FAQ

Do you have a question not answered here? Contact Us.

What is a Brick Badge?

A Brick Badge is a set of LEGO® bricks, engraved and assembled into an ID badge. It is a wear-able 'ticket'. Without a brick badge, entry to BrickCon, beyond the check-in desk, will be denied. Each registrant is asked to personalize their badges by specifying what is engraved on it (two bricks are customizable).

Can I make changes to my brick badge?

Yes - up to a point. The best way to do so is to contact the Registrar (Contact Us) and discuss the change(s) you want. If the change is made after your badge is ordered, it most likely won't get changed. The Registrar will let you know whether your badge was ordered.

Do I need to register if my family and I are only planning to go to the Public Exhibition?

No. Registration is only for persons wanting to attend the whole weekend.

If I register and later find out I cannot attend, can I get my money back?

Yes, until September 10th.

If I register and later find out I cannot attend, can I get my goody bag?

Only if you have another attendee pick it up for you (and you haven't requested you money back - see above). We cannot ship Convention items.

I'm almost 18. Do I still need a parent or guardian to register and attend with me?

Yes. You won't need him or her to be with you at all times (which is required for persons under 14), but we need to know that there is someone to make legal-type decisions for you.

I'm bringing a MOC (My Own Creation). Do I need to bring it in at a specific time on Thursday or Friday?

Not really. We are open Thursday from 7am until 11pm. There will be people who can help you locate where your MOC(s) should go. Friday, we'll be open for setup from 8am until noon. After noon, you will still be able to bring in and set up your MOC, but access and help may be reduced - The Convention will be ON!

Will there be contests and will I have to pay extra to be in them?

Yes, many contests. No, you won't need to pay to play. For a few activities, you will need to bring items to participate. Most building contests will have necessary items provided. Please see Attend/What to Bring for more details.

I will be bringing my 9-year-old, the true LEGO® Maniac, do I have to register too?

Yes. We require an adult to register and attend to enable a person under the age of 18 to register and attend. We also suggest that children under the age of 14 may find BrickCon too intense for them and recommend that younger children go to the Public Exhibition, not the Private Convention.

Does my registration assure me that I'll have my own table to put up my display?

Yes and No. Yes - registering assures that you will be able to bring in and set up your display. No - under very few conditions does anyone get his/her/their "own table". We arrange MOCs and displays by similar theming. See Community/Themes to see which ones are already defined. If what you're building doesn't fit within these please Contact Us.

Should I bring only finished models or can I bring bricks to build with while there?

Both. There will be some space within the Exhibition Hall to build while visiting with the other attendees. And, this year, there will be a dedicated build space for all to use. It won't be in the display hall, but it will have plenty of space for most people's needs. Also, it is very common that people bring bricks to trade.

Is the first day (Thursday) the only day to come in to set up?

No. But it is the BEST day. Setup is scheduled for all day Thursday and half day Friday - although, really, setup ends only when teardown begins (Sunday afternoon).

I am a vendor, have registered myself and reserved my table(s). Do I need to register my vendor table helpers as well?

Yes.

I could not get a vendor table. Can I still sell at BrickCon?

If you are a registered attendee and are willing to sell (or trade) only to other AFOLs - not to the public - and outside public hours or away from the public space (hours not dictated), you are welcome to bring your wares to sell or trade. We will have a dedicated space for "AFOL Special Activities" that will include building, trading and selling.

I am interested in registering as an attendee and I am bringing my son. Would I have to pay for him as well so he can attend discussions, etc with me?

Yes.

My wife has informed me that she will attend the public exhibition on Saturday. Do I need to order a public ticket for her?

No. We provide a (limited) number of tickets for the attendees to give to their spouses and family for the Public Exhibition.

Does the fee for the Public Exhibition ticket grant access for Saturday AND Sunday?

No. Tickets are good for only one day and are specified on the tickets.

What methods can I use to pay for my registration?

We currently only accept paypal (through TicketLeap). We hope to be able to accept checks and money orders in the near future.

What can I do to sponsor BrickCon?

If you'd like to help BrickCon with a sposorship, please use the Contact Us to let us know what you'd like to do. Typically, sponsorships come in these forms:

Direct cash - which we use to buy more LEGO® stuff to give away.
Goody bag inserts - from fliers to cool swag, which we give to each attendee.
Stuff for the Public - usually in the form of fliers or trinkets - think in Thousands quantity.
Specific Activity Sponsorship - usually in the form of award prizes.
General Prizes - which we give out either as awards or as door prizes.

I am 12 years old and I was hoping to be part of the Public Exhibition. I get loads of comments on my creations by everyone including adults. I was upset when I read that you discourage anyone under the age of 14 from attending. Is it possible for me to attend this year's BrickCon as a exibitor?

Yes. We don't deny that a person under 14 can attend, we just recommend against it. It will always be the parent's decision whether anyone under 18 attends (they know their child's maturity level). People under 18 must have a parent or adult guardian also register, pay and attend to allow them to do so.

My MOC is too big, or too delicate, to put on a plane as baggage. Can I ship it to BrickCon?

Yes. Use the Contact Us and let us know what you'd like to do. We'll provide an address for you to ship to, and we'll transport it to BrickCon, where you can open your package(s) (we won't!) and set up your MOC(s). You will need to work out return shipment - we can help with this as well. All expenses must be yours.

If I register after the "guarantee date" (September 15), does that mean I won't get my custom bagde and goody bag?

We do order badges up to the last minute before BrickCon starts, but we cannot guarantee beyond the guarantee date. Badges take time to make, and there may not be enough. Goody bags should be available, but again, no guarantee. Don't test your luck. Register early!

I was just wondering when the ID badges would arrive. It's been a few weeks since I registered and I just wanted to know when I'd get them.

You will get them when you "Check In" at BrickCon. We do not ship anything. Suppose we did send the badges and you forget yours as you pack - then what?

Is there going to be a list of events available before the convention starts?

Yes. Look under Program/Session Schedule. This page will be continuously updated as we add more events. Please check this regularly Before and During BrickCon.

I'm not yet 18, but close. Does my parent/guardian have to be right next to me the whole weekend?

No. A parent/guardian does not have to hang on to the under 18 individual the entire weekend. But it is wise for them to be within shouting distance. The parent/guardian needs to be there to provide supervision, personal and legal. It is not legal to have minors at an event (without parental supervision) where adults are in primary attendance.

Will there be transportation available for the Friday night LEGO® Store Visit?

No. LEGO® Brand Retail has suspended the Friday Night Store Visit. It may return in the future, but for 2011, there will be no visit. There will be a BrickCon discount throughout the Convention weekend, but the size of that discount is unknown at this time.

Do I have to bring MOCs (My Own Creations)?

No. There is no requirement to bring anything (except your energy and imagination). The primary focus of BrickCon is to enable friendly interaction among fans of LEGO®. We provide numerous activities, seminars, discussion groups, challenges and other entertainment with the intent that each person will find something in which they would like to participate.

Does BrickCon do shows in other cities?

Not at this time. It is a very complex task to set up BrickCon. To do so in a non-local environment increases this complexity greatly. There are several other events similar to BrickCon occurring at different times of the year in different cities.

Do I have to be at the Public Exhibition with my models the whole time?

No. We try to make sure everyone's creations remain safe. There has been no reports of items gone missing in previous years. You will certainly not need to babysit your creation throughout the Con. If you're in the mood to interact with the public regards your creation, please do so - you are not obligated though. If you need a break, there will be places to get away to where it will be relatively quiet. You may come and go throughout BrickCon on your own schedule.

Why do you discourage children under 14 from attending?

It has been our experience that children younger than 14 tend to become bored and uncomfortable with our presentations, usually resulting in them running around - especially with others of a similar age - causing disruptions for those trying to focus on the presentations.

My wife only wants to go to one of the sessions we saw in the Detailed Schedule, does she need to be registered for only ONE session?

Sorry, Yes. Everyone who wants to be inside the private portion of BrickCon must register.