FAQ
We get a number of questions about Furnal Equinox every year, so don't forget to read through this page to make sure it's not already answered! If your question isn't answered here, feel free to send us an e-mail.
General Questions
Hotel and Travel
Registration
At The Convention
Dealers Den and Artists Alley
Miscellaneous
General Questions
Q: What is Furnal Equinox?
Furnal Equinox is a convention for fans of anthropomorphics ("furry fandom") that takes place annually in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. For more details about furry fandom and the convention itself, visit the About Us page.
Q: Where is Furnal Equinox being held this year, and how do I get there?
We will be returning to the Doubletree by Hilton Toronto Airport from March 16 to 18, 2012. For details on how to get there, visit our Travel page.
Q: How did Furnal Equinox get its name?
The name was suggested by founding convention committee member ShiroTora, based upon our date which falls close to the beginning of spring. The name is a play on "vernal equinox", the technical name for the first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. We welcome the use of the short form "FE".
Q: How did Furnal Equinox begin?
Toronto has been home to a number of different furry events over the years, including some very successful ones. However, until FE was founded, it had never been home to a traditional hotel furry con. In late 2008 and early 2009, there was a lot of grassroots discussion on local community websites, and this time all the ingredients were there to make a con happen. Many members of what would become our first concom came together as a result of these discussions, and we announced the inaugural FE on Canada Day, 2009 (July 1).
Hotel and Travel
Q: Can you help me find a roommate to share a hotel room with?
Just post the details on your roomshare on our Room and Ride Share forum, and people will be able to contact you there. Make sure to choose your roommates wisely, though — we can't get involved in any disputes that crop up!
Q: Where can I eat when I'm at the con?
There are a number of restaurants in the Doubletree serving a variety of cuisine. However, there are also a number of reasonably-priced restaurants within a five minute walk of the hotel including Harvey's, Tim Hortons, Subway, Swiss Chalet, Milestones, Kelsey's, and even a couple of sushi bars! We also arrange discounts for attendees, so hold on to your conbadge even when you leave the hotel!
Q: Are room parties allowed at the hotel?
While room parties are permitted, we ask that noise levels be kept to a minimal level, especially after the quiet hour of 11 pm. Hotel and convention security will be enforcing this. Keep in mind we are not the hotel's only guests... someone in the room next to you might have an important business meeting tomorrow!
Q: Can I get access to the Internet at the hotel?
Free wi-fi internet is available throughout the Doubletree, in both hotel rooms and convention space.
Q: I'm crossing from the United States (or another country) into Canada. Do I need a passport?
A passport is universally accepted as a travel document and so we very strongly recommend you apply for one before coming to Furnal Equinox. You may need to obtain a visa as well depending on your country of origin, so apply early to avoid disappointment! Depending on the circumstances, you may be able to use a document such as a NEXUS card or enhanced driver's license.
Q: What else is there to do around Toronto?
As Canada's largest city, Toronto has a number of popular attractions, such as the CN Tower, Royal Ontario Museum, Hockey Hall of Fame and Toronto Zoo. All of them are easily accessible by Toronto's transit system. For a full list of suggestions, visit Tourism Toronto's website.
Registration
Q: How can I pay for my registration?
If you are preregistering online, we accept PayPal as well as all major credit cards (Visa, MasterCard and American Express). You can also send your payment by mail; we accept certified cheques and money orders.
For those paying at the door, we will be accepting cash (in Canadian funds), credit cards and travelers cheques.
Any payments by PayPal or credit card will be automatically converted to Canadian currency. Cash, cheques and money orders must be in Canadian funds only.
Q: Do I have to give my real name when I register?
Yes. We ask for this information to confirm your identity when picking up conbadges at Registration (we wouldn't want to give your conbadge to the wrong person!). Your real name, as well as all other personal information you provide, is kept confidential per our Privacy Policy.
When you register, you may select a Badge Name which will go on your conbadge; it does not have to be your real name.
Q: Do I need to provide ID at registration?
Yes. There are no exceptions to this. Your identification must provide proof of identity and proof of your age (i.e. name and date of birth present). Examples include a provincial/state driver's license, a photo health card, or a passport. If you're not sure if your ID is acceptable, please contact Registration.
Q: How will I know if my registration has been received?
A confirmation e-mail is sent to you when your registration is processed. You do not need to bring this receipt to the convention, but it may be helpful in the case of any misunderstandings. If you didn't receive a confirmation e-mail, contact Registration immediately.
You can also log into your account and click "My Account", then click "Orders" to review your registration.
Q: I missed the preregistration deadline! Can I still attend?
Yes, we'd still love to have you! We sell memberships for the whole convention at the door, as well as single day memberships that give you admission for the day of purchase.
Q: How do I upgrade or downgrade my membership?
Contact Registration so they can make a note of the change. You can also upgrade to sponsor level at the convention itself.
Q: I'm under the age of 18. Can I still attend the convention?
Minors are more than welcome at Furnal Equinox. However, due to liability issues we require your parent or legal guardian to complete the Parental Consent Form in its entirety. This must be brought to Registration before we can issue you a badge.
Please note, you only need to be 18 as of the first day of the con to be considered a "minor". If you're 17 when you register but you will be turning 18 before the con begins, you do not need a permission form.
Attendees under the age of 15 must be supervised by their parent or legal guardian at all times in convention space.
Q: I earned a free membership through volunteering last year or through a Furnal Equinox promotion. How do I claim it?
You will receive a discount code via e-mail after you win a Furnal Equinox membership either through a promotion or volunteering. When you register, simply enter this code in the coupon box, and you'll immediately get your discount!
Q: I no longer plan to attend Furnal Equinox. Can I get a refund?
If you can't attend the convention, please contact Registration immediately. We will issue refunds based upon the following schedule:
- You can cancel up until the preregistration deadline (March 4, 2012) with no penalty.
- If you cancel before March 16, 2012, your registration fee can only be applied as a credit to next year's convention ("roll-forward").
- If we don't receive any notice before March 16, 2012, we can't provide any refund or roll-forward.
Please be advised that refunds will only be issued in Canadian funds by your initial method of payment.
At The Convention
Q: What's the rating of the convention?
Furnal Equinox's rating is "PG". All content displayed in public convention space including personal attire, artwork, fursuits and costumes, and conduct between attendees should reflect said rating. Concom, staff and security reserve the right to rule on the "appropriateness" of attire or conduct at any time (this may be appealed to the chairs but their decision is final).
Should any adult programming be offered at the convention, these areas will be controlled and restricted by security to attendees over the age of 18.
Q: I'd like to see a certain panel at Furnal Equinox. How can I make it happen?
We always welcome new ideas for programming and panels that will be of interest to our membership, and the best way to make it happen is to run one! Simply e-mail us at programming@furnalequinox.com to let us know about your idea.
Q: Who are the people in the red shirts / pink bandanas / green bandanas?
They're an easy way to pick out people identified with the con! The "red shirts" are on-duty members of our security team. Pink bandanas identify members of Furnal Equinox staff or concom. Both will be more than happy to answer any questions or concerns that you might have, or redirect you to someone that who you can!
The green bandanas are given out to volunteers who are either currently doing con work, or are "on call". They're either hard at work, or are looking for something to do!
(Note that the colours may change for this year's con!)
Q: How do I become a volunteer or staff member?
We are always looking for people to help out and become involved in Furnal Equinox. If you're interested in becoming a volunteer or staff member at FE, feel free to contact our volunteer coordinator at volunteer@furnalequinox.com. You can also becoming a volunteer at the convention by coming to Con Ops (next to Paris / the gaming room)
Becoming a staff or concom member is generally done by invitation. The best way to become one is to put yourself in a position where we'll notice all the hard work you do — and volunteering's a good way to do it!
Q: I had an issue with the hotel or with a volunteer/staff member. What can I do?
You can bring your issue to Con Ops, or directly approach the convention chairs (you'll be able to identify them at the con by their badges).
Q: I lost an item at the convention. Where can I locate it?
The Lost and Found can be located at Con Ops. Simply provide a description of your item and we'll look for it (or return it to you if it's in our possession). We will post a list of unclaimed items after the convention.
Dealers Den and Artists Alley
Q: How do I become a dealer?
Simply fill out the application form. Our Dealer Coordinator will review your application and let you know if you've been accepted. You do not have to pay for your table until your application has been accepted. Apply quickly... only limited space is available!
Q: Do I have to register separately for the con after buying a dealers' table?
Your dealer table registration includes one member-level admission to the convention. However, your assistants must register separately.
Q: I would like to be placed with another dealer / have a specific table location. Can you accommodate this?
When you register for your table, please let us know in your application, or let the Dealer Coordinator know as soon as possible afterwards. We will do our best to accommodate your request, but make no guarantees that we will be able to do so.
Q: Do I need a permit to sell in the Dealers' Den? Do I have to charge tax?
We do not require our dealers to obtain a permit or to charge sales tax. However dealers assume ALL responsibility for ensuring that they are in compliance with federal and provincial tax laws. Dealers from outside of Canada should also make sure that they are in compliance with the requirements to sell their wares in Canada. If you are collecting and remitting sales tax, the tax in Ontario is the Harmonized Sales Tax (HST), charged at a rate of 13%.
Furnal Equinox is not in a position to advise dealers with regards to this. We recommend that you seek advice from a tax professional or consult the Canada Revenue Agency's website.
Q: I have to leave my table during the convention. Will my merchandise be safe?
Dealers are welcome to leave their tables and enjoy the convention as they see fit. We have security on patrol within con space and in the Dealers Den at all times who will keep an eye on your wares (you may also nominate a person to keep an eye on your table). The Dealers Den is also locked at the close of business.
However, we do have volunteers willing to make food runs for you throughout the day... so if you're just craving something to eat, just let our coordinator know at the convention and we'll do our best to accommodate you!
Q: Does Furnal Equinox have an Artists Alley?
Yes! A limited number of Artists Alley tables are available outside of the Dealers Den room, and they will be made available to anyone interested on a first-come first-served basis. Further details will be announced closer to the convention.
Q: Will dealers be accepting Visa/MasterCard/Interac?
Dealers may decide at their discretion whether to accept any of these payment methods. Furnal Equinox does not run a "central cash register", so we recommend you ask before making your purchase.
Miscellaneous
Q: What happened to your website?
Our new website uses Drupal, a content management system (CMS) interface. This allows us more flexibility to develop the site, and will allow us to offer new features to you!
As we add new features, registered users will be able to comment on website stories, update their registration and submit to the conbook, as well as communicate with each other and upload pictures in one place! Stay tuned.
Q: How do you choose your Guests of Honour?
Our goal is always to look for the best that the fandom has to offer. We have no specific criteria, but we look for individuals who have made specific and significant contributions to the life of the fandom through their creative output, whether in the form of art, fursuiting, writing, or musical performance. We also tend to choose one Guest of Honour from Canada, and one from outside Canada.
If you have any suggestions for Guests of Honour, please e-mail us — we try to avoid public discussions in order to avoid hard feelings.
Q: I want to report on the convention. How do I go about doing so?
If you wish to report at the convention for the purposes of a publication in a newspaper, website, TV show, documentary, online magazine or similar, please read our Media Policy first and then contact us at pr@furnalequinox.com. You will have to contact us well in advance of the convention to obtain media credentials — we will NOT welcome press members arriving on spec. While we apologize for the additional effort required, we do this to minimize disruption to our convention and its attendees.
The Media Policy does not apply to attendees who take pictures or video or write con reports for their own personal, non-commercial use.
Q: I'm worried about someone taking my picture at the convention. How do I stop them?
We encourage all photographers to ask permission first (simply say "No thanks") but it's always possible that something might slip through the cracks.
If you find a picture of you in an official Furnal Equinox photo gallery and you'd like it removed, e-mail pr@furnalequinox.com and we will remove or crop the picture as soon as possible. If the gallery is operated by a third-party site, you should contact the original photographer.
Furnal Equinox may livestream selected events at the convention. Cameras will always be conspicuously marked and you'll always have a means of avoiding them if you wish.
Q: I believe another attendee is a threat to me. Can you ban them from the convention?
Preventing someone from attending the convention is not an action that we take lightly, and is generally not one that we reserve for interpersonal disputes. We recommend that you simply avoid the other person at the convention.
We do, however, take a very dim view of any form of harassment or abuse at the convention itself. If you encounter a situation like this, please make it clear to the other person that you want them to stop. Do not retaliate or abuse them in return. If they fail to do so, please report the incident to any member of our Security staff.
Please do not abuse this privilege. Any harassment complaints that are made without proper grounds will likely result in YOUR removal from the convention.
Q: Can I donate to the convention? Is my donation tax-deductible?
We welcome any contribution to the convention. Check the About Us page for a PayPal link. Anthropomorphic Events of Ontario is not a Canadian registered charity and we are therefore unable to offer official donation receipts.
