agreed to the rules of conduct outlined and constitutes consent to the use of the attendee’s image or likeness in any recording, transmission, or reproduction for the purpose of promoting MangaNEXT.

Camera Policy
There are always plenty of people in costume at conventions. Individuals have the right to not be photographed if they do not wish it; please ask politely before snapping away. When stopping to take photographs in the hallways, please be considerate of your fellow members by being brief and not blocking traffic.

Children Policy
In order to safeguard the well being of our youngest attendees, MangaNEXT requests that you follow these guidelines when it comes to keeping track of children at a convention:
• A parent or guardian should accompany all children under the age of 12 at all times.
• Children should carry some form of written identification and parent/guardian contact information with them at all times so that MangaNEXT staff may contact the parents or guardians should the need arise.
THERE IS NO HOTEL-WIDE PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEM.
We are unable to page your child if he/she becomes lost. Make sure your child knows important information, such as your name, what you are wearing, what hotel you are staying at (if any), a cellular phone number, and a home phone number. If a child is lost, we will make every attempt to contact you through this information.
It is a good idea to set up meeting places and times for children older than 12. The staff suggests that you do not use the following locations as meeting areas: the Dealer’s Room, as it is crowded and can be noisy; the video theatre due to darkness and the possibility of disturbing other members of the convention. We do suggest using the main lobby, or the hotel entrances.

Disruptive Behavior
We have a general policy that we can’t tolerate disruptive behavior; we will take action when we see something we feel is dangerous or disruptive. The type of action we take may range from a quiet but stern word in private to forcible ejection from the convention, revocation of your membership in the convention, or even criminal charges.
That means no fighting (fake or real), heckling, impeding traffic flow, offensive behavior, failure to observe basic hygiene, public inebriation (or similar intoxication), or any other failure to behave with consideration towards your fellow MangaNEXT member. Security staff will be on hand; we ask that you please cooperate with their requests.

Weapons Policy
Briefly, MangaNEXT’s policy is that if it actually is a weapon, or looks like a realistic gun, it is not permitted on the premises.
Weapons not permitted at MangaNEXT include, but are not limited to the following:
• NO LIVE STEEL at all will be permitted on the premises. Live steel includes swords, knives, bayonets, and/or other objects made of metal, which can take an edge–this includes those enormous key-things from Kingdom Hearts, people have been badly hurt by those in the past. This holds true whether or not the object is actually sharp. This includes star knives/shurikens, and all the rest of the little metal toys that ninja carry around. It also includes whip-chains, especially the ones with sharp stabby bits at the end. A sheathed sword is still live steel.
• No projectile weaponry of any kind will be permitted. Examples include, but are not limited to, pellet guns, BB guns, air guns, crossbows, dart guns, blowguns, water guns, or water pistols. Real guns, replicas of real guns, stun guns, and tasers are also prohibited. The ONLY exception to this rule will be prop guns or resin models that are easily identifiable as toys, provided that they possess no moving parts and are clearly marked with a non-removable orange tip.
• Nunchaku are not permitted.
• Explosives or chemicals of any kind including, but not limited to, smoke powder, sparklers, and fireworks, are not permitted at the con.
• Finally, if it is illegal outside the con, it is illegal inside the con. New Jersey has very restrictive firearms statutes.
Illegal weapons will be reported to the appropriate authorities.

Weapons Permitted
Staves, bo sticks, bokken, shinai, and wooden swords will be permitted. Fake, prop, or made-up weapons (i.e. made of tissue paper, plaster of Paris, cloth) are permitted if they are safe and not dangerous to others around you. Examples of dangerous conditions include–but are not limited to–wires sticking out and items that might trip others
Prop weapons shall be limited to less than eight (8) feet in height and less than two hundred fifty (250) pounds in weight (that’s 2.4 meters and 114 kilograms for you metric folks).

Behavior with Weapons
Misuse of any weapon or prop, such as swinging it in a public area or causing hazards to others, will result in the weapon or prop being deemed unsafe for the convention–even if it’s technically the member being unsafe, not the weapon.
If a weapon or prop is deemed unsafe for the con, we will ask you to remove the weapon or prop from the convention and store it in your private quarters (your home, hotel room, or car).
Any weapon purchased in the Dealer’s Room must be boxed and removed from convention property immediately, and should remain boxed and stored in your private quarters. Weapons are not to be taken out of their packaging or wrappings while on hotel property.
All props and weapons brought into the convention may be inspected and approved or rejected by MangaNEXT staff, including those that may have prior approval (other conventions, previous conventions, or pre-convention approval by MangaNEXT staff).
All questionable weapons or props will be decided on a case-by-case basis.