(Effective February 23, 2019)
SoonerCon contact information for convention policy, security, and harassment concerns:
1-800-745-0398 or info@soonercon.com
Norman Police Emergency: 911
Dispatch non-emergency: 405-321-1600
We expect participants to follow these rules at all SoonerCon venues and SoonerCon-related social events.
SoonerCon is dedicated to providing a harassment-free convention experience for everyone, regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, or religion. We do not tolerate harassment of convention participants in any form. SoonerCon participants who violate these rules may be sanctioned or expelled from the convention without a refund at the discretion of SoonerCon or security staff.
Participants asked to stop any harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately. Harassment includes: deliberate intimidation, stalking, following, harassing photography or recording, sustained disruption of talks or other events, repeatedly disregarding moderator or staff requests, inappropriate physical contact, unwelcome sexual attention, and offensive verbal comments.
Exhibitors in booths, Artist’s Alley vendors, artists in the Art Show, game masters, and players are also subject to the anti-harassment policy, as are all programming participants.
If a participant engages in harassing behavior, the SoonerCon staff may take any action they deem appropriate, including: warning the offender, expulsion from SoonerCon with no refund, and/or disallowing future admission to the convention. If you are being harassed, notice that someone else is being harassed, or have any other concerns, please contact a convention staff member immediately. Convention staff can be identified by badge ribbons labeled “STAFF” and/ or “staff” t-shirts. Staff members
will be visibly moving around all convention areas. Convention headquarters, security, and lost and found items are located at Registration.
In the event of any participant experiencing harassment, SoonerCon staff will be happy to help them by contacting hotel/venue security or local law enforcement, providing escorts, or otherwise assisting to ensure that they feel safe for the duration of the convention. We value the attendance of every participant.
Oklahoma’s laws require all drinkers to be at least 21 years old. If somebody underage receives alcohol, the person paying for the room bears all responsibility. Also, convention membership for the parties responsible will be revoked without refund for that convention year, and may impact membership eligibility for future years as determined by the convention chairperson and safety officer. Oklahoma law also doesn’t allow open containers in the hallways, even from room-to-room. So drink up in one room before going next door.
Trained service and assistance animals are permitted in all public areas, at all times. No other animals will be permitted inside the SoonerCon convention space.
For safety purposes, all attendees must wear some form of protective footwear. Please be mindful of your safety and that of others while in costume. Please cosplay safely and at your own risk – SoonerCon and FSCOK are not liable for injuries or accidents incurred by costume hazards.
Do not impede traffic or pose a fire hazard. Plan for assistance if you have an oversized costume or prop. There are plenty of folks who can help you if asked.
No costume is no costume. No nudity is allowed inside the convention center or other public spaces. All costumes must include full coverage bottoms. Breasts and nipples must be fully covered/concealed. Underwear is not accepted attire. Swimsuits are accepted attire, as long as they provide full coverage. Body painting must abide by the coverage requirements detailed here.
All SoonerCon convention participants must comply with our Weapons Policy. Props, weapons, and costumes may be inspected by convention staff or facility staff, security, or law enforcement at any time.
No loose glitter, confetti, explosives, projectiles, or objects emitting smoke, vapors, or excessive noise or light are permitted.
For specific questions about SoonerCon costuming and planning your cosplay, email costuming@soonercon.com or ask a convention staff member onsite. For full detailed Costume Contest rules and procedures, visit http://sc28.soonercon.com/costume-contest-rules/.
Always comply with the instructions of onsite law enforcement and the convention’s hired security personnel as directed. There are volunteer medical workers onsite during SoonerCon events. In the case of a medical emergency, first dial 911. Please report any injuries immediately to a convention staff member for assistance.
A full detail of convention emergency procedures and incident reports are available upon request at Registration/Con Headquarters (Con HQ), and all staff and volunteers are briefed on these procedures.
Outside food and drinks are not allowed inside the convention center. These can be consumed outside the facility, and in the hotel. Concessions are available inside the convention center, and these concession items may be consumed anywhere inside the event facility.
With the exception of the Friday reception event, no food or beverage is allowed inside the Art Show and Charity room during the convention. These spaces contain original artworks and unique collector’s items.
SoonerCon abides by all local, state, and federal laws in addition to facility policies regarding the use, possession, or distribution of illegal substances during the convention event. Violators are subject to arrest and prosecution, and your convention membership will be revoked without refund.
Safety and security are our top priority! SoonerCon utilizes an incident-reporting system for record-keeping, safety, and emergency management. These incident reports include, but are not limited to: Injuries, lost property, incidences of harassment, calls to law enforcement or other emergency services, etc. that may occur during the convention’s operation. Convention staff members will ask for your assistance as necessary to complete these reports when applicable. Reports are secured in Con Headquarters and a copy of your report can be made available upon request.
Please turn in found items to Con HQ at convention Registration. You can help us to return these items to their owners by describing when and where you found the items as well. Lost items should be reported to Con HQ, or to convention staff.
For press kit, press badges, and other event information, email social@soonercon.com or call 1-800-745-0348. Please contact creative@soonercon.com to request use of logo or related brand elements. All SoonerCon convention guests and members reserve the right to refuse interviews or other onsite media requests. For media inquiries during the event, please contact SoonerCon staff located at Con HQ.
Please be courteous before taking pictures. Ask for permission. Don’t photograph children without obtaining their parent or guardian’s consent. Please note that all photography is prohibited inside the Art Show. SoonerCon staff may ask participants to disassemble or remove photography, video, and recording setups at any time. By entering SoonerCon, all attendees agree to have their photos taken by SoonerCon staff and volunteers for promotional purposes. SoonerCon agrees not to use the photos in any other manner besides promotion and not to sell the photos to any third party.
Public records related to the event are available following the event by emailing info@fscok.org or making a request by mail to:
No personal or identifying information will be included in publicly available records. SoonerCon maintains the right to refuse record requests that are not covered by the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). A copy of these policies is also available by email or by mail upon request.
SoonerCon is an all-ages, membership-only event. To balance our policies of open membership attendance and the safety of all event participants, SoonerCon restricts the participation of any person who is a registered sex offender (as defined by Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act [SORNA]) to basic “attendee” status for membership, with the understanding that such a member is personally responsible for maintaining their compliance as it relates to the disclosure of such information at public and private events where minors are present.
All open room parties are requested to sign up with SoonerCon’s Hotel Liaison staff, located around the convention hotel’s registration and atrium seating area. There are signage boards provided to hang notices about your open room parties or social meetups. This is the ONLY place to hang party notices. We want you to enjoy your party/meetup to the fullest extent, and it helps us to know the plan. Email hotel@soonercon.com for more information.
SoonerCon’s policy mirrors our facility’s policy, and is very simple: No signs or notices may be attached to facility property. No sticky notes, tape, tacks, or other attachments. Easels bearing signs are allowed. All notices must be printed by machine, not handwritten. Designated signage boards are located throughout the convention space and in the hotel. This is the best place to make announcements! If you have a room party or other announcement, you can post a notice in a free space on these boards. Taped signage anywhere else will be removed. Signage will be periodically reviewed and updated by staff.
The smoking age in Oklahoma is 18. Oklahoma law provides for NO SMOKING OR VAPING in any indoors public venue — which includes ALL SoonerCon function spaces. That means you can only smoke outdoors in designated areas (patio areas, etc.). This policy includes vaporizers. Please vape outdoors. The Embassy Suites is a completely nonsmoking/non-vaping hotel indoors. Please dispose of all trash properly in the provided designated waste and recycling receptacles. Underage smoking/vaping is prohibited.
SoonerCon accepts financial goods, and service donations to help operate the convention, as well as for our annual charity benefit auction event during the convention. This support comes from the generosity of event sponsors, vendors, convention members, and the community. Email development@soonercon.com for more details on how to donate to the charity auction or to become a SoonerCon convention sponsor. SoonerCon is 100% nonprofit and volunteer operated.
No unauthorized solicitation is allowed during the convention, in any function space. Violators are subject to expulsion and arrest. Panhandling at the convention is also unacceptable.
We own or are loaned most of the fixtures, AV equipment, and other supplies that SoonerCon uses to make the con happen, and we partner with various vendors like the convention facility to use their equipment as well. Please help maintain a great convention experience for everyone by keeping our stuff in good order. All convention participants are requested to use this property respectfully and will be held responsible for any preventable damages.
SoonerCon is 100% volunteer powered every year! SoonerCon is entirely planned, organized, staffed, and facilitated by volunteers for The Future Society of Central Oklahoma, dba SoonerCon, a 501(c)3 nonprofit (www.fscok.org) organization.
Per the administrative policies of our parent body, the Future Society of Central Oklahoma, all volunteers for SoonerCon are required to undergo a criminal background screening. Volunteers are treated as applicants under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). This function is serviced by Verified Volunteers (https://www.verifiedvolunteers.com/) and facilitated by the FSCOK volunteer coordinator, convention chair, and FSCOK board of directors vice chair, as applicable, at no cost to our volunteers.
Please join us in making SoonerCon as safe and welcoming as possible. More information about this policy may be obtained at SoonerCon Registration during its normal hours, or at www.soonercon.com/volunteer/.
All prop weapons must pass weapons check at convention Registration before entering the convention. Handle all props and weapons at your own risk.
Posing is fine. Take all the pictures you’d like, but DO NOT brandish any props or weapons at other attendees when not posing for a photo. Attendees may not shoot others with foam darts nor squirt them with water, etc. unless participating in con activities designated for this kind of play. Basically, no horseplay or roughhousing. This is considered harassing behavior and is not tolerated. Please help keep SoonerCon inclusive and fun for everyone as you move through the convention spaces.
By federal law, any prop weapons that appear to be real firearms (airsoft, fabricated guns, replica, or formerly-functioning firearms, etc.) must have orange safety tipping that is clearly and visibly displayed on the tip of the prop’s barrel. Additionally, all triggering mechanisms (functional or not) will be zip-tied at weapons check for peace-bonding before the owner may enter the convention with the prop firearm. The only exception to this policy is for foam prop firearm triggers, to avoid indentions on the foam. Foam prop firearms must still display an orange safety tip.
Some prop weapons are not allowed at all: any type of functioning projectile weapon — loaded or unloaded — or any device that could be construed as a projectile weapon, with the exception of foam dart guns. Airsoft and paintball guns must be fully disabled, and no air puffs or other discharge should be detected on testing. Bows may be displayed, but arrows cannot have any tips and must remain inside a quiver or similar case at all times.
Daggers, knives, and swords are to be kept inside their sheaths or be belted, and then be peace-bonded. Illegal blades may be confiscated by security personnel or law enforcement at any time. Foam swords, knives, etc. do not require peace-bonding at weapons check.
All spears, staffs, and staves must be no longer than six feet and the end of said devices must never project more than 12” from the bearer’s body.
Bladed swords and similar weapons with a functional edge (“live steel”) will not be allowed in the convention, with limited exceptions: bladed weapons purchased onsite must remain sheathed and peace-bonded at all times, and proof of purchase must be provided upon request to retain the bladed weapon while inside the convention (it’s recommended that you take these purchases to your vehicle or hotel room as soon as possible). All blades regardless of size and material shall be covered, sheathed, or belted in all public areas and function spaces.
All allowable weapons must be peace-bonded, as applicable. The only exceptions to these rules are weapons that have been approved for display on stage during the Costume Contests (see Costume Contest Rules for more information) and during programming specifically designed for weapons display. Peace-bonding will be available at Registration weapons check and by the roving security personnel. If you have any questions about this policy, please ask or email info@soonercon.com.
The sale of firearms is strictly prohibited at SoonerCon. Vendors are requested to contact exhibitors@soonercon.com with questions about saleable merchandise. SoonerCon reserves the right to inspect and request removal of merchandise deemed unsuitable for sale at the convention event.
Per Oklahoma statute regarding concealed and open carry firearms:
Title 21. Crimes and Punishments
Chapter 53 – Manufacture, Sale, and Wearing of Weapons Oklahoma Firearms Act of 1971
Section 1289.11 – Reckless Conduct
It shall be unlawful for any person to engage in reckless conduct while having in his or her possession any shotgun, rifle or pistol, such actions consisting of creating a situation of unreasonable risk and probability of death or great bodily harm to another, and demonstrating a conscious disregard for the safety of another person. Any person convicted of violating the provisions of this section shall be punished as provided in Section 1289.15 of this title. Any person convicted of a violation of the provisions of this section after having been issued a concealed handgun license pursuant to the Oklahoma Self-Defense Act, Sections 1 through 25 of this act, shall have the license revoked and shall be subject to an administrative fine of One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), upon a hearing and determination by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation that the person is in violation of the provisions of this section.
Title 21. Crimes and Punishments
Chapter 53 – Manufacture, Sale, and Wearing of Weapons Oklahoma Firearms Act of 1971
Section 1289.15 – Penalties
Any person adjudged guilty of violating any provision of Section 1289.9, 1289.10, 1289.11, 1289.12 or 1289.13 of this title shall, upon conviction, be punished by a fine of not less than Fifty Dollars ($50.00) nor more than Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00), or imprisonment in the county jail for not less than ten (10) days nor more than six (6) months, or by both such fine and imprisonment.
For SoonerCon attendees, this means NO COSPLAY/COSTUMING with actual handguns, pistols, rifles, and/or shotguns. This is considered reckless handling of a firearm by SoonerCon organizers and FSCOK. Law enforcement will be contacted, and you will be immediately disbarred for life from SoonerCon membership. Let’s all stay safe and abide by local, state, and federal laws.
SoonerCon reserves the right to refuse admission and membership or to remove anyone from the convention for any reason. Memberships may or may not be refunded at SoonerCon’s discretion. Harassment of con attendees, staff, game masters, volunteers, guests, vendors, hotel and convention center employees or their vendors and guests will not be tolerated. Consequences for verbally or physically disruptive conduct may include membership revocation, ejection, and possible prosecution. Shoplifting is a crime and will be prosecuted, in addition to permanent revocation of membership.
The Future Society of Central Oklahoma dba SoonerCon does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations. These activities include, but are not limited to, selection and dismissal of volunteer staff, selection of other volunteers and vendors, and provision of services. We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members of our staff, event attendees, volunteers, subcontractors, vendors, and clients.