Guest Policy
Juried Guest List
As a general sci-fi convention, ConGregate would like to have a variety of guests. Unfortunately, like many cons, we are limited in our space and our ability to provide adequate programming opportunities. As a result, while we wish we could accept everyone, we may not be able to accommodate every guest request.
Individuals that typically qualify for guest status include:
- Individuals who qualify for membership in SFWA, or have 3 short stories published for which they have received payment over $25, or have 2 novel or novella length stories published for which they have received payment over $500
- Artists who derive more than 10% of their income from their work
- Individuals who have been Guests of Honor at other area conventions
- Individuals who are considered experts in their field. (This includes but is not limited to: editors, publishers, scientists, special effects, costuming, fandom, etc)
- Entertainers such as filkers, musicians, and other performance groups
- As a general rule, vanity press authors do not currently qualify as guests for ConGregate (self-published authors with a solid sales history are not considered vanity press).
ConGregate reserves the right to make changes or exceptions to any part this policy at our discretion.
We are looking for guests in the following areas:
- Authors
- Artists
- Editors
- Agents
- Fandom (Con runners, fan groups, web/podcasting)
- Film Production/Special Effects
- Actors (see compensation information on this page)
- Costumers
- Scientists
- Performance (Music, Comedy, Etc.)
- Professional or Semi-professional Cosplay Photographers
Because there are a handful of Anime cons local to NC, we are not seeking anime guests at this time.
Guest Rotation
ConGregate tries to keep our guest list fresh by rotating out approximately 1/4 to 1/3 of our guests each year. If you have been to ConGregate recently, please do not feel slighted if we elect to have someone different for the upcoming year. It’s not personal; we just simply need to provide some new faces for the attendees. We urge you to reapply for the following year.
A Final Note on How We Select Our Guests
It is our intention to consider an individual’s contribution to the genre ahead of all else when evaluating their application to be a guest. However, in today's era of social media, we may be forced to consider the financial impact a guest might have on the convention. If we believe a guest's actions will have a negative impact on the convention's attendance, it's possible we may find ourselves having to respectfully decline that guest’s application, or rescind their acceptance based on timing of any incidents.
If you are accepted as a guest, you will receive:
- One (1) complimentary membership to the convention, plus 1 additional membership, if needed, for a companion.
- An option to buy up to two (2) additional memberships at $30.00 each (before to July 1, 2024)
- Advertising as a guest on our website and inclusion in the program book
- We will endeavor to provide each guest 1 hour of signing time, if requested. Additional time may be granted if scheduling permits.
As a guest, we request the following of you:
- We request that each guest participate in a minimum of 4 hours of programming (panels, workshops, etc.) during the convention
- A headshot for the website (.jpg or .png file formats preferred)
- A copy of your current bio.
A Note on Guest Compensation
Unfortunately, ConGregate is not a large convention with a big budget. For most guests, we are not able to provide more than what is already stated above. While we understand that travel is not cheap, our budget simply does not allow for us to pay fees, travel or lodging for the majority of our guests (the Con Chair even pays for his own room and board).
Invited Guests of Honor (GoH)
The exceptions to the above are our invited Guests of Honor. GoHs typically will have some, or all, of their travel expenses paid for by ConGregate.