Terms & Conditions

Last Update: 29/03/2022

By purchasing tickets, you confirm that you have read and accepted the Terms and Conditions in their entirety. Failure to comply with the rules set by Secret Con Ltd may result in ejection from the event without refund. Please see appendix 1 for other reasons for ejection.

Secret Con reserve the right to refuse admission and/or ask the attendee to leave the premises without refund if the terms and conditions are violated by the individual or their party. The decision made by the event organiser is final. Ultimately the event organiser reserves the right to refuse entry or ask guests to leave at any time.

Secret Con may take health and safety and security concerns into account. Security searches may be necessary at the discretion of Secret Con, this is for the safety of both attendees and staff at the event and will be carried out by qualified personnel and without prejudice.

Secret Con staff reserve the right to revoke invitation for the event whether belonging to any individual or group, during the event itself if, in the opinion of the Secret Con staff, any person behaves in a manner that could detract from the event.

Secret Con staff reserves the right to refuse entry to the event to any individual.

General:
1. All tickets purchased must show a valid bar code issued by the ticket management company before a pass/lanyard will be issued.
1a. All ticket purchases are via pre-approved invitation only. You must not attempt to purchase a ticket without a valid invitation. Any tickets purchased by persons not on the pre-approved visitor list will be void, and unable to be used to gain entry to the event. Refunds will be issued within 28 days of purchase.
2. The pass/lanyard must be displayed at all times throughout the event.
3. Passes that are torn or damaged will not replaceable and must be reported to a Secret Con staff member immediately. Failure to do so may invalidate your pass.
4. Anyone found not to be in possession of a valid pass will be asked to leave the event immediately.
5. Persons under the age of 18 are not permitted within the event. Any persons under the age of 18 found to be at the event will be asked to leave. Secret Con Ltd reserve the right to request age verification upon entry prior to a pass/lanyard being issued. Details of acceptable ID can be found in Appendix 1.
6. In the event that the use, or attempted use, of forged identification is detected, entry to the event will be refused and refunds will not be issued under any circumstances. If such attempts are detected in advance of the event the concerned holder’s ticket will be cancelled and refunds will not be issued. All circumstances of attempted use of forged identity documents will be reported to the relevant authorities.
7. By purchasing the ticket, the ticket holder hereby accepts the rules and conduct of the venue and Secret Con Ltd.
8. All ticket holders consent to filming and/or sound recording as members of the audience during the convention and in all public areas that Secret Con Ltd have agreed with the venue. Public areas consist of any venue communal areas.
9. It is strictly forbidden to distribute any type of promotional and/or advertising material within the event without prior written permission from Secret Con Ltd.
10. The resale or attempted resale of a purchased ticket is not permitted, and will render the ticket void, anyone found using resold tickets will be refused entry.
11. Photographs taken at the event may only be sold to press outlets where attendance is a part of a booked exhibitor space, or with prior consent from Secret Con Ltd.
12. It is strictly forbidden to reveal the location of Secret Con until the event crew have officially made the location public. Any persons found to be sharing the location of the event may invalidate their ticket and be refused entry to the event.

Use of Power Sockets:
13. Uses of power socks in the venue is strictly prohibited unless explicit permission is given due to the rules and regulations of the venue.
14. Upon permission being granted, anything that requires to be plugged into the mains must be PAT tested with clear, up to date labelling of test.

Refund policy:
15. ALL tickets purchased are NON-REFUNDABLE under any circumstances except for the reasons listed in clause 16 and 17 in this refund policy section.
16. If an event is moved to another date, we will make notification by posting on secretcon.co.uk. Tickets purchased before the announcement will be entitled to a full refund upon request.
17. In the unlikely event of cancellation of the convention, a full refund will be given to all ticket holders.

Food and Drink Policy:
18. Food and drink can be consumed on site. However, some areas may be marked as prohibited or unsuitable and this must be followed at all times. Any areas prohibited from eating and drinking will be listed on the event Facebook page.
19. All litter MUST be placed in the bins provided or taken off site at the end of your visit.

Costume and Weapons Policy:
20. Costumes should provide enough body coverage to be worn in public and not violate the laws of public indecency in the United Kingdom.
21. The maximum dimension in any direction must not exceed 2 metres. This excludes any parts (e.g., wings) that can be collapsed to a smaller size. In this case the item is to be kept collapsed when passing through the convention, or between populated areas. If your costume exceeds this, please email ​[email protected]​ for more information.
22. No metal props such as knives or swords are allowed.
23. Fully functional firearms are not permitted, replica guns (including airsoft guns, bb guns, cap guns, paintball guns and pellet guns) are forbidden without a brightly coloured safety tip. and props must be safely transported to the venue by concealing them. Any Realistic Imitation Firearms are only allowed to be uncovered inside the venue. Any ammunition for these firearms is strictly forbidden. This includes all projectile weapons such as bows and crossbows.
24. All weapons and props must have rounded or blunt edges and/or padded ends and must be incapable of causing harm. String bows are permitted. However, the string must not be tensioned, and tips of the arrows must not be metal and must be blunt or soft. We don’t want any accidents.
25. Wooden props are allowed but must not be sharp and must always be carried safely around the event. No swinging of items is permitted, should you need to replicate for a pose, please ensure you have plenty of space around you. These will also need to be safely transported to the venue.
26. Glass props are not permitted at the venue due to the risk of shattering.
27. Secret Con staff reserve the right to inspect all weapons and props for safety. If we deem the prop, weapon or costume is of a dangerous nature – we will ask the ticket holder to leave the item with crew to be held and collected when attendee is leaving the event.
28. If in any doubt regarding your weapon, prop, or costume, please send an email to ​inf[email protected]​ for assistance and advice prior to the event.
29. While not expressly banned, Secret Con reserve the right to intervene in any case where attire or costumes with the following: profanities or sexual acts; racism; inciting of hate or crime; and uniforms, emblems, or flags of organisations responsible for crimes against humanity. Please refer to Appendix 2 for list of banned weapons.

Rules for All Photography:
30. It is strictly prohibited to take or attempt to take photos deliberately for the purpose of compromising common decency or the dignity of the subject, for example contriving the camera’s position to shoot up a skirt or kilt.
31. Photography is permitted in all public areas of the event unless signs or staff indicate otherwise.
32. Sniping is strictly forbidden. It is common courtesy to ask before taking a photo of anyone in attendance of the event. If the person you wish to shoot with is already shooting with another photographer, either wait until they have finished or ask the cosplayer and photographer if they are happy with you taking a shot.
33. As this is a collaborative event. We ask that all photographers approach the event as they would a TFP shoot. We would encourage photographers to share a minimum of 1 ‘finished’ image with each of the cosplayers they shoot with.
34. Throughout the day, you may be photographed and/or filmed at the event, and the images may be used online, including (but not limited to) social media, streaming sites and websites.
Please note that there is no way to opt-out of this on a person-by-person basis due to the nature of the event, and that by attending you agree to being filmed and/or photographed.

Special Access:
36. It is the responsibility of the ticket holder to notify Secret Con Ltd staff of their disability and if they need any assistance on the day.
37. It is the responsibility of the ticket holder to bring medication to the event should they suffer from serious health condition including but not limited to seizure, diabetes.

Insurance:
38. Secret Con will provide relevant public liability insurance to cover all attendees. This will be strictly limited to cover the event ONLY and does NOT include any additional activities arranged by individuals outside of the event date/s, event opening hours and event venue. The venue is also covered by its own insurance, however any damages or breakages caused by persons attending the event may be billed directly to the attendee.
39. Secret Con will not be responsible for any items left behind at the venue by visitors.
40. Any damages or breakages caused by attendees or participants to items or equipment owned by any persons attending the event (including staff), the venue, its territory and property is the responsibility of the parties involved and should be repaid. Secret Con Ltd bears no responsibility or liability in this case.

Failure to comply with these terms may result in your ticket being revoked and/or being escorted from the venue by Secret Con Staff. All of these terms and conditions are governed by UK Law and any disputes arising out of any transactions or other interactions with Secret Con Ltd Committee are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the UK Courts.

Covid-19 Policy:
41. Whilst it is no longer a government requirement to provide vaccine status or provide details of a negative test. Due to the possibility of some attendees or staff being vulnerable, you MUST NOT attend the event if any of the following statements apply:
A: You have tested positive for Covid-19 on the day of the event.
B: You have experienced any of the Covid-19 symptoms listed on the NHS website on the day of the event, and you have not received a negative test result.
C: You have been advised by the Covid-19 track and trace team to self-isolate.
42. Covid-19 Refund Policy: We no longer offer refunds for customers wishing to cancel attendance due to either having Coronavirus or a suspected case. If an event cannot go ahead due to a government imposed restriction you will be offered a rescheduled date for a future event. If this is not viable a refund will be issued at your request. We are unable to refund booking fees.

Appendix 1
Accepted Proof of Age:
● (signed) full EU Passport
● (signed) non-EU Passport
● National ID card (non UK Nationals)
● Full UK Driving Licence
● Provisional UK Driving Licence
● Citizencard
● ProveIt Card
● UK / EU Photocard Driving Licence with Counterpart
● Firearms/Shotgun Certificate
● State Pension notification letter1
● Benefits Agency letter1
● Current years HMRC Tax Code Notification
● Identity Card by Electoral Office of Northern Ireland
● Current MOD90 Armed Forces ID
Any form of ID must be IN DATE at the time of the Secret Con otherwise they will NOT be accepted.

Reasons for ejections include but are not limited to:
● Being or appearing to be under age, and not being able to provide relevant I.D.
● Declining to be searched.
● Abusive, threatening, drunken or other anti-social behaviour (including smoking in no smoking areas).
● Carrying offensive weapons or illegal substances.
● Making unauthorised audio, video or photographic recordings.
● Inappropriate use of recording equipment.
● Harassment of other attendees or staff.
● Being drunk and disorderly.
● Violating the rules and regulations of the venue or event.

Appendix 2
These items are strictly forbidden in or around the venue:
● Pyrotechnics, explosives, lasers, and chemical weapons are strictly forbidden.
● Actual guns, rifles, or artillery.
● Sharpened weapons. E.G, swords, axes, and knives.
● Sharp arrows or bolts.
● Heavy gas canisters.
● Any other items restricted or prohibited from being carried in public by law of the United Kingdom.
● Ammunition that can be fired.
● Compressed air chambers and batteries for weapons.

There are NO EXCEPTIONS made to these rules. If in doubt, please email [email protected]​ with details of your weapon.