During photo opportunities, or “photo ops”, CERTAIN policies will be given more leeway regarding costumes, props, and weapons. While posing for a picture, you may temporarily, during the photo op – allow another person to hold a leash you are wearing, remove your shoes because your character doesn’t wear them, put on your roller skates or blades because your character does wear them, etc.

This does not apply to weapons and props that have not been approved at Weapons Check. Safety, Public Exposure, Questionable Material, Signs/Banners, and any other Weapon/Prop policies must be adhered to even during photo ops.

If you purchase a weapon or prop from the Vendors Room that does not comply with the METROCON Weapons/Prop policy, you must either leave it boxed and taped, take it to your room or vehicle, or check the weapon at METROCON Stuff Check for a small fee. If it does meet the above Weapon and Props policy, when exiting the Vendors Room please go directly to Weapons Check. Do not pass go, do not collect $200 – go get your weapons and props approved!

NOTE: We will not be held liable for lost or stolen weapons checked at METROCON Stuff Check.

IN CLOSING, PLEASE NOTE that if you violate any of the above rules your weapon or prop WILL be confiscated or you will be removed from the convention. Our choice. If you are asked by a member of the METROCON staff, you are required to comply with their requests or risk removal from the convention. These decisions are based on the discretion of the staff member you are dealing with at that exact moment – if there was a prior interaction with a staff member, consider the fact that you have done something to warrant addressing the issue a second time.

All patrons must adhere to Florida State Law at all times during the weekend of METROCON, including laws regarding firearms and weapons. If you can’t do it anywhere in Florida, don’t assume you can do it at METROCON. We will also defer to Tampa Convention Center policies where we are required to do so, so be sure to familiarize yourself with the building’s general policies on the Tampa Convention Center website.

IMPORTANT: DO NOT CARRY PROP WEAPONS OUTSIDE THE CONVENTION CENTER IN PUBLIC! The Tampa Police Department will treat anyone carrying real-looking guns or wearing tactical gear as a REAL THREAT AND WILL TAKE SERIOUS ACTON! METROCON will not be held liable for any legal action, injury, or death that may result from a violation of this rule. If you have a costume that meets this description and you would like to wear it to METROCON, please carry it to the convention center in a bag and then change into it. In this day and age, you can not be too careful. Again, PLEASE use common sense.

BOWS/CROSSBOWS:
Bows and crossbows will only be permitted if they’re absolutely prop in nature – no tension on the string beyond what it takes to keep it straight, and arrows should not have any form of a tip.

BLADED WEAPONS:
NO EDGED STEEL! Swords, knives, and other bladed weapons MUST be of a prop nature: foil-wrapped cardboard, THIN painted wood, flexible plastic, etc. NO SHARP EDGES and/or POINTS are allowed. Bokken and other wooden weapons ARE permitted.

GUNS:
NO REAL GUNS may be used as props at METROCON, regardless of being unloaded, stripped down, barrel filled, or any other precaution that could be taken. Prop or toy firearms – such as Airsoft and BB guns, NERF guns, etc. – will be permitted so long as they have an orange tip at the end of the barrel, and can be easily identified as such from a distance. Plastic prop or toy firearms are preferred – metal or wooden prop or toy firearms will inevitably receive more scrutiny from both Weapons Check and the METROCON Staff throughout the weekend. In any case, Weapons Check will make sure it is unloaded of any ammunition, as well as zip tie the trigger so that the prop or toy gun is incapable of firing. Airsoft or BB guns that are electrically or gas powered, must be discharged – i.e. no CO2 canister, no charged battery or no battery at all, etc. If at any time you are caught with a prop or toy firearm not meeting any of these requirements, you will be instructed to have it checked at Weapons Check. Multiple infractions can result in your weapon being confiscated or you being ejected from the convention. METROCON maintains a zero tolerance policy on discharging a projectile, even from an approved prop or weapon. Water pistol, NERF gun, airsoft – it does not matter – discharge it, and you will be removed. These rules apply to any prop or toy firearms purchased in the dealer’s room (see below). There will be police at the convention, so please act accordingly.

A “prop” is something that you carry around as part of your costume in your hands or on your person. We use the term “weapon” to describe any prop that is viewed as related to combat or violence regardless of how you may be acting (swords, knives, guns, spears, bows, whips and the like). The moment a prop of any kind is misused or brandished in such a fashion, it becomes a “weapon” and will be treated as such (baseball bats, paddles, pipes, tools such as wrenches and screwdrivers, up to and including the kitchen sink – ANYTHING can be considered a “weapon”, at the discretion of the METROCON Staff).

Anyone who has a prop or weapon for his or her costume will need to have it inspected and registered with Prop Check when they pick up their badge, located on the second-floor landing outside the Mezzanine level or the Franklin St entrance on the exterior of the building. Your convention guest badge and props will be marked with an indicator that you’re permitted to carry your prop or weapon. EVERY prop will be handled on a case-by-case basis, and all props must be inspected at Prop Check the first time they enter the building.

The hours for Prop Check are the same as for Registration – if you are arriving with a prop for the first time, please plan to have it checked during registration hours!

You may be asked to take further measures to make the prop safe before it will be given approval. Be prepared for this contingency.

Those who have their props and weapons approved at Prop Check MUST keep them under their physical control at all times. We WILL be checking to make sure that the owner and the item are together. If you loan your prop to someone else, or you fail to register your prop/weapon with METROCON, it may be confiscated, and you may be removed from the convention.
Cardboard, paper mache, resin, fiberglass, wood, and plastic weapons are preferred – we ask that ALL PROPS be constructed of light and flexible materials, and as little wood and metal as possible. As stated before, any “prop” may be considered a “weapon” in a certain situation, at the discretion of the staff. Props and weapons that are constructed of the preferred materials will certainly receive less hassle at Prop Check and throughout the weekend by METROCON staff, so save yourself some time that could be spent enjoying the weekend and follow our requests and policies regarding props and weapons.

METROCON reserves the right to refuse entry of any prop/weapon it deems unfit for any reason. Any misuse of a prop/weapon (horseplay, dueling, fighting, running/swinging, firing, etc.) is grounds for removal and or ejection from convention premises without recourse, up to and including legal action depending on the severity of the offense. Remember – your attitude goes a long way with how each and every situation is handled at METROCON.

Any part of your costume that extends more than four inches (4″) off of your body is officially considered a “prop” (wings, spikes, helmets, etc.) and should adhere to both the costume policies above and the props and weapons policies below.

The Tampa Convention Center has banned roller skates, bicycles roller blades, skateboards, scooters, Segways, wheeled shoes such as Heelys, etc. inside the convention center. You may carry these items as a prop, but you may not ride them at any time at the Tampa Convention Center or on the TCC property. No exceptions!

All signs and banners must follow all of the rules of both costumes and props, and are also subject to the general rating of the convention (PG-13) and all other convention policies. Signs and banners may not contain solicitation (“Will _____ for _____.”, or any variation). Signs and banners must also contain zero profanity and offensive material. You may carry a sign as part of your costume, so long as the sign is clearly relevant to the character you are portraying. Examples include: “Objection!” signs for a Phoenix Wright costume, “Hey, listen!” signs with a Navi costume, etc. Signs and banners that do not comply with this policy or any other will be confiscated, and may result in your removal from the convention. This policy also applies to white boards and other writing surfaces being displayed to the public. Regardless of whether the sign is acceptable or not, no sign or banner may be affixed to any surface in or around the TampaConvention Center.

Some costumes from anime, video games, and other sources may contain questionable material – there are characters in Hellsing who wear Nazi insignia, for example. If there is a piece of your costume that is questionable, fits under the other policies of the convention, and is an ACCURATE REPRESENTATION OF AN EXISTING CHARACTER, this is acceptable, so long as you are not wearing this costume in an effort to spread hate.

“Shock” costumes, or costumes which have the sole purpose of offending and disrespecting other individuals, cultures, or religions in any way, will not be tolerated.

Our PG-13 rating applies to apparel as well – in keeping with larger convention trends: displaying adult, obscene or pornographic material in a way that is explicit, or is designed specifically for shock value and to skirt rules like these by presenting pornographic scenery or subject matter without showing genitalia or explicit acts, is also explicitly forbidden. This policy includes and bans “ahegao” or hentai-print clothing in all convention areas.

Have specific questions? Visit our Contact Us page or our Social Media and reach out to us – we’re always happy to answer questions!