Cosplay World Staff and guests are not eligible to compete in the Costume Contest.  Individual entries are limited to one person. Group entries can include up to 5 people.  All contestants must be on the entry form. All participants must be a registered Cosplay World attendee and will be asked to present their badge. Entrants must have a valid Saturday or full weekend Cosplay World badge (specialty badges such as press, dealers, panelist, etc., are also valid). Costume Contest staff will check and mark your badge with your entry number as part of the check-in process.  Entrants must be 18 years of age or older, or accompanied by a parent.  Entrant numbers for this year’s competition will be capped at 25 due to time limitations.   All costumes must abide by the policies of the convention. If a costume is deemed acceptable according to the conventions policies, listed here then it will be allowed in the Costume Contest. Please review the dress code, weapons policy, and other  rules. If a violation is discovered in a costume competing in the Costume Contest, that entry will be disqualified. If you feel that you would like to compete at a higher level, you are welcome to compete at that level. “Competing down” (ex: a craftsman competing as a novice), is not permitted and will be disqualified.  Entrants will be disqualified for dishonestly filling out the contest entry form.  Signing up does not guarantee entry. Accepted entries will receive a confirmation email from the Cosplay  Contest Coordinator to confirm their entry. Acceptance emails will be sent closer to the convention date. Please note that all official pre-convention notifications will be issued via email. Should you have any questions or concerns, please contact us at CosplayWorldMasquerade@gmail.com if you do not get an email by Oct 18th. Entries are accepted on a first-come-first-served basis.  Please be on the lookout for email notifications from CosplayWorldMasquerade@gmail.com (check your spam folder). You must check in with the Cosplay Coordinator, Chiara Scuro, at her booth in the expo hall on Saturday, October 25th, to confirm your spot. Any non confirmed spots will be opened up after that to at door attendees.   The maximum number of participants for the cosplay competition is 25 total. 15 will be accepted online, 10 will be accepted in person.

Interested attendees that were unable to enter ahead of time online are encouraged to enter in person Saturday morning starting at 10:30 am. This is a first come first served availability with only a handful of spaces open. After onsite registration, you will be given a confirmation form that you will need to bring with you to judging check in.   During both online and onsite registration, any information received will be treated with the utmost confidentiality and will not be passed on to any third parties.

We will have limited spots for at show registration. At registration you will give your name, stage/cosplay name, your costume/fandom, the category you are entering and anything else you think we need to know about your cosplay. We only have spaces for 10 at door entries once online sign ups are full, so make sure you sign up early!  Judging Time Slot: Contestants will be given a time slot for judging on the Saturday of the convention at check in.  Entries will be assigned a time slot by the Cosplay Contest Team. However entries are allowed to request for a different time based on availability.   Please make sure you give us notice as early as possible if you need to withdraw from the contest.  You will receive a reminder sticker on your badge, with your judging time on it.  If you are accepted into the contest and are a no-show at check in to receive a scheduled judging time, or a no show at your judging time, you will be removed from the contest and may only be allowed to re-enter IF there are any available at-con spaces left.   Please respect your fellow contestants and contest staff by showing up on time when expected (during judging sessions, for the stage walk etc.) and not being late. Failure to show up on time without communication may result in disqualification and removal from the line-up.

Craftsmanship Judging Hours: INFO COMING SOON Check-in: Contestants must arrive at the Contest Check In Desk at least 10 min before their assigned judging time slot that is given to them upon in person check in Saturday morning. Please do not be late or you will have to re-register for a time IF there is one still available. You may be denied entry if there are no available at con spaces left. We keep judging periods to a schedule and lateness may disqualify you from entry. Be sure to arrive 10 minutes early as some contestants may finish quicker than others and you may be judged earlier.  Due to the dynamic nature of judging, actual judging time may be later than indicated. Contestants are still expected to arrive within 10 minutes before their assigned time slot.  Each contestant is required to have their entry form’s receipt for judging (this will be given to you at check in) and stage line-up.    Your costume must be handmade by you. Store-bought and commissioned costumes are not permitted.  Disability aids will not be counted against entrants (hearing aids, walkers, canes, wheelchairs, visual aids etc).  You will have 5 minutes to present your costume to the judges. We ask you bring your references, process print outs or build book to this appointment.  Skill Class: Entry skill class is only used as an indicator for the judges to better evaluate entry's work.  If it is discovered that you have entered a category below what you should be in, then you will be disqualified from the costume contest. For groups, you must enter at the highest division that any of the group members qualifies for. In example: A Novice cosplayer and a Master cosplayer competing together must compete at the Master level.  All contestants are REQUIRED to bring work in progress and reference material for their costume(s). The reference should depict the details of the costume you are presenting. This allows the judges to see your work in progress as well as give them something to refer back to if needed. You will not have the ability to print your materials at the con.  You must provide references at your judging appointment. Build books optional. The more build progress, the better. Build books that showcase full builds are encouraged but not mandatory. PLEASE BE SURE TO BRING THESE WITH YOU.  Physical references are the only ones accepted (printed photos, sketches, etc.). NO digital (phone, tablet, email) references are allowed.  Reference materials and work in progress documentation must be printed in color and are left with the judges until the competition is over. Please have at least one full length shot of the character reference.  A “build book” is a bound documentation of your work and progress on the costume, it also consists of your reference photos and descriptions of the materials and the details (such as a full lining on a jacket or a custom corset pattern) that may not be visible when wearing the final costume.   Reference photos, work in progress documentations and build books will be available for return on Saturday after judging sessions are over, they may be picked up at  the Cosplay Contest Coordinator’s booth. The maker of the costume must be present and entering their work. Entrants may wear their costume themselves, use someone as their model, or have their costume on a hanger for the judges to look at.   Costumes must be handled by the contestant, their model or one handler. Models and handlers are required to be registered attendees of Cosplay World, and are the only others allowed in the room with the competitors during judging. Entrants may have a model wear their costume during the contest but must be present for both the pre-judging appointment and the on stage event.  All entrants/models MUST be in costume for the stage portion.  Each contestant will be given a maximum of 5 MINUTES with the judges, which will be timed, to talk about their costume, during which your craftsmanship and execution will be evaluated. This includes your explanation and questions from the judges.  Entrants will be scored by the quality of construction, accuracy and faithfulness to the design, choice of materials used, appearance, and skill of their work depending on entry level. During the event, judges will ask questions regarding the construction and detail of each costume.  Entrants will be asked to briefly explain the process of making their costume. During your judging session, the judges will ask you for details on your process and will inspect your costume. Judges may ask to touch a part of the costume, hold your prop, lift a seams to see how the costume is finished etc. Judges will be checking details to be able to accurately judge craftsmanship, so if you feel uncomfortable at any time, please let the judges or coordinator know.  Usage of AI for the cosplay contest is not permitted and usage of such will result in being disqualified.  Lying about commissioned or purchased costumes (purchasing a costume and passing it off as your own work) or lying to the judges, will result in consequences which can include your entry being disqualified, awards pulled,  being banned from future Cosplay World Costume contests etc.  Each contestant may only enter one costume into the Hall Costume Contest. One or more designers may make costumes for an individual or for a group who serve as model/models. The group will be considered as one entry. The designer(s) must be present at judging to explain the construction process. If this is a group presentation, the designer(s) may also wear a costume.  In a group, the skill level of that group is determined by the highest classed skill member of that group. For example, a group of Novices with one Journeyman must all compete as Journeymen.  Please do not wear any substance that can fall off or come off of you during judging. Any body make-up, paint, glitter, fake blood, feathers, or sequins should not come off your costume with simple contact.  All judging will be done before the stage portion, off-stage.  If you need any clarification or have any questions, please stop by the Cosplay Coordinator booth (Chiara Scuro) in the expo hall, or at the sign up booth during judging, and we will assist you.  No nudity is allowed. No costume is no costume.  No live steel. Cosplay World retains the right to disallow any prop for any reason. The weapons policy and convention rules also apply to costumes worn for your Craftsmanship judging session for safety reasons. All costumes and props must conform to Cosplay World’s behavior, safety, dress, and prop weapon policies.  Modifications made to costumes to conform to policy will not count against the entrant during judging.    All participants will be required to sign a permission/release/waiver form to participate in the contest. Minors under 18 years of age may participate in the Costume Contest only if a permission/release form signed by the minor's legal guardian is provided. Forms will be available at the Cosplay Coordinator Booth and the contest desk outside of judging.  Costume Contest judging is not open to the public. Only entrants, designers, the model, a handler for larger/bulky costumes, and parents or children will be allowed inside the judging room. NO photography other than official convention Photography is permitted in the judging room.

Costume Contest Stage Portion: INFO COMING SOON  All contestants need to be at the stage for line up. More details will be given when you sign up.  All contestants must be at the stage for line-up prior to the start time. Arrivals any time later than this may not be accommodated.  Parents/legal guardians are required to accompany children 18 years and younger during both judging and the stage portion  Once on stage, the Emcee will announce the contestant’s name and character.   Your costume must allow you the movement for you to go up and down the stage ramp. Entrants with large elaborate costumes may bring handlers to assist them onto, across, and off the stage.   Contestants will have time to walk across the stage and strike 3 poses for the audience at the stage portion. There is no skit/performance portion at this time, but entrants are encouraged to be in character on stage if they wish to, during their walk.     If you have accessibility needs, please make us aware both in your entry form and in person at check-in. Cosplay World will make reasonable efforts to assist entrants to the best of our ability.  Contestants are not allowed to throw anything off the stage, nor use projectiles or use anything on stage that will leave a mess. No liquids, glitter, confetti, pyrotechnics, explosive devices, silly string, explosives, flames, or similar special effects of any kind are allowed in the Convention Center or Event space. What comes with you on stage should leave with you. Entrants must leave the stage as clean as it was when they first walked on it. Nothing may leave your person while you are on the stage or being judged. The judges and coordinator reserves the right to disqualify any entrant for any reason.  No offensive or obscene costumes.  Costumes must be appropriate for wear in public. No public indecency. We are a family-friendly event. All costumes must be PG. No nudity or risqué costumes. Make sure the beach wear areas are covered.  All costumes, even for barefoot characters, must include shoes.  Altering of skin pigmentation to match a real-world culture to which the contestant does not belong is not permitted and will result in immediate disqualification.    No electrical power connections will be provided. If your costume requires power, it must be part of your costume design.  No profane, political, disruptive, or religious statements during the catwalk.  This includes messages on signs or clothes. No hateful, offensive, or provocative symbols, designs, text, or audio are to appear on your costume or in your stage walk portion  Cosplay World cannot accept lighting or audio requests e.g. turning the lights off or down.  Animals are not allowed for the competition, with the exception of service animals.  Individual music will not be permitted.  Skits are not permitted at this time. Anyone who violates these rules may be disqualified from the competition and be asked to leave the convention area.  We will reserve audience seating for contestants for the stage portion. When being seated, please listen to the instructions of staff and sit only in the area you are assigned.   Cosplay World cannot secure or hold any personal items for contestants who take part in the stage show.  We recommends you leave your bags, merchandise, ID’s, keys, and wallets with a trusted friend or family before lining up. Cosplay World is not responsible for any lost, damaged, or missing items.  The results of the Cosplay Contest will be announced immediately after the stage portion of the contest on Saturday July 12th, from 5pm-6pm. Attending is encouraged. If the entrant cannot participate for any reason, please notify a judge or contest staff member during your scheduled judging session.    Winners of awards who are not present for the Saturday afternoon stage walk, will be allowed to pick up their awards on Sunday at the Cosplay Contest Coordinator booth (Chiara Scuro) in the expo hall, or at the cosplay table outside of the feedback panel on Sunday; Any winner not present will be notified via email.  All winners and competitors will be asked to pose for a group photo and possibly individual photos. Recordings and photos taken by Cosplay World may be used in future galleries or promotions. Signing up for, and/or attending, any cosplay event is done with the understanding that recording could occur at any time and permission is tacitly given for the participant’s likeness to be used. Permission is granted to Cosplay World to use the costumes photographed/filmed during the contest for future marketing and promotions.  A complete set of current rules will be posted at the Costume Contest Coordinator booth and at the Costume Contest table by judging at all times.   Assessment of entries is at the full discretion of the judges’ panel. They hold the right to disqualify any contestant per the rules laid out on this page. Cosplay World judges and the coordinator has the final say on all entries.

Be polite and courteous  No bullying other contestants. If you are found to be making negative comments or bullying in any portion of the contest, judging, green room, etc then you will be disqualified and asked to leave. Entrants who are rude, hostile, or harass, cosplay staff, judges, and/or other cosplayers will be removed from the event lineup. No bad behavior. No trash talking, sabotage, or poor sportsmanship will be tolerated.  This may include disqualification from entering future contests.   This policy extends to online interactions before and after the event.  If there is offensive behavior such as (but not limited to) racism, sexism, ageism, homophobia, fat-phobia, hate-speech, doxxing, sandbagging, or any other poor behavior or discrimination, Cosplay World reserves the right to take action and rescind awards, prizes, or ban the offender from the convention or cosplay contests as necessary. Please bring up any instances of this to staff if you suspect this behavior in the contest from contestants or judges.  If you are not satisfied with the results of the competition, you agree to contact the cosplay coordinator at CosplayWorldMasquerade@gmail.com for clarification and communication. If you decide to ignore this as an option, and disparage the judges or staff publicly, online, or show poor sportsmanship due to disliking the results, you forfeit your right to compete in this competition in the future.  For any other questions please contact CosplayWorldMasquerade@gmail.com