Frequently Asked Questions

Youmacon Guidelines & FAQ

We at Youmacon are dedicated to bringing our attendees a fun and safe atmosphere to enjoy our convention. To accomplish this, we have set forth a few guidelines and rules that we ask be adhered to.

Horseplay is dangerous. Just don’t do it. Posing is fine; however, dangerous or risky behavior is not permitted.
If it is illegal outside the convention, it is illegal inside the convention as well. Follow all local, state and national laws.
If you wish to hold a sign for attendees to respond to, it must be in a location that does not interfere with convention traffic or activities, and passers-by must not be disturbed if they choose not to respond to the sign. Signs must not request or promise money or lewd or disruptive conduct.
Neither attendees nor staff may post signs on the walls.
Alcohol is not allowed in convention space. Keep it in your rooms. Public drunkenness will not be tolerated.
Keep high traffic areas clear and do not sleep in any public space of the hotel or convention.
A government issued photo ID (state, province, other…) is required for entry into age-restricted events.
Only authorized vendors may sell commercial items in the convention hotel.
Do everyone a favor and shower every day. Soap and shampoo are required. Nobody likes stinky otaku. Getting enough food and sleep is also encouraged for a good con experience. Halloween candy and alcohol do not count as meals. There is a full food court within the Renaissance Center for your feeding needs.
Staff is generally busy running events and making sure the convention goes smoothly. If you are asked to do something within reason by a staff member, comply without argument.

General FAQ

When/Where is Youmacon?

Youmacon 2023 will be held at both The Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center, and at The Huntington Place.

How big is Youmacon?

In the past ten years, we’ve grown from about 1,000 attendees at the Detroit / Troy Hilton in 2005, to becoming the first event to ever fill the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center to capacity in 2011, marking Youmacon as one of the fastest growing fan events in North America. In 2014, over 16,300 individuals came to Downtown Detroit for Youmacon! Although Youmacon is larger than most Anime Conventions, we’re not as big as San Diego Comic Con, Otakon, or Anime Expo. Youmacon is just the right size.

When does the convention open and close?

The convention runs non-stop 24-hours a day from 8pm Thursday evening through 6pm Sunday afternoon. Majority of our panels are scheduled from 9am through 3am, and we are once again featuring our video gaming room, tabletop gaming room, video/audio track (anime music videos) room, and our video screening rooms.

When will the schedule / guests / vendors / panels etc… be posted on the Web site?

We will post most of the information to the website as soon as we have the information finalized, so you may want to check back often. Major website updates are often announced on our Twitter feed @Youmacon and on Facebook.

What if I have a question that’s not listed here?

Before asking a question, please search the appropriate section(s) on our website first. If your question is still unanswered, please feel free to ask your question to the admins though the Social Media pages, or if it’s more of a private nature you may e-mail the appropriate department on the contact page.

GENERAL COSPLAY RULES

No metal weapons, real firearms, or props loaded with high velocity projectiles are allowed. Realistic weapon props may be peace bonded at the discretion of security or Masquerade staff.
Props should be carried and posed with in a way that does not inconvenience or risk injury to other attendees.
Costumes must be tasteful and cover appropriate areas of the body. Shoes must be worn in public areas of the convention for your own safety.
What is illegal outside the convention is still illegal inside the convention.
Costumes entered into the competition are encouraged and preferred to be of Japanese origin. This includes anime, game, manga or other media such as sentai, music, J-rock, etc. Pokemon or other gijinka-type costumes based on fanart are permitted, but you must bring a reference photo, no exceptions. Korean media is also acceptable. The contest is also open to Western-inspired costumes. This includes Western cartoons and comic books. However, we retain the right to limit the number of costumes coming from non-Asian media to ~50% or fewer of the entrants and may waive it based on availability. No original character costumes or designs are permitted.

Registration FAQ

How much does Youmacon cost?

At the door prices for Youmacon 2022 are as follows:

3-Day (Weekend) Pass: $75
Friday Only Pass: $40
Saturday Only Pass: $50
Sunday Only Pass: $30

Platinum Badges and 3-Day (Weekend) Passes are able to be purchased in advance through our pre-registration and online payment system. More details can be found on our Registration Page. Platinum badges are only available for purchase in advance.

What forms of Payment are accepted.

At the door, Cash (in USD) is the only accepted form of payment, however we are exploring the possibility of accepting credit cards.

For Online Registration, all major credit cards are accepted via PayPal.

Why is it a “three-day” badge? Shouldn’t it be “four-day”?

Thursday Night’s programming is open to the public, and no badge is required.

I’m under 18…

Parents or guardians of all youths attending the convention must complete the Youmacon parental consent form and the attendee must bring it to registration. The Parental Consent form will be available online in the near future.

Maid Cafe FAQ

Is this Hooters™ for otaku? Are the maids/butlers going to act fanservicey for me?

If seeing people dressed nicely or in frilly dresses gets you hot and bothered, well, more power to you. There will be no flashing panties, kissing, or otherwise acting like a bizarre otaku strip joint.

Isn’t this just a boy-friendly event?

Both girls and boys staff the cafe. The Youmacon maid cafe combines the elements of both maid cafes and host clubs to appeal to both genders.

Why such a high price? Why can’t it be free?

The proceeds compensate the cost of the caterers and their food, and also go towards future con events.

Will there be beer?

No, alcohol is not served or permitted in the cafe.

May I get autographs?

Some guests may be nice and do this for you, but it’s generally discouraged. Autograph sessions are the recommended time to request autographs. Pictures are permitted, but make sure you ask nicely first.

May I leave a tip?

If you’d like. It’s not required, but the maids and butlers do appreciate any donations for their work.

How can I work in the maid cafe?

E-mail Artists’ Alley expressing your interest and you’ll receive a short application to complete.