What follows are the Dealer Den Policies for Mephit Fur Meet. We do our best to stick to them. Ignorance of the rules is not an excuse.
Hours
The Dealers Den will be open to convention members during the hours listed below, unless otherwise noted. We will make every attempt to communicate changes to dealers.
Thursday
- 5:00PM – 9:00PM – Dealer Setup ONLY
Friday
- 10:00AM – Noon – Dealer Setup ONLY
- Noon – 6:00PM – Open to Membership
- 6:00PM Den Closes
Saturday
- 9:00AM – 10:00AM – Dealers Setup ONLY
- 10:00AM – 6:00PM – Open to Membership
- 6:00PM Den Closes
Sunday
- 9:00AM – 10:00AM – Dealers Opening ONLY
- 10:00AM – 5:00PM – Open to Membership
- 5:00PM Den Closes
- 5:00PM – 8:00PM – Closing and tear down for dealers ONLY. Pay your taxes first, then begin tearing down. Do not leave until your taxes are paid.
Please note: Dealers are not required to be in the rooms or selling during open hours.
Memberships
Dealer tables come with NO memberships. All dealers and their assistants must have purchased a membership before they can enter the dealer’s room.
On Thursday evening for setup, this rule may be relaxed to allow a dealer or assistants with a preregistered membership to enter the room before they pick up their badge.
Dealers and assistants will have a marking on or attached to their badge to show they may enter the room during dealer setup/closing time. All assistants must be connected to a dealer and there is no limit on the number of assistants that can be connected a dealer, but there may only be two people (including the dealer) behind each table at one time.
Dealer Room
The Dealers Den will be secured when not open. Hotel and/or convention security will be patrolling the area at all times. At the discretion of the Dealer’s Den coordinator, a security person may sleep in the room.
Do not, under any circumstances, leave cash or other valuables inside of the Dealers Den that you may need after the den closes. This includes laptops, cell phones, MP3 players, or medication. Once the Dealers’ Den is closed and secured, it will not be reopened until the next morning without good cause. Be aware that leaving work in the room that you wanted to complete overnight generally does not qualify as such.
Taxes
All dealers are required to collect taxes on all purchases that are done in the Dealers Den. If you think you are exempt from paying taxes, it is up to you to provide proof that the state of Mississippi has approved this.
Taxes are collected at the close of business Sunday evening. Do not leave until your taxes are paid. Pay your taxes first, then begin tearing down your stuff. Den staff cannot leave until all taxes are paid. Taxes are collected on an honor system. Mephit Fur Meet will not be running a central register. Dealers will be provided a form and envelope to collect taxes in. You are required to turn in this form and the UNSEALED envelope containing the amount of money that you have collected for taxes to a member of the dealers den staff. Your tax money is then sent into the state with all other dealers and artists.
Current tax rate for Mississippi is 7%. Please note that this may change for the convention and dealers will be informed of any changes at the start.
Failure to turn in taxes will result in the dealer being banned from the Dealers Den and/or reported to the state of Mississippi.
Space
Tables are approximately 6 feet by 3 feet. Each table will have a table cloth, skirt and two chairs. If you need additional cloths (to cover merchandise), it is advised to bring your own as there may be a limit to the number of clothes provided by the hotel.
Unless you are given permission by the Dealers Den coordinator, you may not alter your space by moving your table or removing any of the items provided.
Each table will also have at least three feet behind it. If you setup requires additional space behind your table (for display or stock), please let us know as soon as possible.
We have tried to maximize the number of dealers that can attend, and, as a result, we must ask that all dealers keep the aisles clear and passages open. Stored and displayed items must not impede traffic flow, both in front of and behind tables. We have a maximum limit of two people per full table behind each table.
Electricity
Electricity is provided on a first come, first served basis. There is no fee for access to power.
Internet
Wireless Internet connection will be available in the Dealer’s Room. As of this time, it will be free and provided by the convention center, however, circumstances beyond our control may change this. As much notice as possible will be given if this changes. Mephit Furmeet can not and does not guarantee the uptime or speed of the connection.
Requests
Mephit Furmeet will make every attempt to satisfy any and all special requests, but we can’t guarantee anything. If you have a special request, you are urged to contact us as soon as possible. Requests for electricity and wall space will be fulfilled first. Other requests, such as to sit near a specific dealer or in a specific section of the room, will be the last to be fulfilled. For example, if dealer A requests wall space and dealer B requests to sit near dealer A, dealer B will not be placed next to A unless all request for wall space have been fulfilled.
Display Guidelines & Behavior
Please remember that not everyone may share your tastes, and that your behavior is representative of the entire fandom. In accordance with state law, we must require that any adult material must not be displayed openly; for example, art/print dealers we request, where applicable, that two separate binders (“clean”, “dirty”) be kept. Additionally, any “naughty” parts of must be covered in some fashion (Post-It notes work well for this). This satisfies State requirements about underage viewing and is discreet for purchasers. Dealers are responsible for keeping unsuitable material out of the hands of minors in the Dealers Den.
Minors will be clearly identifiable; a sample minor badge will be available in the Dealers Den.
In addition to the above rule, we have several other regulations which we ask dealers to abide by:
- No space may be resold without permission from the Dealers’ Den Director.
- No loud or annoying displays will be permitted. Any loud noises will be multiplied by the dynamics of the room, so please keep music at a reasonable volume.
- No pirated works may be sold in the Dealers’ Den. Piracy is theft, plain and simple. Exceptions can be made for material that is not readily available in the United States (hard-to-find anime, etc.), but this will be decided on a case-by-case basis. Anything that you sell that is not entirely your creation; you should have permission from all other parties before selling. No AI-generated artwork that includes or incorporates another person’s work as a basis of the artwork may be sold at Mephit Fur Meet.
- Free standing displays or stands may not be used in any way that causes a safety issue or clogs the walkway. If you plan on using a stand or display with your table, please inform the Dealers’ Den staff so it can be positioned in a way not to cause problems.
- No weapons may be sold in the Dealers Den. Exceptions can be made on a case by case basis, but will need to be cleared through security.
- No food products, except Cottage Food Products (as defined by Mississippi State Law) with Dealers’ Den Director approval, may be sold at Mephit Fur Meet.
- No more than two people may be behind a single table at any given time.
- Please keep your area clean and take your trash with you when you close up each night.
- Please do not break the Dealers’ Den staff.
The Dealers Den Director will have final say on all disputes in the Den. You can appeal to the convention Director, but he’s likely to decide in favor of the Dealers Den Director.
All Mephit Furmeet Policies apply in the Dealers Den.
Den Attire
Attendees and vendors, while in public areas (lobby, parking lot, hallways for example) may not wear clothing that is overly revealing or inappropriate for the “PG” rating of the convention. Bondage, fetish gear (including leashes) is not allowed in public spaces. Due to the nature of the fandom, collars are permitted, however, leashes are considered not only a fetish item but a safety hazard, and may not be worn in public spaces. Because of the risk of injury, leashes may not be connected to someone’s neck at any time, regardless of location.
Security staff will ask that articles of clothing/costumes that are representative of hate groups, gangs, terrorist organizations, political/religious/animal hate groups or that are determined to be inappropriate by the Directors be removed and not displayed while at the convention. This includes but is not limited to certain military/organizational uniforms both reenactment or cosplay versions. Making everyone feel welcome at Mephit Fur Meet is always our goal, so our Directors reserve the right to make a decision at any time on the appropriateness of attire.
Waiting List
Dealers Den space goes fast. In the event that the Dealers Den sells out, we will be instituting the waiting list. When the Dealers Den is full, applications will be placed in the waiting list in a first-come, first- served manner. Payment will not be due until a table is granted to you, however, if you are granted a table off the waiting list, payment must be sent or arranged within 48 hours of your notification of receiving a table.
Canceling
If you find you are unable to attend, the same rules shall govern Dealers Den that govern registration: If you cancel by August 1st 2024, we will refund you the entire cost of your table. After August 1st, we can not guarantee that we can issue a refund or credit. Canceled tables cannot be transferred to other dealers at the request of the canceling dealer, but will go to the next person on the waiting list.
Final Notes
Complaints or concerns concerning the Dealers Den should be addressed to the Dealers Den coordinator at dealersden@mephitfurmeet.org. Tables that have not been claimed by 10:00AM on Friday, without notification to the staff will be considered abandoned and given to the next waiting applicant on the list. No refunds or credits will be given for abandoned tables.