Cosplay guidelines

Thank you for choosing to cosplay at the 2024 LTU Expo. Please read through the policies listed below regarding cosplaying at the LTU Expo. Please remember that our event is family friendly and open to the public, so the cosplay(s) you choose to wear should be appropriate in a family environment.

Coverage

1. Cosplays must provide the same coverage that a standard swimsuit provides.

2. Undergarments must be worn beneath all cosplays.

3. Cosplays must cover the private areas of the body. Thong, G-string, and Brazilian-bottomed cosplays and other buttock-revealing cosplays are not permitted.

4. It is strongly recommended that dancer’s belts be worn beneath form-fitting cosplays to reduce visibility of private body areas.

5. Nudity and implied nudity are prohibited.

Body Paint & Other Applied Enhancements

1. Body paint must be completely dry prior to arriving at the Expo to avoid damaging other attendees’ clothes/cosplays, vendor displays, and campus property.

2. Body paint cannot be used as a cosplay in and of itself.

3. Fake blood must be dried and/or set. Fake blood that drips, runs, or comes off with a touch are not permitted as it may damage other attendees’ clothes/cosplays, vendor displays, and campus property.

4. All glitter must be applied with sealant to avoid damaging other attendees’ clothes/cosplays, vendor displays, and campus property.

5. Other enhancements, including beads, feathers, powder, crystals, and fringe, must be securely attached to the cosplay or cosplayer. Help keep our Expo clean!

Props

1. No live steel, metal, or props with sharp edges are permitted on the LTU campus.

2. No real or fake firearms, projectile weaponry, or explosives are permitted on the LTU campus.

3. Prop bows must be unstrung.

4. To align with campus rules, we recommend props made of PVC pipe, thermoplastic, resin, papier mache, latex, plastics, foam, and fabrics. If you have any questions about your prop material, please reach out!

5. All prop weapons must be checked and peace-bonded by Con Ops upon arrival.

6. Props cannot exceed 8 feet in length.

7. Any weaponry purchased from our vendors must be taken, unopened, to your vehicle immediately.

8. Any misuse of props that may result in causing harm to yourself or to others will not be tolerated.

9. The LTU Expo staff reserves the right to revoke prop privileges at any time.

Safety

1. Please avoid wearing cosplays that impair and/or reduce your mobility. This includes stilts, expanding wings, heavily weighted cosplays, and cosplays involving large assemblies and/or props.

2. Please avoid wearing cosplays with sharp edges, with glass components, with mirrors, or with other elements that can intertwine with and/or cause harm to other attendees.

3. Roller skates, Rollerblades, Heelys, skateboards, etc., are not permitted inside the Expo.

4. Foot coverings must be worn at all times. Barefooted cosplays are not permitted.

5. Joint cosplays — cosplays that physically link two or more cosplayers together — are not permitted.

6. Cosplays that contain or imply derogatory, negative, or otherwise harmful imagery or words are prohibited.

7. If you are coughing, sneezing, suffering gastrointestinal distress, are fevered, or are feeling otherwise unwell, please stay home for your own sake and for the health of our other attendees, staff, vendors, and volunteers.

8. If you are taking a selfie of your cosplay or taking photos of your cosplaying friends, please do so off to the side. This will prevent congestion in our halls and will keep the flow of traffic moving.

9. Be respectful of your fellow cosplayers! Remember: cosplay is not consent!

By attending the LTU Expo, you agree to follow and abide by these cosplay guidelines as well as by LTU campus regulations and local/state/federal law. Any illegal activity or behavior will result in the notification of the local authorities and your expulsion from the Expo. Disrespectful, threatening, or harmful behavior towards your fellow LTU Expo cosplayers, attendees, staff, volunteers, and vendors will not be tolerated and is grounds for immediate removal from the Expo. Anyone refusing to abide by these Cosplay Guidelines runs the risk of being removed from the Expo.

These guidelines are subject to modification at any time.

Compete and show off your hard work at LTU Expo’s Cosplay Masquerade! Individual cosplay creators in Novice, Journeyman, and Master divisions are invited to compete. Pre-registration has ended, and sign-up is limited to 50 competitors. If you’re interested in competing, please sign-up in person in the Atrium on the day of the con. Once all spaces are filled, signups will be closed.

Choose Your Competition Division:

-- Novice: The cosplayer has competed in Craftsmanship 0 to 4 times or has won Craftsmanship 0 to 1 time. A minimum of 50% of the entered cosplay must have been made by the competitor.

-- Journeyman: The cosplayer has competed in Craftsmanship at least 5 times or has won Craftsmanship 2 to 5 times. A minimum of 65% of the entered cosplay must have been made by the competitor.

-- Master: The cosplayer has won Craftsmanship at least 6 times. A minimum of 80% of the entered cosplay must have been made by the competitor.

The Cosplay Department reserves the right to reclassify any competitor and to merge underrepresented divisions.

Masquerade participants, please bear in mind that the cosplay you will be competing with cannot have previously won at another cosplay contest or masquerade unless it has been notably upgraded, overhauled, or changed.