The Furry Weekend Atlanta (FWA) convention is not a public event. It is a private, membership-only event. Our first priority is the safety and security of our members; we cannot state it any more clearly than that. This is a private event and FWA reserves the right to deny admission to any person or group, at any time, and for any reason.
For the purposes of this policy, the term “media” will include all members of the press (print, televised, radio, online, etc), all content creators (anyone who creates content for any commercialized or monetized online platform, social media site, streaming service or the like. If questions arise regarding the difference between personal use and media-related activities, it shall be solely within the discretion of FWA to determine whether such activities are in fact allowed under our personal use exemption or qualify as media-related activities.
Furry Weekend Atlanta attendees are, not without reason, quite wary of anyone claiming to be a member of the media or anyone creating content for commercial or monetized platforms. As such, a balance must be found between the safety and security of our members and the interests of the media.
You should be aware that, if you are a news network and plan on doing a two minute “hey, look at the freaks” piece, you shouldn’t bother applying for a media pass. After many years and hundreds of media applications, we are incredibly good at sniffing these out and will most likely deny your application outright or simply ignore it.
FWA may be willing to grant interviews and requests for information to authorized agents of the media prior to the convention and will have Media Memberships available solely at our discretion for media outlets wishing to cover Furry Weekend Atlanta.
These memberships will only be available to those who can prove that they are employed by a reputable broadcast, print or Internet media organization or have an established content platform. FWA will review the content created by those requesting media passes to ensure the platform and historical content aligns with FWA’s mission statement. This vetting process takes time, so all media passes must be requested no later than February 1st of the convention year. (sorry – we’re too busy after that point to do the necessary vetting).
If you show up at an FWA event and request a media pass without having made prior arrangements and received approval before the February 1st cutoff date, your request for a media pass will be denied. If you were to elect to continue with press, media or content creation activities after being denied the required pass, you will be asked to leave by our safety staff and may be issued a criminal trespass warning by on-site law enforcement.
When applying for a Media Membership, please be able to provide us with the following information: your name and full contact information: address, direct telephone and email address. Members of a press or media outlet must provide full contact information for your editor and publication, the nature of the story you are writing and what type of information and media you will be gathering at FWA. For online content creators requesting a media pass, please provide the above contact information along with links to each of your content platforms, contact information for your management agency if applicable, and a means to access any pay-walled or “members only” content on your platforms.
If you have been granted a Media Membership, you must check in at Registration immediately upon your arrival at the convention to receive your media badge. You must do this before ANY media-related activities can take place at the convention; failure to check in before conducting media-related activities will result in revocation of the Media Membership and you being asked to leave.
When you check in at Registration, please have the following with you: two (2) business cards, a government issued picture ID, and a copy of the approval email you received granting the Media Membership.
Restrictions:
When you check in at Registration, you will be given a list of approved convention events that you will be permitted to attend along with a list of both approved and restricted convention spaces. You will not be permitted to attend any events or enter any spaces on behalf of your organization that are not on the approved list.
You will be required, at all times, while you are within convention spaces, to visibly display your media badge. You may not alter, obscure, duplicate or hide your media badge or otherwise attempt to conceal the fact that you are a member of the media as defined in this policy.
You will be required, at all times, while you are within convention spaces, to carry your government issued photo ID and business cards. The FWA safety team may randomly request to see these; they must be presented without delay.
You will be permitted to conduct interviews and Furry Weekend Atlanta can, at your request, provide you with a quiet area to conduct them. However, you must ask us first; we will not be able to guarantee you an area if you have not arranged it in advance.
You will not be permitted to harass, intimidate, coerce or otherwise force anyone who does not wish to be interviewed or photographed to do so against their will. If someone says any variation of “no” or physically signals that they do not want to be included in your content, you are required to respect their wishes the first time. Repeatedly asking after being told no will be considered harassment, result in the revocation of your Media Membership and you will be asked to leave immediately.
You may not, under any circumstances, share your media badge with another person. Media badges are issued to a single person only. If you have others from your organization with you assisting, each person in your group must have and display their media badge at all times.
You may not utilize any hidden cameras or microphones, or otherwise attempt to conceal an audio visual recording device. Live streaming content is strictly prohibited and is not an approved activity, even with a media pass. Doing so will be grounds for immediate revocation of your press pass and you being asked to leave.
Notes:
All attendees holding any type of membership to an FWA event are required to acknowledge, understand and abide by our Attendee Policies & Code of Conduct while at the convention. A portion of these policies govern media activities at the convention and read as follows:
Audio Recording, Video Recording, and Photography:
Video and audio recording and photography for personal archival use is permitted and encouraged. However, absolutely no commercial or media usage of any video, audio, or photographic recordings collected at Furry Weekend Atlanta, by any source or obtained through any third party, is allowed unless permitted under the Furry Weekend Atlanta Media Activities policy outlined below.
Always be sure to ask permission and act kindly towards others when taking photographs or recording. You must refrain from recording or photographing any person who clearly expresses that he or she does not want to be recorded or photographed, and you may not distribute recordings or photographs that contain audio or video of said person(s), though you may edit out said person(s) and distribute the remaining footage under the Furry Weekend Atlanta Media Activities Policy.
Undercover Devices: Undercover or “hidden” microphones or cameras utilized with the intention of recording are prohibited for the safety and security of our attendees.
Live Streaming and Video Blogging: With the advancement of technology and the shift of media consumption, the following rules have been added to ensure the safety, privacy, and wellbeing of our attendees and guests.
Live streaming for any purpose is not allowed. This includes the use of live streaming apps or platforms on any electronic device (smartphones, tablets, laptops, etc.).
Video blogging, sometimes referred to as vlogs, of snippets or your entire experience at Furry Weekend Atlanta for personal use are allowed. However, some of this content can be very disruptive to other attendees, and large productions are not allowed. In other words, if you are using multiple devices and/or people to record audio, video, and photographs, you are crossing into territory that falls under our Press, Media and Content Creator Policy. Our safety staff shall have final say in deciding what does and does not violate our Press, Media & Content Creator Policy. Violation of this policy may result in immediate revocation of your registration and expulsion from the convention.
Press, Media & Content Creator Activities:
Any attendee wishing to use media captured at Furry Weekend Atlanta (either audio or video) for any purpose other than private use will fall under Furry Weekend Atlanta’s Press, Media & Content Creator Policy and must have a Media Membership. Attendees bearing a membership not specifically designated as a Media Membership agree not to act as agents of any media organization or content creator in any way, shape, or form while attending Furry Weekend Atlanta. This includes, but is not limited to: interviewing, photography, and audiovisual recording.
It shall be understood that Furry Weekend Atlanta, Inc. retains all rights to all audiovisual recordings made by Furry Weekend Atlanta as well as the use of the Furry Weekend Atlanta name and logo, unless such use is specifically disclaimed or permitted by contract.
Hobbyist Photographers & Videographers:
We recognize that many members of our community are avid hobbyist photographers and videographers. We want you to be able to enjoy your hobby while attending Furry Weekend Atlanta. To ensure that there is no confusion between a hobbyist and a member of the media (requiring a media pass), all hobbyist photographers or videographers using large / professional looking cameras must stop by our Ambassador Desk to sign a hobbyist photographer / videographer waiver and pick up a hobbyist lanyard.
This lanyard should be visible at any time when the hobbyist is taking video or photos. Please note that this lanyard is in no way a media pass and does not grant any special access to any areas of the convention. It is merely to identify the holder as a hobbyist rather than a member of the media.
Hobbyists must follow the same rules as anyone else taking personal archival use photographs or video recordings. Permission must be obtained from any person before taking a photo or video of them. Photography or video activities cannot interfere with the operation of the convention or create a safety hazard. If any person asks not to be filmed or photographed, that request must be respected. Live streaming is not permitted, even for personal or hobbyist use.
Hobbyists must also avoid the use of any large or obtrusive equipment that could present a hazard in crowded convention spaces. This includes equipment like boom microphones, large gimbal rigs, etc.
Furry Weekend Atlanta reserves the right to revoke the hobbyist lanyard and ask a hobbyist to return their equipment to their room if the actions of the hobbyist become distracting or interfere in the operation of the convention in any way.
In summary, we are willing to let you into our private event at the risk of damaging ourselves and our reputation, and all that we are asking of you is that you play by our rules and get the whole story while you’re here; not just what will get the ratings.
To apply for a Media Membership, please contact our Media Relations Representative at [email protected].