PREMIUM INDIE RISING

Deadline: Wednesday 27 August

**Your submission link will take you to a platform called Box.com. If you do not have a Box.com account, you will need to sign up for free. You can do this by clicking on “sign up” in the top right-hand corner and then click on “Individuals and Teams”, where you will see the option to create an account for free.

Deadline: Wednesday 27 August

**Your submission link will take you to a platform called Box.com. If you do not have a Box.com account, you will need to sign up for free. You can do this by clicking on “sign up” in the top right-hand corner and then click on “Individuals and Teams”, where you will see the option to create an account for free.

Items must stay within the designated space of your stand. They cannot at any time sit in or encroach the aisles. Exhibitors may bring additional furniture, props or other elements, provided they are placed immediately adjacent to their stand and do not affect either the traffic to another stand or safe flow through an aisle. 

Please contact the PAX team if you are unsure about the placement of any item. PAX retains the right to insist on the removal of any item that affects safety or appropriate traffic flow. 

Helium balloons are not permitted at any time. Should a scissor lift be required to retrieve loose balloons, a charge of $500 may be applicable. Additionally, exhibitors are not permitted to sell stickers at any time unless they are sealed. Exhibitors will be considered liable if stickers are sold and found affixed to venue property or other areas that cause damage. 

Charcoal coloured carpet tiles are provided for your stand. These can be switched to another form of surface with ExpoNet at your own expense. The carpet tiles or floors cannot be painted, nailed, screwed or glued at any time. Any additional items placed on the carpet must be taped and safely secure to avoid any trip hazards.

Exhibitors who wish to install raised flooring may do so but need to ensure they comply with relevant sections of the Building Code of Australia and include disabled access to the stand.

Raised floors with a height of less than 50mm do not generally require a ramp but an approved stair nosing must be installed as per requirements for steps in public places. Raised floors between 50 – 190 mm require a ramp with a gradient of no less than 1:3. Ramps must provide access to the aisle and not protrude into it. Raised floor sections or ramps must not contain sharp/dangerous edges or cause a trip hazard.

State and local government food/liquor regulations that cover all distribution of food and beverage products apply to all events held at the venue. The venue has exclusive rights for the sale and distribution of all food and drink. No exhibitor or person shall distribute, sell or give away any item of food or drink to visitors without prior written approve by the venue. Generally, the venue will not object to the distribution by the exhibitor of food items, used as a means of demonstrating any product manufactured or supplied by the exhibitor, but the sale of such products is not permitted. To seek approval, or to order food from the venue for your stand, please complete the below forms. 

No item should be attached to or placed on a stand (or adjacent to a stand) that affects the sightline of visitors, such that they cannot see the other stands around them.

Additionally, no item may be placed on a stand that may exceed the safe weight limits for that stand. No heavy item can be secured to the backing wall of a stand without prior approval of PAX and ExpoNet. 

Internet is not included in any stand package. 

MCEC has a free wi-fi service for the public, but it is not recommended if internet is essential for your business as there are download and session limits. Internet can be obtained from the venue for wi-fi and cabled services. Please refer to your exhibitor manuals for contact information to book.  

Power is included - 3 x 4 amp power point for each stand.

Power is provided by ExpoNet. Additionally, any items plugged into power must be electrically tested and tagged before use. Test and taggers will be available during move-in to test your appliances if needed. A set number of items will be tagged as part of the hire price. 

• All stands must be fully staffed, operational and exhibits displayed to visitors during the open times of the exhibition.
• The exhibitor may not undertake, or cause to be undertaken, any activity which, in the opinion of PAX Australia, is likely to cause any annoyance to visitors or other exhibitors. In particular, audio visual display equipment must be positioned and the sound level so adjusted as to comply with these requirements. The maximum permissible total sound level in any area of the show is 70dB (slow), measurable at a distance of 3m from the source of the sound using directional decibel meter.
• All activities of exhibitors and their staff must be confined to the stand site allocated. No advertising or canvassing for business may take place elsewhere in the exhibition area, without prior approval from PAX Australia. 
• Unless otherwise arranged with PAX Australia, all items that are required for exhibiting purposes must be delivered before the show opens or after the show closes each day.

No exhibitor is allowed to sub-let or allocate space on their stand to another company without prior consent from PAX Australia.

An exhibition is a professional, business event. It is essential that exhibitors uphold a high level of professional conduct at all times during the exhibition. In the interest of fairness and respect to all exhibitors and visitors, PAX Australia requests the following Code of Conduct to be adhered to for the duration of the exhibition: 

• Exhibitors must not use any surrounding aisle space to display product. This is a WH&S requirement.
• Exhibitors must make themselves known when visiting another Exhibitor's stand and not enter without an invitation from the stand holder.
• In the event an exhibitor is also a buyer, this must be disclosed to the stand holder.
• At no time can an exhibitor remove material from another exhibitor's stand.
• No photographs or video/filming are to be taken of stands or products. Exhibitors must respect the time, effort and expense taken on exhibits by their fellow exhibitors.
• Noise levels: music, audio messages, pa system, etc on your stand must be at an acceptable level, which does not prevent your neighbouring from conducting business. The maximum permissible total sound level in any area of the show is 70dB (slow), measurable at a distance of 3m from the source of the sound using directional decibel meter.
• Do not continue with business after the show hours. We need to ensure all visitors and exhibitors have vacated the premises to ensure general security of the exhibition. 

All display material, furniture, seating and selling aids must be kept within the perimeter of your stand. This is a WH&S requirement.

Failure to comply with this regulation may result in your stand being closed down. This refers to product being displayed in the aisle ways but also refers to exhibitors selling from the aisle. This is not only a severe safety breach but can also be detrimental to your neighboring exhibitors who could be adversely affected. So please note you are unable to locate yourself and/or your staff in the aisle ways to sell.

It is a requirement that all business is conducted on your stand.

• Promotional staff are not allowed to walk the halls or give out any promotional material; they must remain on your stand at all times. 
• Promotional staff must at all times conduct themselves in a professional manner and must be respectably dressed at all times.
• Canvassing or soliciting for business by non-exhibitors or unauthorised personnel during the exhibition is strictly prohibited.
• Promotions and stand sales must take place from the exhibiting company's space/ stand only. No hawker or pamphlet drop can be done outside of the contracted exhibiting space.
• PAX Australia reserves the right to remove any exhibitor's promotional or sales staff found canvassing from the exhibition venue.

Any exhibitors in breach of the above Code of Conduct will be addressed by PAX Australia staff during the exhibition and asked to comply. Persistent refusal to adhere to the Code of Conduct may lead to the closing of an exhibitor's stand and/or the exhibitor not being permitted in future events organised by RX Australia and PAX Australia Pty Ltd.

PAX has a strict ‘no booth babe’ policy with the purpose of creating an environment where everyone can feel comfortable and welcome, and the focus is on games, not hired booth staff.

Booth babes are defined as staff of ANY gender used by exhibitors to promote their products at PAX by using overtly sexual or suggestive methods. Partial nudity, the aggressive display of cleavage and the navel, and shorts/skirts higher than 4” above the knee are not allowed. If for any reason an exhibit and/or its contents are deemed objectionable to PAX management, the exhibitor will be asked to alter the attire of its staff.

Cosplayed characters that are playable in-game are an exception to this rule (within reason), and exhibitors must obtain permission from show management prior to the show. If for any reason an exhibit and/or its contents are deemed objectionable to PAX management, the exhibitor will be asked to alter the attire of its staff or remove those staff from the show. Cosplaying attendees may be asked to alter or modify their costume if it is considered overtly sexual.

Exhibitors may not undertake, or cause to be undertaken, any activity which, in the opinion of PAX Australia, is likely to cause any annoyance to visitors or other exhibitors. In particular, audio visual display equipment must be positioned and the sound level so adjusted as to comply with these requirements. The maximum permissible total sound level in any area of the show is 70dB (slow), measurable at a distance of 3m from the source of the sound using directional decibel meter.

Exhibitors are required to contain all activities to the dimensions of their booth during the event. No exhibitor is permitted to conduct activities, including giveaways or flyer drops in the aisles of the event, foyers or any other shared space outside of their own booth (unless specifically granted permission by PAX Australia).

To ensure the safety of fans, exhibitors are required to inform PAX Australia of the schedule of any promotional giveaways or activities on their stand that may draw crowds. Exhibitors may not conduct any activity that either creates an unreasonable safety risk (especially regarding crowding or traffic flow) or affect the traffic of neighbouring stands, this includes throwing prizes into crowds of people. Exhibitors are also required to inform PAX Australia where they will be conducting activities that may create queues. Exhibitors are expected to create space in their stand to manage queues as much as possible and to set caps on queues so that they do not impact aisles or traffic.

PAX will provide advice and assistance where possible to manage crowd control at the event and will have the final say regarding any activity that it determines is either unsafe or unreasonably affecting other exhibitors.

No sale by auction, lottery, raffle, guessing game, game of chance, trade promotion or other competition shall be conducted by an exhibitor at the event without the prior consent of PAX Australia. If any such activity is permitted, then the exhibitor is responsible for ensuring they meet any state government requirements for that activity including permits.

All games must be properly displayed with the properly affixed classification rating and advice on both the game product and any game advertising. Each notice must be in legible letters, not less than 15mm in height and of a colour that contrasts with the background colour of the notice, displayed in a prominent place on or near each entrance to any restricted area or restricted game, so they are clearly visible from outside that area.

Any exhibitor displaying a game (not including tabletop games) must complete the Game Classification Form. This provides the highest rated games you will be showing and also a detailed list of unclassified games. PAX Australia requires all unclassified games to be submitted with a detailed listing of their content in order to provide a likely rating and display advice.

• Games rated M or below may be seen or played by anyone at the event.
• Games rated MA15+ or above (or unclassified but LIKELY to be rated at this level) must not be played/seen by anyone under 15 without a parent or guardian present, aged 18 or over.
• Games rated at R18+ (or unclassified but LIKELY to be rated at this level) may not be played/seen by anyone under 18 without exception. As there will be people under this age on the show floor this will require exhibitors to obscure or fully enclose the area in which these titles are being displayed (see Enclosed Stands below for further information).

Unclassified games must be displayed with the Check The Classification marking ONLY, but access to the game should be treated the same as the rating it would LIKELY receive if classified – that is, if an unclassified game is likely to be rated at an MA15+ level, it should not be played by anyone under 15 without an accompanying parent or guardian.

Games that are displayed in an enclosed are will require minimum exit requirements based on the capacity. ALL exits must be clearly signed using luminous exit signage that is visible from all parts of the internal area.

For enclosed areas within your stand the Australian Building Codes' minimum exit requirements must be adhered to. Below is a table dictating the number and width of exits required dependant on the capacity of the enclosed space within your stand. ALL exits must be clearly signed using luminous exit signage that is visible from all parts of the internal area. Exit signage will be inspected during move-in and if insufficient, will be placed at the exhibitors' expense.

¹ Where one exit is provided, the exits must be at least 1m wide. Where two exits are provided, both exits must have a minimum width of 500mm each.
² One additional exit for each additional 450 persons or part thereof.
³  500mm additional width for each additional group of 50 persons or part thereof.

RX has introduced a Sustainable Criteria for Custom Stand Designs to raise awareness and promote exhibitors with custom stands to use sustainable alternatives in their stand design and build. The criteria will form a questionnaire that reviews each component of an exhibitor’s custom stand, such as the build materials and signage used and their outcome after the event. We will also take into consideration where the stand is made, freight transportation and labour hire to gain a broader representation of the stand’s environmental footprint. Based on your answers in the questionnaire, you may be asked to make modifications to your design. 

To support us in our sustainability goals, please consider the following in the design planning of your stand:

• Hire as many components for the stand as possible, including furniture, AV, and use modular build units.
• Consider using digital signage and make any printed signage non-event-specific so that it can be used multiple times.
• Consider using local suppliers, products and labour to minimise the logistical impacts.
• Reduce the need for printed materials by using QR codes to download information and replace the need for business cards by utilising RX’s lead scanning mobile app, Emperia.
• Use products that have a full life cycle and that come from and can be recycled.

We are pleased to share that RX is implementing the following sustainable initiatives that you can participate in at the event:

• Water Refill Stations will be placed near the hall entries and cafes. Bring your own reusable drink bottle and refill it at one of our water refill stations throughout the day. Interested in sponsoring this initiative? Talk to our sales team today.
• RX promotes the use of “reusable cups” onsite to reduce waste. We also install washing-up sinks so attendees can clean and reuse their cups at participating venues. Discounts on hot beverages are available for those using a reusable cup at participating venues.
• RX Operations is working with venues to provide additional waste streams and better signage. If you require a particular waste stream for your stand, please contact RX Operations.
• Post-show donations – many venues offer the ability to donate furniture and products to charity after the event. Please contact RX Event Production if you are interested in donating.
• RX offers sustainable stand packages for exhibitor upgrades. Talk to your Sales Manager for more information.
• All exhibitors and contractors must use LED lighting only. The use of Halogen lights is now banned.