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Dealer FAQ

Applications for Arisia 2025 Waiting List are now being accepted (all tables have been allocated).
Please read this FAQ before filling out the application form.

Please read through this FAQ to find the URL for the Dealer application form.

General Dealer Questions

  1. When is Arisia?
    January 17-20, 2025 The convention starts Friday afternoon, and will finish Monday afternoon.
  2. Where is Arisia?
    After 15 years being away, Arisia 2025 will be returning to the Hyatt Regency Boston/Cambridge January 17-20, 2025!
  3. If I have questions, who do I talk to?
    Your Dealers Liaison and Assistant Dealers Liaison this year are Diana Hsu and Ed Trachtenberg (respectively). The best way to reach Dealers Liaisons is to send e-mail to Click here to show mail address
  4. What will Arisia 2025 do to help control the spread of Covid-19.
    For everyone working in our Dealer space at Arisia 2025 has to be masked and we strongly recommend being up to date on your COVID vaccines. For details, see the COVID statement page.
  5. Is there a Dealers Room this year?
    YES!
  6. May I share my space with another vendor?
    Absolutely. Discuss it with them ahead of time. You will need to mention them on your application form and they will need to mention you on their application form. Both businesses' information will be published. At least one of you will need to let us know who will be responsible for paying for your shared space.
  7. Tell me about the Dealers Room.
    The Dealers Room is an area in a medium sized ballroom. This area will be secured after hours, so that our dealers will be able to set up Thursday afternoon and/or Friday morning and tear down Monday afternoon, without having to do daily set-up and tear down during the weekend.
    The cost is:
        Tables -- 1 table: $120, 2 tables: $260, 3 tables: $420, 4 tables: $600

    The price of the tables does not include memberships, but everyone working at the table during the convention must have a membership..

    Tables will be 6' long.

    Dealers who want more than two table spaces will have to provide justification for why they need additional spaces, and they will be granted on a case-by-case basis. There will be space in the application form for this justification.

    As always, we are limiting the # of tables to be appropriate for our attendance. If you ask for it, we will provide at least one power outlet per dealer. If you need more than one, please bring power strips and/or extension cords. Power strips and/or extension cords must be of the grounded variety (3 wire).

    The hotel does not have storage areas for boxes or crates, so packing materials will have to go under the table, or back to your vehicles.

    The Dealers Room will be open for you to start moving in at 3pm (we might start earlier if we get the room earlier) on Thursday until 9pm, and at 9am on Friday. During setup, only people with Dealer Ribbons will be able to get into the Dealers room. You get your Dealers Ribbons from the Dealers Liaison at the convention.

    Proposed Dealers Room Hours for the public are:

    Friday 5-9pm
    Saturday 10am - 7pm (closed for lunch 1-2 pm)
    Sunday 10am - 7pm (closed for lunch 1-2 pm)
    Monday 10am - 2:30pm
    FYI … most programming starts at 10am each day (except Friday) and the Programming Grid operates on 90-minute blocks.

    Dealers Room Questions

  8. What is the lighting like in the Dealers Room?
    The lighting in the Dealers room at the Hyatt is better than the Westin.
  9. What is the power situation in the Dealers Room?
    If you ask for it, we will make sure that your area has an outlet. We will have at least one power drop per dealer island/wall-group. It is recommended that you bring at least one grounded (3 wire) extension cord. If you need to plug in more than one item, please bring a grounded (3 wire) power strip. Please bear in mind that you will be sharing power with your neighboring dealers.
  10. Can I get Internet in the Dealers Room?
    Free Internet cannot be guaranteed in the Dealers Room. If Arisia is able to create a room-wide hot-spot we will notify dealers. Please note that if WiFi is available, it will be shared by other dealers and should be used only for business purposes. If you want a wired internet please contact Click here to show mail address for pricing and availability.
  11. Payment and Reservations
    1. Pay your dealer’s fee (see question #6). If you are selected to be a vendor at Arisia, payment instructions will be included with your acceptance letter. The price of the tables does not include memberships (not everyone needs as many memberships as they have tables, some vendors get a free membership because they're also on panels, some vendors volunteer during setup and get a free membership ...).
    2. Purchase your needed memberships at https://arisia.org/registration. You will be able to purchase memberships as follows:
      • Until 10/15, you will be able to purchase memberships at the $55 per person "pre-convention" rate. (the deadline for dealers has been extended for 2025)
      • From 10/15 until 11/30 (for applications completed prior to 9/30), memberships may be purchased at the $55.00 rate as follows:
        • Up to 1 membership per table allocated
        • Memberships in excess of this allowance must be purchased at the rate in effect at the time of registration.
      • If you are not certain as to WHO will help staff your dealer space, memberships may be purchased as “Minion #n of Company X”. Real names MUST be provided to Registration no later than December 15.
    3. Reserve a hotel room (https://arisia.org/reservations). As the Hyatt tends to sell out very quickly, you should plan on booking your room as soon as hotel reservations open (usually early September).
    4. Confirmation:
      1. Receive confirmation from Arisia Dealers Liaison that we have received your dealer's fee.
      2. Receive confirmation from Arisia Registration that they have processed your membership registrations.
  12. How much is dealing at Arisia going to cost me?
    • See question #6 for pricing of vending spaces. If you are sharing a table / booth with another vendor, you will need to decide how that cost will be split and who will be responsible for making payment.
    • The cost of your lodgings, whether that is at the Arisia hotel, another hotel, or with a nearby friend.
    • A membership fee for each person who will be with you, paid to Arisia (https://arisia.org/registration), see above for pricing.
    • This applies to all workers, helpers, children, etc. regardless of whether or not they plan to attend any other Arisia events.
      • Both Kids-in-tow and Adults-in-tow require memberships. However, these memberships are provided at no cost. For a definition of both of these categories, please see the Registration FAQ Page (https://arisia.org/regFAQ).
    • This membership fee goes up the closer we get to the convention, so the sooner you know you are vending, the sooner you can purchase your memberships.
    • All memberships will need to be purchased through Arisia registration.
    • If you have local people coming to help with set-up or break-down who are not staying to work nor to attend the convention please contact https://arisia.org/parking.
    • Load-In
      Details: TBA
      Please unload as rapidly as possible and then move your vehicle to allow other vendors to also unload there.
    • Adult Items
      There will not be an adult area at Arisia 2025.
    • Other display considerations:
      • Any material that might be construed to be HATE related is strictly FORBIDDEN!
        • 1st occurrence: You will receive a warning and ordered to remove that merchandise from your display.
        • 2nd occurrence: You will be removed from Arisia with NO refund.
      • If you are selling music please provide your customers with headphones so that they can sample. The Dealers Room is too noisy to quietly play music and expect that it will be heard.
      • If you are selling fragrant merchandise, please keep it covered and allow your customers to “sniff” if they want to sample. There are a lot of people who are allergic to fragrances.
      • If you are planning to sell any BOOTLEGGED or unlicensed merchandise → DON’T.
        • 1st occurrence: You will receive a warning and ordered to remove that merchandise from your display.
        • 2nd occurrence: You will be removed from Arisia with NO refund.
    • When I get to Arisia, what procedure should I follow?
      In no particular order, you will need to:
      • Unload and then park your car. Please remove your vehicle from the loading dock area before you begin to set up your space.
      • Check in at the registration desk and pick up your badge(s). Each person must pick up their own badge.
        • Note: On Thursday evening, Registration is open only for badge pickup (NO badges may be purchased on Thursday).
      • Check in at the hotel desk and get your hotel room keys if you are staying at the Hyatt.
        • Hotel check-in begins at 3 PM.
      • Find your Dealers Liaison, let us know you are here, get answers to any burning dealers liaison questions, and collect your dealers ribbons.
    • Why are you asking ....
      • Membership information, if you aren't selling us our memberships?
        • So that we can estimate how many Dealers Ribbons we need, and so that we can check the names you give against our registration database to make sure you registered (we may sell out the convention, so it's best to make sure you buy your memberships early).
      • Whether we will be open for vending on Monday?
        • This is a four day convention, and we do NOT want the Dealers Room looking deserted on Monday morning. Therefore, dealers who plan to pack up Sunday, or early Monday before opening will be placed LAST to get tables and rooms, and may not get a spot.
      • For us to both check off what we sell and to describe what we sell?
        • The description will be used for deciding between applicants if we have more applications than spots e.g . "Both of these folks checked Jewelry, but this one has a cooler description, so they're in.", and in a modified shortened form, if we have space in the program book, as a short description below your vendor name.
        • The description and the check boxes will be used so we can try to avoid putting similar dealers next to each other (except for dealers selling adult items in the adult sales area).
    • Weapons Sales
      • Any weapon (real or simulated) in the Arisia Dealers Room must be wrapped in cardboard and securely taped when sold
      • If purchasers wish to wear weapons, they must be brought to the Safety Team (Arisia security) for peace bonding. Arisia's Quick Reference for their location.
      • Any weapons not peace bonded must be immediately removed from the convention area (brought to the purchaser’s room / vehicle / etc.).
    • What laws and rules do I need to be concerned about?
      • You are responsible for observing all applicable laws (e.g. tax, copyright, and decency laws (see Adult Items), etc.)
        • ALL vendors are required to have a MA Sales Tax number certificate on display in order to vend at Arisia. Arisia is required to submit a list of vendors and their tax numbers to the State.
        • This rule applies whether your business is a MA based business or an out-of-state business. It also applies even if you are selling only items that are tax exempt. If you are a tax exempt business (e.g. 501(c)3) you must submit your tax exempt number.
        • If you need help applying for a Sales Tax ID Number, please see our page How to Apply for a Massachusetts Sales Tax ID
      • If you are an out-of-state vendor (or are unfamiliar with the MA sales tax rules) you should read: A Guide to Sales and Use Taxes (you'll need Adobe Acrobat to read it). For more information on Massachusetts taxes, see the Department of Revenue web site or call: (617) 887-MDOR (or in state: (800) 392-6089).
      • To find out what weapons are not legal to carry in Massachusetts see Mass. General Laws Chapter 269, Section 10 (search for paragraph (b) in the middle). Basically if it is more dangerous than a Koosh Ball(TM), then it's probably illegal. Some of the things banned by the state are: any knife having a double-edged blade, dirk knife, any armband made with leather which has metallic spikes, nunchaku, ....
      • The hotel contract says that bumper stickers and any other sort of sticker may not be distributed at the convention, so no free stickers advertising your business.
    • On average, how many people attend Arisia?
      That information can be found on the Arisia History Page: https://corp.arisia.org/history
    • Does my application guarantee me a vending space at Arisia?
      No. The Arisia Dealers Room is a juried venue.
      • You should definitely apply if you are interested because:
      • Arisia's Dealers Room is juried with priority for returning vendors.
      • We are always looking for new vendors with new and exciting merchandise.
      • We often have vendors who elect not to return in a particular year.
      • If you are not selected it will put you on the Wait List.
      • If you have never applied to Arisia in the past it will put you on the mailing list.
    • Cambridge Bag Ban:
      Cambridge has a ban on disposable shopping bags. Only recyclable paper bags and reusable bags with handles may be used by stores for purchases. However, there's an exception for nonprofits hosting "bazaars".
      Please see: https://www.baglaws.com/directory-laws/listing/cambridge/
  13. Where is the Dealers Application Form?
    The URL is: https://arisia.org/DealerQuestionnaire