Membership FAQ or Just how much does it cost?
We get a lot of the same questions, so we will try to address them here from time to time to give you the best information we can.
FAQs ON A-KON® MEMBERSHIPS
We get a lot of the same questions, so we will try to address them here from time to time to give you the best information we can.
Q - Do you send a membership card through the mail if you register online?
A - No, we do not. We save thousands of dollars in postage and manhours by using an automated system that sends an emailed receipt to the address listed on the order. It says 'Membership Confirmation' on it. This is to be printed and kept just like a membership card. IF YOU DO NOT GET your membership confirmation receipt within 24 hours after registering, check the following: (1) is the email address correct? (2) did your system trash or put it in the spam file by accident? (3) Did someone else register you (a parent or friend)? If so, then THAT email address will get the receipt (the payee's address). Check with that person. (4) did your payment go through, or was it declined?
If you need another copy of your receipt, we need the order number to track it. The order number will start with AKON20ORD#####. We can send you another copy if you get us that number. Send all inquiries to registration'at'vision-palace.com (again, replace 'at' with @ - we write it that way to keep spambots from swiping the email addresses)
Q - What is the current price for A-Kon® memberships?
A - Current pricing for A-Kon® Memberships is $30.00. Childrenxs memberships (kids 12 and under) are $15 and will not change. GET IN NOW for the best rates! Use the handy form at the end of this email, or online at our Online Store.
Q - Do You offer Group Rates?
A – Yes we do! For groups of 10 or more adult memberships (childrenxs memberships are not included as they are already deeply discounted) the price is 15% off the current price.
Q - Hello, I was trying to order your group rate memberships of 10 or more, and when I put in the quantity I want as ten, it only shows up in my shopping cart as one, so how would I go about getting the 10 memberships and the group discount?
Also about the group ordering, there's only one place for a badge name, and we all want different things on our badges so how would we get different badge names?
A – You must enter each person as a separate individual form with their own badge name and information. Fill out the form as you would for a single person, but when you get to the checkout form, you go back to the online store and hit the button for purchasing another adult membership, and it will add it to the existing order. You can only enter one at a time, so that each individual has their own form and their own badge name & information. Once 10 (or more) forms have been filled out during the same order session, the discount will automatically calculate and appear at the very end, at the final checkout page right before you submit payment type.
Q - Does the badge name have to be our real names, our group name or whatever we want it to be?
A - The badge name can be almost anything you would like to appear on the front of your badge. Many people use a favorite anime character name, the name of a character they will be cosplaying, or a nickname that their friends or family call them. We DO need your real first and last names for identification purposes, as you will need to present some form of ID along with your registration confirmation to pick up your badge. A drivers license, school ID, or other picture ID is preferred, so bring them with you to the pre-registration desk when claiming your badge. Younger attendees who do not have an ID should be accompanied by a parent or guardian to assist with ID verification when picking up badges.
A - The badge name can be almost anything you would like to appear on the front of your badge. Many people use a favorite anime character name, the name of a character they will be cosplaying, or a nickname that their friends or family call them. We DO need your real first and last names for identification purposes, as you will need to present some form of ID along with your registration confirmation to pick up your badge. A drivers license, school ID, or other picture ID is preferred, so bring them with you to the pre-registration desk when claiming your badge. Younger attendees who do not have an ID should be accompanied by a parent or guardian to assist with ID verification when picking up badges.
Group names are helpful to verify that we have all requested badges available for your group. If you would like all badges for your group held for pickup by the group organizer, please send your request via e-mail to regquestions@a-kon.com by May 1st, 2009, or you may include this information on a cover sheet if using the mail-in order form. The group organizer will need to present their photo ID, the order confirmation and a list of attendee names to claim their badges. This will allow us to verify that the badges we have available match the attendees on-site, so no one is left out.
We ask that you not use any profanity or degrading/sexually explicit wording in your badge names, and we will rename those badges that appear to be in bad taste. Easy rule of thumb, if you would be embarrased to explain the name to your parent, a young child or anyone who doesn't understand it, I wouldn't suggest using it on your badge. :)
Q - I have many club members that would like to attend A-KON® and I would like to secure a discount for them. They will be purchasing their tickets separately. Is this a problem?
A - The group system as it is set up allows that 10 memberships (or more) must be purchased at the same time (not necessarily with the same check) in order to qualify for the discount (which is 15% off the going rate for each membership). They all need to arrive in one envelope (or be registered online at the same time, or else the programming code will not calculate the discount). Due to the thousands of pre-registrations that come in, we are not set up to allow individual registrations to claim they are part of a group (what is to stop hundreds of people from making that claim, when they aren't really part of the group?).
What groups like this generally do is get one 'coordinator' to gather all the checks from all the different members, and then the coordinator sends them all in at once. We can send the membership cards to the individuals who registered, or to the coordinator, that's their choice. Another way we've seen it done is that one person purchases the 10 memberships and resells them to the various members, but in that case we must be informed as to the full info of the registrants so we can make the badges for them (we pre-print and laminate all the badges ahead of time to make claiming them on-site faster and more efficient).
Q – Is the membership for one day, or for the whole convention?
A - It is for all 3 days of the convention – one price, all days! (cheaper than a single day at 6-Flags or Disney World!)
Q – I ordered my membership online, where's my membership card?
A - For online memberships, the system sends an automated receipt, which serves as your confirmation of membership (therexs a paragraph at the bottom that says something to that effect). DO NOT TRASH THAT EMAIL! That is your proof of membership. We do not send physical membership cards out for online members, allowing us to save thousands of dollars of postage and hundreds of manpower hours. An online memberxs information is captured and added to our membership database when the automated receipt is generated (when the credit card charge is cleared). If you do NOT get a receipt, then your card may not have gone through. Make sure you use a valid email address so your receipt will get to you. You must bring the receipt with you to the convention registration desk in case of any questions on your membership.
Q – I want to order 3 memberships online, but I donxt know the names of the people who are coming with me, how do I do that?
A - Our online system needs a unique name for EACH SEPARATE member (otherwise it is impossible to tell whether 3 memberships for xJoe Smithx is REALLY 3 memberships, or an error where the customer hit the button 3 times accidentally, thinking it didnxt go through (if the system runs slow for some reason). We had a lot of problem with that last year. If you do not know the names of the other members of your party when you get your memberships, PLEASE use the following method of buying multiple memberships: Joe Smith (you), Joe Smith-2 (the second person), Joe Smith-3 (the third person), etc. so we know FOR SURE that you meant to order 3 separate memberships. Adding the xdash numberx (-3,-4, etc.) will let us know this and save possible problems at the registration desk.
Q – I ordered a banquet ticket with my membership online. What now?
A - You will be sent a physical banquet ticket, which is a placeholder guaranteeing your seat at the banquet.
Q – How do I choose what table to sit at for the banquet?
A – The Information Desk at the convention will have a diagram of the tables and what guests are assigned to which table. You need to go there to select your seat prior to Sunday morning of the convention. The seats are first come, first served, so the earlier you get there, the better the chance that you can sit with the guest of your choice.
Q – Are there any other charges?
A - Some games have additional fees that cover printing game materials, prizes, etc. Some of these include arcade games, role playing games, Makoto Arena, Laser Tag, CCG Tournaments, Networked LAN Gaming, Live Action games (some, not all), the Sunday Brunch Banquet, etc. These are optional events that you can choose to participate in, but are not required to do so, and not all of them have fees. Check on-site (or ask ahead of time via email) to find out if the ones you're interested in have extra fees. (generally they are small). The guest star autographs, musical concerts, Sumo Wrestling, Workshops, Panels, Pugilance Demo and most other things are included in the price of the convention
