Vendor Hall Terms of Contract 2019

Updated February 25th 2019

These are the terms of contract for the sales stands and promotional stands (later to be referred to as stand) at Ropecon 2019 (later to be referred to as event). The event is held at the Messukeskus Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre (later to be referred to as venue) and is organised by Ropecon ry (later to be referred to as organiser).

The exhibitor

A stand can be reserved by a legal or natural person. The person that has reserved the stand (later to be referred to as exhibitor) is responsible for the space and for following these terms.

Upon making the reservation, the exhibitor must give a legal name, billing information, and contact information. They may in addition give a name for the stand, if different from the legal name. The organiser must be informed of any changes to this information without delay. The exhibitor may, with permission from the organiser, transfer control of the stand or part of the stand to another legal or natural person. This transfer of control must be agreed upon with the organiser no later than two weeks before the event.

If there are significant changes in the ownership or control of a legal person acting as the exhibitor, the organiser must be informed without delay. The organiser reserves the right to deny use of the stand as a result of such changes. If the organiser denies the exhibitor the use of their reserved stand, the exhibitor will be refunded any reservation fees they have already paid.

The stand and their equipment

The stand is shaped like a rectangle, unless agreed otherwise. The organiser defines its width (the length of the long edge) and depth (the length of the short edge) to the nearest half-metre. The organiser reserves the right to make minor changes to the dimensions of the stand area from what has been agreed.

If the stand is in the row, one of its long edges faces the public. In a corner, one of the long edges and one of the short edges will face the public. The other edges of the stand may be shared with an adjacent space, against the wall, or toward the public or unused stand space. The organiser and exhibitor may also agree on a different setup.

The reservation fee of the stand does not include furniture, carpets, wall elements, or other furnishings, except by separate agreement with the organiser. The exhibitor may use their own furniture or rent them from the organiser.

The organiser defines an upper limit for electricity use at the stand, which the exhibitor may not surpass even momentarily.

Activity at the stand

All activity at the stand must happen inside the allocated space. If there is a small gap of unused space between the stand area and a wall or other permanent structure, the exhibitor may request permission from the organiser to use it for storage.

The exhibitor may organise program at the stand that is in the spirit of the event. Any such program should be agreed upon with the organiser no later than two weeks before the event. Such program should not disturb the event, the public, or other exhibitors. Using audio systems in the program is prohibited.

Activity at the stand cannot cause danger or disturbance to the event, the public, or other exhibitors. Political and religious activity is prohibited at the event.

Promotional stands

Promotional stands are offered for showcasing other events and clubs related to the event’s themes and content. A club or event may reserve only a single promotional stand. The organiser may give separate promotional stands to different events organised by the same club.

Commercial activity is prohibited at the promotional stands. However, the sale of merchandise, memberships and tickets of the exhibited club or event is allowed at promotional stands. The organiser reserves the right to further specify which products are allowed for sale at promotional stands.

Merchandise and advertising

The products on display and sale at the stand must not go against the spirit of the event. The exhibitor may not prepare, sell, or serve food or beverages to the public.

The exhibitor may not place advertising outside the stand without the organiser’s permission. The advertising must not go against the spirit of the event. Advertising may not be attached to walls, doors, or other structures of the venue without the organiser’s permission.

The schedule

Thursday, July 25th 2019
12–18 Building

Friday, July 26th 2019
8–15 Building
15 The event opens to the public
15–21 Vendor hall open to the public
21–22 Maintenance time

Saturday, July 27th 2019
9–10 Maintenance time
10–19 Vendor hall open to the public
19–20 Maintenance time

Sunday, July 28th 2019
9–10 Maintenance time
10–17 Vendor hall open to the public
17–21 Dismantling
18  The event ends

The stands at the event are located in the Vendor Hall, which is locked and off limits to the public outside of its opening hours. Promotional stands are located outside the Vendor Hall. The exhibitor may make a separate agreement with the organisers about locating their stand outside the Vendor Hall.

An exhibitor whose stand is located outside the Vendor Hall may choose their opening hours freely within the limits of the event’s opening hours. In this case, the exhibitor is responsible for guarding and storage of their stand’s contents outside of its opening hours.

The Vendor Hall’s service door is open during building, maintenance, and dismantling times. Bringing in more product and other stand maintenance during the Vendor Hall’s opening hours must be executed so they do not disturb the event, the public, or other exhibitors. Bringing a car into the Vendor Hall during building, maintenance, or dismantling hours requires permission from the organiser.

Entry

The stand’s reservation fee contains a reasonable number of vendor badges. A vendor badge is specific to the stand and can only be used by the staff of that stand.

A vendor badge

• functions as an access pass to the vendor hall during building, maintenance, and dismantling.
• permits access to the venue
• permits the use of the event’s services such as the coat check and the sleeping area; and
• permits access to the exhibitor lounge.

The gaming and other program of the event require the purchase of a full ticket. Tickets may be preordered while reserving the stand or bought at the event.

Reservations and billing

Reserving the stand is done via an online form. The reservation is considered completed when the organiser has confirmed it.

The exhibitor may change or cancel their reservation without incurring a fee until June 30th 2019. For a cancellation made after June 30th 2019 but before June 30th 2019, the organiser may bill the exhibitor for a sum corresponding to costs incurred to the event. Reservations not cancelled before June 30th 2019 will be billed in full.

The organiser will send an invoice for the stand’s reservation approximately three weeks before the event. The invoice must be paid before the event, unless otherwise agreed upon with the organiser.

Contact

Communication between the organiser and the exhibitor is by e-mail, unless otherwise agreed upon. The organiser’s representative is reachable by phone during the event and in the days leading up to it during hours that will be announced later.

Permits

The exhibitor must have all relevant official permits for their activities. This is especially true for copyright holders’ licences for the sale and exhibition of copyrighted material. The exhibitor must be able to produce such permits upon the organiser’s request.

The use of the event’s or the organiser’s graphics without a separate permission is prohibited.

Safety and security

The exhibitor is responsible for the fire safety of the stand’s structures and furnishings. Covering the stand as well as structures over 300 cm in height is prohibited without a separate permission from the organiser.

The stand must have sufficient exits to the emergency exit aisles. Stands up to 20 m2 in size must have at least one exit that is at least 90 cm wide, while stands larger than 20 m2 but up to 50 m2 in size must have two separate exits at least 90 cm wide.

Any electronic devices and electric cables used in the stand must be functional and approved by the authorities. Electric cables must be positioned and covered so they do not pose a danger or disturbance.

Open fire, burning candles, and storing hazardous materials such as flammable liquids or gases in the stand is prohibited without separate permission from the organisers.

The venue’s general building and security instructions are in effect where applicable.

The exhibitor’s responsibilities

In addition to these terms and the Finnish law, the exhibitor agrees to follow the orders and instructions given by the organiser, the venue, or the authorities.

The exhibitor accepts full responsibility for any damage or distress caused to the organiser, the venue, or a third party.

The exhibitor must be able to produce official accounts or authorized documents of their activities, such as a commerce registry document or an association registry document.

Breach of terms

An exhibitor who breaks these terms or other guidelines in effect must comply with them immediately. If the exhibitor does not comply after a request from the organiser, the organiser may remove the exhibitor from the event.

Changes

The organiser reserves the right to change these terms and the opening hours of the event and the Vendor Hall. If the organiser is unable to provide the stand to the exhibitor for reasons beyond their power (e.g. a strike or orders from the authorities), the organiser is not responsible for any damages incurred to the exhibitor. The organiser’s responsibility for changes is limited to refunding the reservation fee.