FAQ

The EY Centre is just 15 minutes from downtown Ottawa. There are several ways to get there:

– By car: Take Bronson Ave. South and continue straight on the Airport Parkway. Turn right on Uplands Drive.
– By bus: Take OC Transpo route 97 direction Airport (OC Transpo website is still listing the EY Centre as the CE Centre).
– By taxi: The average taxi fare from downtown Ottawa is $25–$35.

The event is held at the EY Centre. The address is: 4899 Uplands Dr., Ottawa, Ontario K1V 2N6.

Click here to see the opening hours.

Everyone! Well, to be specific anyone one who is curious about or enjoys Sci-fi, Anime, Horror, Bande dessinée, Comic books or Gaming. Or, if you just want to see where we geeks roam free.

Ottawa Comiccon runs from Friday, May 10 to Sunday, May 12, 2019.

Ottawa Comiccon is a pop-culture fan convention that showcases artists and products from entertainment genres like: Sci-fi, Horror, Anime, Gaming in all its forms, and, of course, bande dessinée and comic books. (Please see the Newbie Questions section for a description of each genre).

The Student Tickets are ony valid for students aged between 13 and 21 years.

At the end of your online transaction, your eTicket will become available, as well as sent to the registered email. Please print out the PDF and bring the tickets (with barcodes) with you. We will scan those in when you arrive at the Palais des congrès.

Sometimes auto-generated emails are filtered somewhere other than your inbox. Please check your spam or bulk folder. You can also log back into your TicketPro account here and select My Tickets at the top of the page . If you encounter any issues, please contact TicketPro at 1-866-908-9090.

Yes. Scanning stations will include a scanner for mobile phones. (Make sure your phone is fully charged.)

We can only accept your eTicket.

This is not a problem. Tickets can be given to anyone for redemption; however you can only give 1 unique ticket per person. Should a duplicate ticket arrive at the event, the ticketholder may be refused entry.

Online purchases must use a credit card (Visa, Visa debit, MasterCard, American Express) and via online debit Interac (Banking institutions Scotia Bank, TD, RBC, or BMO). If onsite tickets are still available, they can be purchased with cash, debit, or credit card.

We have a limited promotional discount if you buy more than 50 tickets of a single type. This discount is only offered to companies & organizations, and applies only if payment is made with a corporate credit card. Please use the ‘Contact us’ form and select “Tickets’ in the dropdown subject list if you would like details.

Most events in the programme are included with a daily, 3-day, Deluxe, or VIP pass. However there are a few specially ticketed events, like a concert, that will require an additional ticket.

All ticket sales are final. No refund or exchange will be issued.

Guests could cancel their appearance or change their appearance schedule because of other professional commitments or reasons out of the Montreal Comiccon control. In such circumstances, the Montreal Comiccon cannot be held responsible. All sales are final. No exchange or refund will be issued.

Yes – however not all panels and programming are appropriate for children. Please be vigilant and read the programming guide to avoid any potential misunderstandings.

Click here to see the full price list.

Before the show, all of our tickets can be purchased through our website (see below). 3-Day, Deluxe and VIP tickets can only be purchased online. Barring a sellout, same-day tickets can be purchased onsite at the EY Centre.

To buy tickets online, click here.

The Student Tickets are ony valid for students aged between 13 and 21 years.

Only Deluxe and VIP ticket holders will be let in early and before others.

Children ages 6 to 12 MUST have pre-purchased a Child Pass*. Children up to 5 years of age get free entry for all 3-days.

*Note that the Friday and Sunday child passes are now free. The Saturday Child Pass can be purchased online or at the door.

Single Day ticket holders do not get front-of-the-line-access for autographs. This service is unique to the VIP ticket.

No. The autograph will need to be purchased separately. In most cases, these can be purchased directly from the Celebrity’s Liaison in the Celebrity Autograph area.

Single Day ticket holders do not get front-of-the-line-access for Photo Ops. This service is unique to the VIP ticket.

No. A Photo Op Voucher for a specific date/time will need to be purchased separately. See the Photo Ops FAQ.

Single Day ticket holders do not get priority seating. This service is unique to the VIP ticket.

A single day pass is valid only for the day indicated on the ticket. For example, those who have a Friday pass but decide to come on a Saturday instead will be denied entry into the convention.

Deluxe ticket holders will be in immediately after all VIP ticket holders on all three days: 90 minutes early on Friday (11:00 a.m.), 60 minutes early on Saturday (9:00 a.m.), 30 minutes early on Sunday (10:00 a.m.).

Children up to 12 years of age will be granted early access to the exhibit halls when accompanied by an adult with a Deluxe or VIP pass. Children ages 6 to 12 MUST have pre-purchased a Child Pass*. Children up to 5 years of age get free entry all 3-days.

*Note that the Friday and Sunday child passes now are free. The Saturday Child pass can be purchased online or at the door.

Deluxe ticket holders will get an exclusive Ottawa Comiccon tote bag and an exclusive comic.

Deluxe ticket holders do not get front-of-the-line-access for autographs. This service is unique to the VIP ticket.

No. The autograph will need to be purchased separately. In most cases, these can be purchased directly from the Celebrity’s Liaison in the Celebrity Autograph area.

Deluxe ticket holders do not get front-of-the-line-access for Photo Ops. This service is unique to the VIP ticket.

No. A Photo Op Voucher for a specific date/time will need to be purchased separately. See the Photo Ops FAQ.

Deluxe ticket holders do not get priority seating. This service is unique to the VIP ticket.

Only Deluxe and VIP ticket holders will be let in early and before others.

Children ages 6 to 12 MUST have pre-purchased a Child Pass for Saturday only. Entry is free for children ages 6 to 12 on Friday and Sunday.

Children up to 5 years of age get free entry all three days.

3-Day ticket holders do not get front-of-the-line-access for autographs. This service is unique to the VIP ticket.

No. The autograph will need to be purchased separately. In most cases, these can be purchased directly from the Celebrity’s Liaison in the Celebrity Autograph area.

3-Day ticket holders do not get front-of-the-line-access for Photo Ops. This service is unique to the VIP ticket.

No. A Photo Op Voucher for a specific date/time will need to be purchased separately. See the Photo Ops FAQ.

3-Day ticket holders do not get priority seating. This service is unique to the VIP ticket.

VIP ticket holders will be the first to be let in on all three days: 90 minutes early on Friday (11:00 a.m.), 60 minutes early on Saturday (9:00 a.m.), 30 minutes early on Sunday (10:00 a.m.).

Children from 6 to 12 years of age will be granted early access to the exhibit halls when accompanied by an adult with a Deluxe or VIP pass. They MUST have pre-purchased a Child Pass*. Children up to 5 years of age get free entry all 3-days.

*Note that the Friday and Sunday child passes are now free. The Saturday Child pass can be purchased online or at the door.

VIP ticket holders will get a lanyard, a badge, a T-shirt, a Ottawa Comiccon tote bag, an exclusive comic book and a lithograph.

VIP ticket holders will get front-of-the-line-access will be for selected guests of honour.

Front-of-the-line access for autographs is strictly reserved for VIP ticket holders.

No. The autograph will need to be purchased separately. In most cases, these can be purchased directly from the Celebrity’s Liaison in the Celebrity Autograph area.

VIP ticket holders will get front-of-the-line access to all Photo Ops.

Priority access for Photo Ops will be accommodated when accompanied by an adult with a VIP pass, but only to participate in the same photo shoot.

No. A Photo Op Voucher for a specific date/time will need to be purchased separately. See the Photo Ops FAQ.

VIP ticket holders have priority seating in the Main Events Room only.

VIP ticket holders will be allowed to enter the Main Events room prior between 15 to 30 minutes before the Event starts. Priority seating will close 10 minutes before the scheduled start. At that time VIP priority seating will be forfeit, releasing those seats to other patrons.

Priority seating will close 10 minutes before the scheduled start. At that time VIP priority seating will be forfeit, releasing those seats to other patrons. If you arrive after this period, there may be no more seats available.

A Child Pass does not confer VIP priority access to seating when accompanying an adult with a VIP pass. Priority seating is strictly reserved for VIP ticket holders. If the child is small enough, they can sit on the guardian’s lap. Children that are too big will need to sit in the regular seats or purchase a VIP ticket.

Of course! Please note that there will be restrictions on photos and recording during panels and other events, but you are free to take photos on the show floor, as long as you are courteous to those you are photographing. Most people coming in costume will be happy to be photographed and will even pose on request.

A purchase of a celebrity Photo Op gives you an 8X10 full color photo of yourself with the celebrity.

Yes, it is necessary to be attending the convention both to get your photo ops taken and picked up (if they are printed for dispersal at the convention).

In order to avoid any patron being upset we like to point out that you are not buying a “conversation” with the celebrity. On rare occasion a patron will be upset that we must keep the line moving, however please know that our celebrities need to also do their on-stage presentations and sign autographs, generally all in the same day, and they often need to catch a plane or make another engagement. The Photo Op lasts less than 15 seconds.

Your photo will no doubt be highly prized and saved for years, so we suggest giving some thought to your wardrobe. White does not photograph well.

Before the show: A limited number of Photo Op Vouchers will be sold a few weeks before the event. We will post a link on our site once it is live. A firm date has yet to be determined.

At the show: You can purchase your vouchers at the Photo Op booth located inside the Exhibit Hall, near the Autograph area.

Note: Not all guests are present all three days of the show, so if you’re buying your photo op onsite instead of online, keep in mind that they may have sold out, or may not be at the show for the day that works best for you.

This will be a few weeks before the show. A firm date has yet to be determined.

Photo ops are purchased per session, not per guest. What does that mean? It means that when you buy your photo op, you choose either the Friday photo op slot, the Saturday photo op slot, or the Sunday photo op slot (based on availability). The actual times of the Photo Op sessions will be posted a few days before the show. An updated list will be included onsite, at the Photo Op booth inside the Exhibit Hall.

They will be right next to the Photo Ops booth inside the Exhibit Hall. One line will be for VIP ticket holders with purchased vouchers, and another for all other ticket types with vouchers.

You can have up to FOUR people in a single photo op shoot (not including babies or the media guests!). The photo op price is per posed picture, not per person. However, you will only get one 8″ x 10″ photo per voucher. Additional reprints and jpegs can be ordered onsite for $10.

We can only supply ONE photo, no matter how many fans are in the picture. You are free to order as many photo ops with the same celebrity as you wish. Additional reprints and jpegs can be ordered onsite for $10.

Guests who are not at the convention all three days will have a note at the foot of their bio on the website indicating which days they are available.

There are a limited number of photo ops for sale per session so it’s highly recommended that you purchase your photo ops online and not wait until the convention to purchase on site.

Considering there are a limited number of photo ops for sale per session, it is highly recommended that you purchase your photo ops as soon as you get into the convention.

Yes. You can purchase your Voucher as soon as you get into the convention, for any future time slot that is still available.

Arriving 5-15 minutes beforehand is sufficient. Because there are a limited number of photo ops for sale per session, you need not worry about 1000 people showing up on Saturday afternoon for your photo op with Laurie Holden (or whoever your guest of choice is). Therefore, you do not need to line up ahead of time for your photo op. This is extremely important as it prevents unnecessary congestion in the photo op area inside the Exhibit Hall and will ultimately make everything run much more efficiently.

No. You should make sure that you are in the appropriate line by the scheduled time. If there is no one left in line, the guest will leave.

Photos are available right after they are taken. Please see the Photo Ops booth for more details.

Some of our Media Guests prefer to do photo ops at their table. There is still a fee for the photo op so be sure to pay attention to any signage/volunteers that may have important information for you regarding costs/procedures.

We love to encourage long lasting friendships, however, our VIPs have paid good money for their passes and if everyone started to bring their besties in the line-up with them then the value of the VIP pass would be diminished. The VIP line ups are for VIP pass holders only.

Ah, in that case, the friend you choose share the photo session with can have any type of pass. However, keep in mind that if your friend has a voucher and wants a solo pic, they’ll need to go to the regular line-up.

Each guest sets his/her own price for autographs and photo ops. We don’t currently have access to those prices, but we are trying to get them before the show so people can prepare accordingly. These could be around $30 to $130 (before taxes and services) for a single photo op. We typically start listing guests prices on their profile about 2-4 weeks before the event.

Most of the celebrities will have a cost associated to their autograph. These costs are indicated next to each celebrity bio on our website and our mobile app.

For the most part comic book creators do not charge for autographs. There are some big name guests that may charge a low fee for an autograph.

Each guest sets his/her own price for autographs and photo ops. We don’t currently have access to those prices, but we are trying to get them before the show so people can prepare accordingly. In that regard, you can get as many signatures as you are willing to pay for (possibly limited by how large the remaining line is behind you, of course).

Autographs can be purchased at the Ottawa Comiccon, at the actual booth where the autographs are being done (in the Exhibit Hall). The celebrity will usually have a guest liaison that will take care of the monetary transaction.

On-site autographs can only be purchased with cash.

Typically the answer to this question is “no”, however, we may have online pre-sales available for some of the marquee guests.

You can bring your own items to autograph. However, it is up to the guest to accept or refuse to sign a given item. Guests will refuse to sign any bootlegged material or items unrelated to their career.

The photo op time slots are strictly for photo ops only. Autographs are not permitted in the photo op area but you can get an autograph at your guest’s table during their designated autograph times.

All Q&A’s, workshops, and panel time slots are strictly for presentation only. Autographs are not permitted in the conference rooms area, but you can get an autograph at your guest’s table during their designated autograph times.

We love to encourage long lasting friendships, however, our VIPs have paid good money for their passes and if everyone started to bring their besties in the line-up with them then the value of the VIP pass would be diminished. The VIP line ups are for VIP pass holders only.

There is no coat check or designated area where items can be left. Therefore please ensure that you can carry whatever you bring/buy.

The consumption of food or beverages is forbidden in all panel rooms and the Main Events room. Only water bottles will be accepted in these rooms.

Costuming and Cosplay (costume and play) is the act of dressing up as a character from comics, anime, videogames, manga, movies, TV, or books. Costuming and Cosplay is not to be confused for a Halloween costumes. There is a remarkable amount of passion and attention to detail that is involved in the creation of a piece as well as dressing-up and displaying it.

Steampunk Zombie? Nothing is too obscure or mainstream. Surprise us. Or come as Batman. Be Batman.

The Masquerade is one of the highlights of the Ottawa Comiccon. It is a non-professional costume competition featuring costumes from comic books, movies, Japanese animation or video games.

You can enter the masquerade on-site at the masquerade booth (in the Cosplay lounge). The booth will be open on Saturday from 10 :00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Application forms will be available. There are a limited number of entry slots.

The masquerade is a non-professional competition. Costumes bought online or rented are not eligible for any award, same as professional or theatrical costumes. However, these costumes can be presented on stage in the “Out of competition” category. Please note that priority is given to the costumes created by the non-professional contestants. The “Out of Competition” applications will be allowed only if additional slots are still available.

The masquerade is a non-professional competition. Costumes bought online or rented are not eligible for any award, same as professional or theatrical costumes. However, these costumes can be presented on stage in the “Out of competition” category. Please note that priority is given to the costumes created by the non-professional contestants. The “Out of Competition” applications will be allowed only if additional slots are still available.

Commissioned costumes will be allowed if the costumer (the one who made the costume) filled out the application form him/herself. The person does not have to appear on stage, but his or her presence in the waiting room is mandatory.

Wigs, small props or jewels not made by the costumer are exempted.

Right here.

The form will be available at the masquerade booth only, which is located at the Cosplay Lounge.

You can find those details here.

A complete guest list sorted by category is available in the Guests section of our website.

We welcome suggestions. Feel free to submit your suggestions by filling out this form.

Please use our website’s contact form.

There will be Celebrity Q&A, workshops, panel discussions and more. A complete list of panels and presentation will be available 7 to 10 days before the event.

Guests will have a note next to their bio that will list which day they will appear (Appearances = Photo Ops and Autographs) and what day their Q&A is planned. A detailed schedule will be available 7 to 10 days before the event. We encourage everyone to download the Ottawa Comiccon App for all scheduling details.

Most guests are scheduled to be at Ottawa Comiccon for all 3-days. A few guests will only make a single or two day appearance. Guests will have a note next to their bio that will list which day they will appear (Appearances = Photo Ops and Autographs)

There are a number of reasons why someone cancels, from last minute emergencies, to illness, to jobs, to moral crisis about their appearance, to a myriad of other reasons. When we book our guests, both enter the agreement with the expectation that they make their appearance. Things happen that are out of everyone’s control. The best advice we can give is to try to enjoy other aspects of the convention while you are there. There is quite a lot to see and do. In such circumstances, the Ottawa Comiccon cannot be held responsible. All sales are final. No exchange or refund will be issued.

No. As a general rule, celebrities will only be appearing at a Q&A on one of those days.

That information will be posted much closer to the event date. Schedules tend to change several times before they can be posted, and even then it should always be considered tentative. As soon as some information is available, it will be shared next to the celebrities bio.

We ask that attendees line-up no earlier than 60 minutes before a scheduled event. Simultaneous line-ups for back-to-back to panels will not be permitted. Example: Panel A starts at 4:00 PM and Panel B at 5:00 PM. Attendees can line up for Panel A as of 3:00 PM (1 hour before), but cannot line-up for Panel B between 3:00 to 3:59 PM, as this would mix the lines and lead to confusion and congestion.

The schedule is “finalized” not too far before the show; look for it in late April. That being said, there will undoubtedly be alterations due to last minute changes. As we announce tentative schedules, we try to keep up and list them on our completely Schedule Grids on site (in front of each room). We recommend that you subscribe to our Twitter feeds and Facebook posts to get current updates.

No matter how early you arrive, there is no guarantee what type of seating will be available. That said, we recommend 45 minutes.

Most panelists allocate a specific time for question and answer sessions. They will let you know!

Due to security considerations and guest concerns we cannot facilitate the giving of gifts to guests. Please note that because guests usually travel by plane they are unable to take gifts home with them in any case.

Photography and recordings may be permitted during workshops, panels, and Celebrity Q&A sessions and in the Artists’ Area at the discretion of the host(s)/artists involved. If you are unsure whether photography or videography are allowed during a particular event or in a particular area, ask permission from Ottawa Comiccon Staff first.

Yes, we require all volunteers to be at least 18 years old.

Yes. Volunteers can work for as many or as little hours as they want. Before being scheduled, all volunteers will be asked how many hours like would like to volunteer for. Please remember though that all volunteers must be pass-carrying attendees, even if you are not planning on working enough hours for a reimbursement.

Potential jobs include, but are not limited to, badge checking and crowd control.

No. During your free time, you are free to enjoy the convention as an attendee, including going to meet the guests. Due to agent requests and busy schedules, we cannot guarantee that you will meet all the guests. You will also be responsible for the autograph and photo fees.

Nope! We are always happy to have new volunteers. We will be hosting an orientation meeting for the volunteers and while it is not mandatory, attendance will be highly encouraged, especially for first time volunteers.

Definitely! While it is recommended that you don’t volunteer as many hours, so as to get that much more time to explore the convention, we are always happy to have new volunteers, even those who have never been to a convention before.

All volunteers will be given a Ottawa Comiccon volunteers t-shirt, and a food voucher for the day(s) that they are volunteering.

You can register online or on-site at the Exhibitor Services Desk.

Exhibitors/Artists cannot sell pornographic materials, weapons that are not legal by Canadian legislation, bootlegged material and art that the seller doesn’t have the creator’s authorization to sell.

Pamela Sargent dubbed it “the literature of ideas.” Sci-Fi, abbreviated from Science fiction, is a genre of fiction with imaginative but more or less plausible content such as settings in the future, futuristic science and technology, space travel, parallel universes, aliens, and paranormal abilities. Science fiction has been used by authors and film/television program makers as a device to discuss philosophical ideas such as identity, desire, morality, social structure, and other aspects of human nature.

A comic book is the art of sequential storytelling through narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes. The term “comic book” arose because the first comic books reprinted humor comic strips. Despite their name, comic books are not necessarily humorous in tone; modern comic books tell stories in a variety of genres.

Horror fiction is a genre of literature which is intended to frighten, scare or startle its readers/viewers by inducing feelings of horror and terror by creating an eerie and frightening atmosphere. Often the central menace of a work of Horror fiction can be interpreted as a metaphor for the larger fears of a society.

Anime are Japanese animated productions, made for film and television. The word is the abbreviated pronunciation of “animation” in Japanese. In English, the term is defined as a style of animation originating in Japan, which often features colorful graphics, vibrant characters and action-filled plots with fantastic or futuristic themes.

Gaming is the running of electronic games on gaming consoles, personal computers, and online.

Tabletop game is a general term used to refer to board games, card games, dice games, miniatures wargames, tile-based games and other games that are normally played on a flat surface.

Steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction that typically features steam-powered machinery, especially in a setting inspired by the Industrial Era in Western civilization during the 19th century.

The goal of being Special Services-aware is to do what we can to ensure all our attendees can enjoy the con, regardless of their individual circumstances. We provide support for those with reduced mobility who are in our entry or events line-ups. Challenges that impact how our attendees enjoy Main Events and Small Panel presentations are mitigated by, for example, seating vision-challenged attendees with the best views of our stages or television monitors, seating hearing-challenged attendees close to speaker systems where possible; and so on. Read on for more details about more services that we offer!

We provide seating for attendees who cannot stand in a line-up. We ensure those with reduced mobility or with service animals enter the event or panel rooms before able-bodied attendees (of the same ticket class) to allow for any extra time, maneuvering and personal setup that may be needed.

We will find seating for attendees who cannot stand in a line-up but will still “maintain” their ordered place as if they were waiting in the line-up so as to not get ahead of anyone. In addition, we give our section Team Leads and their volunteers the flexibility to assess situations on a case-by-case basis; for example, if attendees who qualify under our Special Services criteria cannot wait for their ordered place in line to reach the autograph or photo op opportunity, we will give them priority status – just let us know.

Service animals are welcome, as long as the animals do not pose an unreasonable threat to other attendees.

We have a class of attendees who are “Personal Care Attendants” of those attendees who need someone on-hand at all times to provide significant, personal care. If you do not plan to participate in any autographs, photo ops, and other Comiccon activities yourself, and you are only planning to attend Comiccon to help an attendee who qualifies as requiring significant personal care under our Special Services criteria, you do not need a ticket. We do restrict the number of Personal Care Attendants to one person per ticketed attendee.

The EY Centre consists of a single floor; there are no staircases that would impede attendees of reduced mobilities.  As with all public spaces, there are a number of wheelchair-accessible washrooms.

Written policies cannot always support every possible scenario; we thus give our section Team Leads and their volunteers the flexibility to assess situations on a case-by-case basis and to make helpful decisions on the spot.

During Registration, you can identify yourself as wishing to take advantage of our Special Services program. You will be directed nearby to the Special Services kiosk where a sticker will be appended to your Comiccon badge; this simply identifies you as being part of the program – as you meet staff and volunteers throughout the event, they will know you were briefed on the services offered and will proceed in helping you enjoy the con!

Just email your questions to special-needs@www.ottawacomiccon.com and we’ll answer you within a few days!

Indeed! It can be found here.

Ottawa Comiccon is a safe place for fans to interact with each other, their favorite creators, celebrities, and generally be themselves. This means we expect it to be a safe environment for fans from any ethnicity, creed, religious background, political background, gender, gender identity, sexual identity, sexual orientation, fandom, etc. We do not tolerate harassment in any form. This includes, but is not limited to: physical assault, verbal harassment, sexual harassment, stalking, unwanted physical contact, unwanted advances, or inappropriate photography.

Ottawa Comiccon does not tolerate physical or verbal harassment of the attendees, guests, vendors, staff, or volunteers. Harassment can take many forms. It may be, but is not limited to, words, signs, offensive jokes, cartoons, pictures, posters, pranks, intimidation, physical assaults or contact, or violence. This includes comments and statements made via email, on websites or any of our social networks.

Inappropriate photography is defined as photography where the subject feels they are being stalked, exploited, degraded, or disrespected through being photographed. While it is reasonable that photographers will be photographing attendees and other parts of the convention, should this photography become harassing or sexual in nature, the photographer will be subject to the above harassment policy.

If it is determined – either by observation or by complaint – that an individual or group has harassed another attendee, any or all of the following things may occur. That individual or group may be:

1. Warned to cease and desist;

2. Asked to leave the convention, or;

3. Banned from the convention for a period of time to be determined by staff.