Membership to MCFC events may be purchased by registering online during the designated pre-registration period, or at the registration desk upon arrival at the site. To gain membership, valid government issued photo identification must be shown on site and a formal agreement to adhere to the standards of conduct must be signed. Every member will receive a membership badge. This badge must be kept with the member and be openly visible at all times while within the convention area. Any member who is not able to display their membership badge if requested by staff may be denied entry to convention events or asked to leave the convention area until they can return with a valid membership badge.
Motor City Furry Con reserves the right to refuse membership to anyone based on our own discretion. Membership to minors is not available during the online pre-registration period, and is not available during on-site registration. "Minors" are defined as any individual 17 years of age or under. Minors may not attend Motor City Furry Con or other MCFC events. Motor City Furry Con cannot be held accountable for minors who gain membership through forgery or other disingenuous methods.
Any member found to have falsified documents in order to gain access to the convention will have their membership revoked, access to convention area removed, will not be allowed to attend future conventions, and will be referred to local law enforcement authorities. Anyone discovered to have forged a membership card or to be using another member's card under false pretenses will be asked to leave the event and be referred to local police under a complaint of trespassing. In addition, any member discovered allowing others to "borrow" their membership card will have their membership immediately revoked and will be asked to leave the event.
All membership purchases are non refundable and non transferrable. Memberships are only valid for the convention year they are purchased.
The "convention area" is defined as the Eagle Crest Conference Center and the Ann Arbor Marriott Ypsilanti at Eagle Crest hotel, with the exception of guest rooms. The standards of conduct should not only be adhered to within the convention area but also in areas viewable from the convention area.
All public areas within the convention area are to be considered to have a "PG-13" rating. When in the convention area, shirts, footwear and pants or shorts must be worn unless the member is utilizing the pool/spa area. At no time should any member wear clothing that is overly revealing, or for blatant sexual or fetish purposes in the convention area. "Fursuits" are considered acceptable attire, providing that the design thereof falls within a "PG-13" rating. Any costume design that cannot be considered acceptable to a general audience and cannot be made publicly appropriate with clothing must not be worn in the convention area.
Any member discovered wearing clothing that is inappropriate, unsafe, or disruptive to the atmosphere of the the convention, its members, or the hotel may be asked to re-attire themselves prior to returning to the convention area or may lose convention privileges. This includes leashes that do not have appropriate safety mechanisms.
While we encourage the presence of costumes, Michigan state law prohibits the sale of alcohol to anyone who cannot be identified. This will pertain to any alcohol purchased at the hotel bar as well as access to alcohol in the sponsor suite, where face-covering masks must be removed during any alcohol-related transactions.
Public displays of affection must be limited to friendly contact. Overly sexual public behavior will not be allowed.
While within the convention area, all members will be expected to conduct themselves in a mature fashion. Revocation of membership may be incurred for any individual(s) who, by their actions, become disruptive to the atmosphere of the convention or its members.
Prohibited conduct may include, but is not limited the following:
Any member caught performing any illegal activity that violates State and Federal laws will be subject to having their membership revoked and will be referred to the proper authorities.
Motor City Furry Con takes harassment very seriously, be it from other members or from individuals not associated with the convention. If you feel you are being harassed, we ask that you report incidents of harassment to members of MCFC Staff or to Security as soon as possible.
The following actions considered to be harassment may include, but are not limited to, the following:
If you are told to stop in response to any contact with another individual, you are to immediately end your contact with that person.
Every report of harassment will be investigated and dealt with by the convention on an individual basis. As with all disciplinary action, steps taken in response to these reports may or may not be shared with the reporting attendees but will be logged internally.
No functional weapons will be allowed at Motor City Furry Con. This includes, but is not limited to:
Any individual who is discovered carrying a weapon in the convention area will be ejected from the convention and referred to local authorities. This is the policy of Motor City Furry Con and supersedes any legally issued weapons carry permit.
Weapon replicas may only be carried if they are part of a performance or costume at the convention. Such replicas must be non functional and presented to and approved by the security staff.
For safety reasons, drones and other flight capable devices not permitted indoors within any of the convention's venues. Drones are permitted to be used outdoors as long as they are not carrying any payloads in addition to their manufacturer specifications.
MCFC takes place at a non-smoking venue. Smoking is permitted outside in designated smoking areas. If you are a smoker, please be respectful of our non-smoking guests and maintain a distance of at least 50 feet from any hotel entrance when smoking outside.
We politely ask that all those who use E-Cigs or who vape to do so only in the smoking area.
The sale or purchase of any controlled substance is absolutely forbidden at Motor City Furry Con. All members using a controlled substance must have a proper permit or prescription. Any individual discovered selling, buying or using illegal drugs in any part of the convention area or public areas surrounding the convention area will immediately have their membership revoked and will be referred to drug enforcement authorities without exception.
Motor City Furry Con asks that while at the convention, alcohol should be used responsibly and in moderation. No open containers of alcohol will be allowed in the convention area, with the exception of the sponsor lounge. In the case of the bar within the convention area, no beverages containing alcohol may be carried away from the immediate bar area. Drink responsibly. Any individual who is discovered being disruptive or belligerent due to inebriation may be escorted to their hotel room. Repeat offenders may have their membership revoked. The legal drinking age in the state of Michigan is 21 years old. It is a felony in this state to supply anyone under this age with alcohol. If an individual has been found supplying minors with alcohol, their membership will immediately be revoked and they will be referred to the local police. Likewise, any member under the legal drinking age who is found drinking or can be reasonably suspected of being intoxicated will lose their membership and be referred to the authorities.
While MCFC aims to have a safe and healthy convention, there is an inherent risk of illness to any large gathering, as well as travel to and from an event. As such we ask every member to help in keeping everyone else as safe as possible. It's no fun missing a convention, but if you're feeling ill before MCFC please stay home. If you're already at the convention and start feeling ill, please isolate as soon as possible and let the convention know via electronic means. If requested by local health officials, we may provide limited contact information to assist in contact tracing efforts.
Any member caught tampering with MCFC computer hardware or attempting to interfere with wireless communications, such as wireless network, cellular communication, or radio communication, will be subject to have his/her membership revoked and banned from future events. The individual/group will also be referred to the proper authorities for their activity.
Remember to be courteous of other guests staying in the convention hotel, both those with the convention and those who are not. All members are asked to keep noise to reasonable levels in the hallways which are not part of convention area (hallways containing guest rooms), especially during night time hours where people may be trying to sleep. Boom boxes or other electronic sound systems must not be played in the lobby areas or hallways of the hotel, with the exception of those played by participants in the fursuit parade.
We recommend that personal items not be left in convention area unattended. Motor City Furry Con and its staff are not responsible for any items lost or stolen. Items found by or presented to our staff are turned in to Operations where Lost and Found is kept. If an item is believed lost it may be retrieved there, or by getting in contact with the convention up to two months following the event.
Other than legal service animals, pets will be allowed in the convention area only on a case by case basis. Please refer to hotel policy for information about pets allowed on hotel property.
MCFC's members get together each year purely to have fun. The organizers understand that large gatherings of furries may seem an unusual sight to many and thus are often targets of the attention of the media. Some reports in the past have been less than accurate or appropriate and have caused many of our members to shy away from the media spotlight. The presence of media, thus, detracts from the ability of our members to relax and enjoy the convention.
Motor City Furry Convention respects the privacy of its membership and staff. As such for the duration of our event the convention area is a no media zone, unless written authorization is provided by Motor City Furry Convention. No one acting in a press or media capacity will be permitted to film, record audio, or take account of in any fashion any event taking place at Motor City Furry Convention without a preapproved press pass. Press passes may be obtained up to one month prior to the event by applying at press@motorcityfurrycon.org.
As pursuant to our terms of service no person with a convention membership may act in a press or media capacity while on the venue premises during the course of our event, without a preapproved press pass. Any person found to be violating our media policy will be ejected from the premises without refund if applicable. No exceptions will be made to this policy.
Motor City Furry Convention is a private organization. Anyone found violating the right to privacy of its members may be asked to leave.
Any convention member that knowingly violates this policy or who attempts to facilitate access or entry to the convention property will be prevented from returning to Motor City Furry Convention in subsequent years. Access may include but is not limited to: onsite interviews in private hotel rooms, providing footage or pictures taken at the event, recording the event with the express intention of providing it to a third party for use in the media. Photographs and video are permitted for personal use. Motor City Furry Convention makes no implied license for the use of its trade name or logo in any media without express written consent of Motor City Furry Convention.