JapanFest 2024
Exhibitor, Vendor, Performer Terms & Conditions

LIABILITY WAIVER

By attending and/or participating in JapanFest 2024, each attendee or participant

Acknowledges that his or her attendance and/or participation involves risk;
Agrees to assume and accept all risk of loss to persons or property (including death);
Agrees to release the organizers, promoters, sponsors, hosts, and volunteers of JapanFest 2024 and their respective agents, officers, servants, affiliates, and employees from all liability, claims, demands, and causes of action, present, and future, arising out of or related to any loss, damage, or injury including death, that such attendee or participant may sustain in connection with his or her attendance at or participation in JapanFest 2024;
Agrees that this release is binding upon his or her heirs, executors, administrators, personal representatives, and assigns;
Grants JapanFest irrevocable permission to use his or her image, likeness, voice, or sound recordings in any media or promotional materials whatsoever and without compensation.

Festival Exhibitors, Vendors, Performers, and Participants are asked to abide by the following rules and guidelines to be part of JapanFest 2024 in. You may be asked to leave the event if you do not properly follow these rules.

COVID-19:

Regarding Masks: JapanFest may impose mask requirements according to CDC and venue guidelines. Wearing masks is not mandatory. Please refer to the following links for CDC and venue guidelines regarding COVID-19.

CDC: CDC's guidelines
GSD: GBAC STAR™ & COVID-19 GSD

JapanFest is not responsible for attendance influenced by COVID-19. JapanFest is not liable for any problems caused by COVID-19. Ticket(s) are nonrefundable.

Under Georgia law, there is no liability for an injury or death of an individual entering these premises if such injury or death results from the inherent risks of contracting COVID-19. You are assuming this risk by entering these premises. Sec. 51-16-3(a)(2), Georgia Code Sec. 4 of Georgia COVID-19 Pandemic Business Safety Act.

** COVID-19 rules and safety guidelines may be updated depending on the current public health situation and corresponding CDC and venue guidelines.

INSURANCE AND WAIVER

JapanFest’s liability insurance only covers claims or suits made against JapanFest, Inc. by festival attendees. Our insurance does NOT cover claims made against festival participants such as exhibitors, vendors, performers, martial arts demonstrators, workshop presenters, and other festival participants. Each vendor must have and maintain its own general liability insurance coverage as protection from third party claims. Further, as to any situation where someone attending is injured or incurs a medical condition whilst partaking in an exhibitor/vendor/performer sponsored activity (this could be games, dances, demonstrations, or eating vendor prepared food), the vendor’s or other participant’s own general liability insurance will act as primary coverage. JapanFest’s general liability coverage may not act as secondary (or excess) coverage. Therefore, it is imperative that you have your own insurance, especially if you are a vendor or exhibitor of breakable items, as JapanFest will not be able to cover any damages. If you have insurance for items you will be selling or displaying, the certificate should show JapanFest, Inc. as the certificate holder and show JapanFest, Inc. as an additional insured party.

Furthermore, all JapanFest participants are required to agree to the following Release and Waiver:

For valuable consideration received (including the opportunity to participate in JapanFest), receipt of which is acknowledged, the undersigned (i) releases each JapanFest Releasee from any Losses that the undersigned or any of its officers, directors, employees, agents, or affiliates may sustain in connection with its or their participation in or attendance at JapanFest and (ii) agrees to indemnify, defend and hold each JapanFest Releasee harmless from and against any Losses that may be imposed upon or asserted against any JapanFest Releasee as a result of, or in connections with, (1) my (or any of my officers, directors, employees, agents, or affiliates) participation in or attendance at JapanFest or (2) any action or inaction by the undersigned’s officers, directors, employees, agents or affiliates. The undersigned is aware of the hazards involved in such participation or attendance and agree to accept all risks of property damage and personal injury (including death) related to such hazards. When used herein, (A) “Loss” shall mean and include any loss, liability, obligation, damage, claim, lawsuit, injury (including death) cost or expense whatsoever (including attorneys’ fees) and however and whenever arising and (B) “JapanFest Releasee” shall mean and include JapanFest, Inc, The Consulate General of Japan, the Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Georgia and the Japan-America Society of Georgia and each of their respective officers, directors, trustees, employees, agents, affiliates and successors. This Release and Waiver is binding upon the undersigned's successors, heirs, and personal representatives. The undersigned agrees and it is its intent, to sign this record/document and affirmation by clicking the "Yes'' box and electronically submitting this record/document to Japanfest. The undersigned understands that signing and submitting this record/document in this fashion is the legal equivalent of having placed its authorized handwritten signature on the submitted record/document and this affirmation.

RULES AND REGULATIONS

All vendors participating in JapanFest 2024 must follow all RULES AND REGULATIONS of the event. Any violation of the rules and regulations may result in removal from the event and a ban from participating in future JapanFest events. JapanFest reserves the right to remove any unruly participants with no refunds made for any participation fees.

JapanFest is an annual celebration of Japanese culture designed to promote friendship and understanding between Japanese and Americans in the Southeast. All applying participants, including vendors, exhibitors, performers, martial arts demonstrators, workshop presenters, must be related to and help promote Japan and Japanese culture. If you wish to participate in promoting your organization and it is not related to Japan or Japanese culture, we encourage you to be our sponsor. Sponsor Us | JapanFest Atlanta 2022

As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization JapanFest does not participate in any political or lobbying activities, nor intervene in any political campaigns on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office.

All vendors and exhibitors will receive up to 10 free tickets per day for people working at your booth. You may distribute these as you see fit. If you need additional tickets, they can be purchased on the JapanFest website.

Once your application has been processed and approved, you will receive your mobile tickets via email. We do not mail hard copy tickets. Each mobile ticket has a unique barcode and can be used for one person only. No one will be admitted to the festival without a ticket.

The Gas South Convention Center will open for all exhibitors and vendors at 7:00 am on both Saturday and 8:00am on Sunday. The main entrance will not open until 10:00 am. You must complete your set up by 9:30 am Saturday and Sunday. The festival ends at 6:00 pm on Saturday and 5:00 pm on Sunday. All booth breakdown, clean-up and load-out should be completed by 7:00 pm on Sunday. (Overtime charges may apply after 7:00pm)

Those who need to unload items using the loading dock must first check-in at Vendor Check-In, where you will be given a loading pass to access the loading dock. Loading pass color is different on Saturday and Sunday. Please obtain a Sunday loading pass again at the same location, even if you used one on Saturday, as the colors will be different. Loading or unloading is permitted only through the loading dock. No loading or unloading is permitted through the front of the building. NO EXCEPTIONS. Please try to unload as quickly as possible out of courtesy to those waiting to use the loading dock. After unloading, please move your vehicle to the designated parking deck or space. Event parking at Gas South Convention Center is $5.00. No overnight RV parking is allowed.

Each exhibitor must stay within the 10'x10' assigned space unless additional space has been purchased. You are not permitted to distribute pamphlets or any other materials outside your booth. You may only distribute materials to guests who actually come to your booth. Advertisements MUST NOT be placed anywhere other than in your own booth area and MUST NOT be handed out outside of the area you reserved. Booths must be neat in appearance and not distract from neighboring displays. Each space must be left clean at the end of the day. The sale or distribution of prepared food and beverages at booths is strictly prohibited without prior approval and permit. Vendors are required to collect, report, and pay sales tax to any applicable authorities. Booths must be staffed at all times and exhibit their items for the entire festival day. Exhibitors may not remove their items until the end of the festival day.

Participants are encouraged to decorate their booth to reflect the artistic nature of their work. Please bring signs or banners with your organization's name. Decorations, signs, or banners must not be fastened to ceilings, painted on surfaces, columns, or decorative walls. Helium balloons are prohibited. No duct tape, scotch tape or mailing tape is allowed. Messy items such as confetti, glitter, candle wax, etc. are prohibited. Anyone found posting, pasting, taping, or pinning material on convention property who is not registered with JapanFest as an artist or vendor will be immediately removed from our event.

All items sold must be authentic Japanese items or items related to Japanese culture. The sale of non-Japanese items is prohibited. The sale of non-licensed and/or pirated merchandise is strictly prohibited. Any vendor found to be selling pirated merchandise will be banned from participating in JapanFest this year and in future years. Exhibitors and vendors are allowed to leave items inside the Gas South Convention Center on Saturday evening at their own risk. JapanFest accepts no responsibility for any lost, damaged or stolen property.

You are welcome to conduct demonstrations and performances within the premises of your booth space. However, please be discreet while other performances are occurring on the stages. Please refrain from making loud noises and sounds.

BEHAVIOR

We reserve the right to remove any unruly participants from the event. No refunds will be made for any participation fees if you are removed from JapanFest due to inappropriate behavior. Safety is an important priority of JapanFest. The following acts of disruptive behavior will not be tolerated: fighting/sparring (fake or real, including sword swinging), heckling, impeding traffic flow, offensive behavior, failure to observe basic hygiene, public inebriation (or similar intoxication), or failure to follow rules of the event and/or venue. JapanFest can and will take action against any type of disruptive behavior, even beyond the behaviors mentioned here. Attendees that cause these types of problems will be warned, asked to leave, or escorted out by security or police.

PRODUCT SALES

NO SALES are permitted on the premises outside of your own booth space.

JapanFest is a family friendly event, and we have a no-tolerance policy for any adult content and other inappropriate displays and products. You are not allowed to display any inappropriate items or products at your booth at any time before, during, or after festival hours. JapanFest staff reserves the right to remove such displays or products, and any refusal will result in the disqualification of individuals involved from participating in this year’s festival and at future events.

NO SALES of bladed products are allowed at JapanFest. If you wish to sell bladed products, you will be required to receive prior permission from JapanFest. If you receive prior approval, you may only sell bladed products by taking orders. Actual products cannot be handed to the consumers at the festival. You may display samples, but sample products must be encased or sheathed at all times except when it is demonstrated by the seller. Consumers must not be allowed to handle samples. Booths must be staffed at all times to manage the sample of any product.

JapanFest has no affiliation with the sale of imitation goods,counterfeit products, or character merchandise.

SAFETY

If you will be displaying items that have moving parts, sharp blades, sharp edges, or any item that can be dangerous, please make certain that the appropriate safety guards are in place. You must place these types of items in areas of your exhibit that are not accessible by small children. Appropriate personnel must be present with such items at all times. Be aware that you are responsible for assisting with the safety of your exhibit. If you have questions or concerns, please feel free to contact any JapanFest staff member for assistance.

WEAPONRY SPECIFIC RULES

JapanFest has a strict NO WEAPONS policy that will be enforced, regardless if it is sheathed, holstered or peace bound. This includes (but is not limited to): katana, firearms, knives, bludgeons, stun guns, brass knuckles, bows strung with tense string/capable of firing, bullets, grenades, landmines etc. JapanFest reserves the right to remove any participant not following our rules and regulations pertaining to weapons. No refunds will be made if you are removed from the event for not abiding by JapanFest’s weapons policy.

ELECTRICITY

Exhibitors that require electricity will have access to a 20-amp 120-volt 1-phase outlet. You must bring your own electrical extension cords if needed in your exhibit area. Electrical extension cords should be heavy-duty types with a 3-wire grounded connection. Cords used at JapanFest should be UL-approved devices and properly rated for the devices they will be used with. Extension cords must be in good condition and covered with the proper insulation. Any cords found to be frayed, spliced or damaged will not be permitted. Extension cords used with individual displays should be secured so they do not become a trip hazard around your display. Use extension cords of the appropriate length for the items contained at your display. Please use painter’s tape or cable ties to secure the extension cords. Nails or tacks can damage the insulation of the cords. Please be sure to bring materials to secure the cords with you during setup.

WIRELESS INTERNET ACCESS

Gas South District offers FREE Wi-Fi provided by Harness Group, LLC. In order to access the free Wi-Fi, log on to the "Gas SouthDistrict" network and connect. Once connected you will be prompted to enter a password. The free Wi-Fi password changes every month. For the current password, please visit the Gas South District Concierge or Guest Services desk. Should you require a hard ethernet line for the internet, additional fees would apply.

DISPLAY OF VEHICLES

Vehicles with gasoline engines may be displayed with a maximum of two (2) gallons of gas remaining in the tank. A locking gas cap must be installed, or the tank must be adequately sealed with tape or in some other appropriate manner. All battery cables must be disconnected and taped to avoid potential sparks.

SHIPPING ITEMS TO GAS SOUTH CONVENTION CENTER

You may ship items you will use at JapanFest directly to the Gas South Convention Center if you wish. Gas South Convention Center will not accept items more than 48 hours in advance of the festival. All items must have the following information on the label:

Name of the show (JapanFest)
Date of the show (September 21 and 22 2024)
Name of the vendor
Name of the person within the company that will be accepting/signing for the shipment upon arrival

All shipments need to be picked up at the Gas South Convention Center office located at the back dock of the convention center. Items will not be delivered to any booth/vendor and will not be available to be picked up without a proper signature from the exhibitor. The following rules apply when shipping items out at the end of the festival:

The item must be completely packaged by the exhibitor.
Shipments must be labeled with the appropriate shipping information and labels.
Shipments must be called in by the exhibitor for pick-up.
A shipping request form must be filled out by the exhibitor and left with the shipment.
This form can be obtained from the security office.
Shipments must be brought (by the exhibitor) to the security office to store until picked up.
All shipments must be picked up within 48 hours of the end of the event.

Gas South Convention Center Shipping Address: 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway, Duluth, GA 30096

Gas South Convention Center Shipping & Receiving Department Phone Number; 770-813-7582

EMERGENCY

Gas South Convention Center is entrusted with the safety assurance of JapanFest visitors. CSC security guards and police officers are present during the event to ensure the safety of the guests and help when needed. CSC security guards and police officers are stationed throughout the building during the event. In case of fire or severe weather, Gas South Convention Center's event coordinators, CSC security guards and Police officers are trained to safely guide our guests and participants to safety. Please follow their lead and instructions. Any incident resulting in injury or property damage MUST be reported to the JapanFest staff and Gas South Convention Center event coordinators. Please report the incident to the nearest police officers (in uniform), CSC security guards (in uniform), JapanFest staff (in red colored shirts with "supervisor" on the back), JapanFest information center (First floor close to the food court area) or Gas South Convention Center concierge desk (behind the main entrance ticket booth). You may also be able to reach JapanFest staff by calling 404-842-0736. All staff mentioned above have a radio to communicate with the Gas South Convention Center's event coordinators who are trained to take necessary actions to respond to the incident. Please do not leave the festival area until the JapanFest staff or the GSD event coordinators meet with you. Med techs are on-site during the event, and they are capable of helping with any incident where their service is required.

There is also a building engineer on-site during the event. They respond to calls as needed and help with building maintenance when necessary. If you encounter any problems that may need building engineers' attention or services, please contact the nearest Gas South Convention Center staff, GSCC concierge desk (behind the main entrance ticket booth), police officers (in uniform), CSC security guards (in uniform), JapanFest staff (in colored shirts with "supervisor " on the back), or JapanFest information center (first floor close to the food court area. ).

IN CASE OF EMERGENCY

In case of an emergency, please notify one of the following people: Gas South District staff member, event security, JapanFest staff (wearing red shirts with supervisor written on the back), and/or JapanFest information center.

REFUNDS

An application is a commitment to attend JapanFest. No refunds will be made for cancellation. JapanFest Inc. does not guarantee application acceptance to any organization. In the event your application is not accepted by the organizing committee, a full refund of the required application fees and other participation charges (if applicable) will be made.

CANCELLATION OF JAPANFEST

JapanFest reserves the right to cancel or postpone the festival due to unforeseen circumstances.

*JapanFest reserves the right to edit or change these Terms and Conditions at any time.

COVID-19 Regulations