The main focus of CrossingsCon is to hang out and have fun! But there is also a code of conduct we expect our attendees, staff, and guests to adhere to so that the convention stays fun for everyone. The rules below will be in effect for the 2025 convention, and attendees should be familiar with them before arriving at the convention.

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Convention Rules

Keep to these rules and we’ll be able to avoid speeding up entropy, at least in our corner of the universe:

  1. Respect your cousins.
  2. Don’t harass anyone.
  3. Don’t spoil anyone on anything!
  4. What is illegal outside the convention is illegal inside the convention.
  5. Children 12 and under should be accompanied by an adult 18 or over.
  6. Costumes should be safe enough to accidentally bump into and not get hurt.
  7. Always check your name before doing a spell.
  8. Listen to convention staff when they ask you to do something (or stop doing something).

Failure to observe these rules will result in appropriate action being taken by staff, up to and including revocation of your badge and ejection from convention space at the extreme. If there is a disagreement, the ruling of the convention chair is final.

If you have any questions about our rules and policies, contact us! We’d hate to have any misunderstandings that could have been avoided.

Anti-harassment Policy

In order to make sure that everyone is on the same page about what is and isn’t harassment, how to report harassment, and what will happen if someone reports harassment, here is CrossingCon’s anti-harassment policy:

If someone’s behavior makes you feel unsafe, uncomfortable, or unwelcome, that is harassment.

CrossingsCon does not tolerate harassment of any kind, including (but not limited to) behaviors such as: stalking, hate speech, bathroom policing, inappropriate or unasked-for contact, or taking pictures without permission. The aforementioned hate speech could be in reference to: race or ethnicity, color, national origin, religion, age, marital or relationship status, pregnancy, gender presentation or identity, sexual or romantic orientation, appearance or body type, or disability. This is not an exhaustive list.

Keep your hands to yourself. Ask before hugging. Watch what you say, how you say it, and how people react to it. Remember that cosplay is not consent: the way someone dresses doesn’t give you license to touch them (or their costume) or take pictures of them without asking first. If you ask and they say no, respect that.

If you feel harassed, you are welcome to ask your harasser to stop, if you feel comfortable doing so. Otherwise, find a CrossingsCon staff member and report the harassment. Once notified, the staff member will do what is necessary in their judgement to stop the harassing behavior, up to and including revocation of the harasser’s badge and ejection from convention space. We will also, if you like, take steps to help you feel safe again, like escorting you to a place you feel safe or calling your friends or family for you.

This policy applies without exception to everyone at the convention, including attendees, special guests, convention staff, and venue staff.

Spoiler Policy

Please be aware that other attendees at the convention may not be as up-to-date as you are with books, movies, fanfiction, and other media. You should be more careful about recently released books, movies, comics, etc. Use your judgment for what counts as “recent”; in general, the longer something takes to consume (books > movies > TV episodes, for example), the longer you want to assume most people aren’t caught up.

Please be especially mindful of your cousins who haven’t read the Young Wizards series as far as you, both the main series and other works such as Interim Erranty or the Feline Wizards series, and stop before spoiling something for them! Remember the wonder you felt when you first read Young Wizards, and let them experience that too.

We will have some events where spoilers are explicitly allowed, but for the rest of the convention please avoid spoilers entirely if possible. If you want to discuss spoilers about a book, movie, or other piece of media, please do so in a private conversation away from any other attendees who may overhear and be accidently spoiled, and especially avoid spoilers during panels and discussions when many attendees can hear you. If you accidentally spoil someone, apologize and move the remainder of your discussion to another location. If you are unsure whether everyone in a certain conversation has seen or read the thing that you would like to discuss, then ask!

Spoilers aren’t limited to revealing future plot points. Consider this comprehensive guide by the folks over at Mark Reads for examples of more subtle kinds of spoilers:

  • Stating something that happens in the future. “That character dies in book two!”
  • Hinting that something happens in the future. “I just love what happens when that door finally opens!”
  • Saying that a specific moment is important. “You’ll want to remember that line of dialogue for later.”
  • Defending a character because they are redeemed in the future. “That character totally has a reason to be super mean right now!”
  • Telling someone that the “answer” is in a book they’ve read. “Go back to book 3 and it’ll all make sense.”
  • Saying, hinting at, discussing, referring to, or ambiguously clueing someone into something they haven’t read yet. “Have you figured out the thing with the birds yet?”
  • Telling someone they interpreted a scene wrong or that their prediction is proven wrong later. “It only seems that way because you haven’t read Book 6.”

Accessibility

We at CrossingsCon are committed to making the convention experience as accessible and enjoyable as possible to all cousins, regardless of the nature or intensity of their disabilities.

To that end (in the service of our Art), we have already made the following provisions:

  • All common spaces are wheelchair-accessible, and wheelchair-accessible bedrooms are available.
  • Con-space bathrooms are wheelchair-accessible.
  • Priority seating is available in panels to attendees who are hard-of-hearing and/or have low vision.
  • Official Con text, such as a program book, etc, is available digitally on crossingscon.org for ease of screen-reader access.
  • For the well-being of attendees with epilepsy, flashing lights from cameras, costumes, or presentation screens are prohibited in panels and all other Con-specific spaces.

If you have a serious environmental allergy, please let us know, but we cannot guarantee that the space will be free of all allergens.

If there is anything else we missed or about which you have concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us.

COVID-19 Vaccination and Masking Policy

In order to make attending CrossingsCon as safe as possible for everyone involved, we are instituting a number of additional policies for the 2025 convention. We will update this policy if guidance from health authorities changes. Additionally, CrossingsCon will comply with any national, state, and local requirements regarding vaccination and masking, and we expect our attendees to do the same.

While the policies below are written for attendees, they apply to CrossingsCon staff and guests of honor as well. Attempting to circumvent these policies will result in appropriate action being taken by staff, up to and including badge revocation and/or removal from convention space.

Vaccination

All attendees are strongly encouraged to get vaccinated against covid-19 prior to attending the convention.

Masking

Face masks will be required for all attendees while in convention spaces, exempting only active presenters during their events, for accessibility reasons. Additionally, masks should cover both the nose and the mouth. The hotel may require masks under certain circumstances; in those cases, attendees must comply with the hotel’s masking guidelines as well.

The convention will have N95 masks available to attendees who need one, but attendees are highly encouraged to bring their own masks as well.

If you exhibit symptoms

Any attendee who exhibits flu-like symptoms or other symptoms of COVID-19 (such as cough, shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or fever) will not be allowed in convention spaces unless they are able to show a negative viral COVID test from within the prior 48 hours. You may be asked to affirm that you do not have these symptoms upon entering the convention space.

If you are showing symptoms of COVID or test positive please stay in your room and email [email protected] or call/text (978) 344-2043. We can help get you whatever you need to stay comfortable.