If you have any further questions that are not answered below, you can email us directly at info@paxaustralia.com.au to get in touch, or message our official page on Facebook.
FAQS
GENERAL
Oh man, it’s so much to type, and my wrist kind of hurts. I’ll tell you what, you can read all about it right here!
You can collect your badge from badge collection at the MCEC.
The Badge collection desk is open at the following times:
- Wednesday 4th October - 12pm - 5pm
- Thursday 5th October - 10am - 8pm
- Friday 6th October - 8am - 6pm
- Saturday 7th October - 8am - 6pm
- Sunday 8th October - 8am - 6pm
Not really. We do have some panel sessions that can include coarse language or other adult themes, and some content may be restricted based on relevant age restrictions (such as R18+). We do our best to flag anything likely to fit into that category in our schedule. Attendees aged 14 and under must be accompanied by a parent or guardian aged 18 years or older with their own badge. Children 6 and under can enter free without a badge, provided they're accompanied by an adult.
We know you’ll need hotel rooms, so we always do what we can to secure as many rooms as possible with the steepest discounts possible. Check out the inventory at our Hotels and Travel page.
Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre is a cashless venue. Only card payments will be permitted throughout PAX Aus and MCEC.
Tournament sign up happens on site on a first come, first served basis. Head on over to the area that the given tournament takes place (tabletop, PC, etc.) and the friendly Enforcers there will help get you set up.
As a general rule, definitely as long as you can do it without obstructing pathways and preventing people from moving around. Also, please respect it if an attendee or exhibitor asks not to be captured on film...or...er...pixels….?
PAX is considered to be in the public domain, which is a roundabout and pretentious way of saying “Yes, you’re very likely to appear on SOMEONE’S camera.”
We have a zero tolerance policy for any forms of harrassment. You can read more about our harassment policies here.
Prams are not permitted in the Expo Hall. Pram Parking is available next to the cloak room in the Convention Centre. Pram parking is a complementary service and will be operational from 9:30am – 7:00pm each day of the event.
So Many ideas… Wear comfortable shoes, drink plenty of water, play some games, make some friends, check out some panels and try a bit of everything! PAX is a massive show, and the offerings are super varied.
The full MIGW (Melbourne International Games Week) schedule will be released closer to PAX! Learn more here.
If you have any further questions you can email us directly at info@paxaustralia.com.au to get in touch, or message our official page on Facebook.
GETTING INVOLVED
Nice to meet you, Game Company! Our team would love to speak to you, to ensure we give you the most relevant information let us know a little more about your game!
- We are a video game company or distributor looking to exhibit in the expo hall. Please email us directly at paxaussales@paxsite.com
- We are indie video game developers looking for an opportunity to exhibit in PAX Rising. Please email us directly at paxaussales@paxsite.com
- We are an indie developer looking to submit our game to be considered for a spot in Indie Showcase.
- I am a designer with an unpublished tabletop game and am ready to unveil my promethean labours to the world, check out PAX Collaboratory!
Be advised that most applications have closed for this year, but we'd love to hear from you for 2024!
If you have something to say about gaming and need a crowd, you'll be hard pressed to find a more passionate, engaged, and thoughtful audience than the tens of thousands of gamers from around the world that converge on PAX. Simply rally your panel, pick a passionate topic and submit your application.
Unfortunately, panel applications for PAX Aus 2023 are now closed. Applications open around June until early August each year.
Enforcers work together with the PAX Aus team to keep the show running, whether it be line or theater management, supporting panelists, managing the Cosplay Lounge, freeplay areas, PC or console freeplay and tournaments, and much more, our yellow shirt wearing friends are there to help!
Selected Enforcers have already been contacted for PAX Aus 2023. For more information on Enforcers, please click here.
Our application process for Media and Content Creators opened when our badges go on sale, and closed at 9am, Tuesday 1st August, 2023.
Media and Content Creators for PAX Aus 2023 have now closed. For any general media inquiries, please contact pax@rocketcomms.com.au.
Community Panels are a fun and easy way to get involved in the show. All accepted panelists will receive a Special Guest badge which grants them free entry into the show and early admission into their panel for a mic check. So rally your crew, pick a subject and submit your brilliant idea! Panel submissions for PAX Aus 2023 have now closed.
Applications for panel submissions open in around June and close in early August.
REGISTRATION
For badges purchased prior to Sunday 20th of August, you can expect to begin receiving your badges in mid September 2023.
For any badges purchased after Sunday 20th of August, badges will not be shipped and must be picked up from the badge pickup desk at the show.
Any International badges purchased will not be mailed out and will need to be collected onsite from our badge collection desk.
You can collect your badge from badge collection at the MCEC at the following times:
- Wednesday 4th October - 12pm - 5pm
- Thursday 5th October - 10am - 8pm
- Friday 6th October - 8am - 6pm
- Saturday 7th October - 8am - 6pm
- Sunday 8th October - 8am - 6pm
3-Day badges will be available for $180 and Single Day badges for $75.
Badges are limited to 6 per transaction for each badge type. This is to prevent scalping.
Once badges sell out, they are gone for good, so if you are sure you want to attend it’s always best to get them as early as you can. Keep an eye on our registration page and social media for badge availability updates once badges are on sale.
Our Terms and Conditions prohibit unauthorized resale or attempted resale of badges. If you buy badges from someone else, there's always a chance you're going to get taken advantage of and if that happens, there's nothing we can do for you as we have no part in the sale. We strongly urge you to only buy badges directly from this website, it's the only way to be sure.
We accept all major debit/credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, JCB and American Express), Apple Pay and Google Pay.
PANELS & SHOW CONTENT
Panels are accessible on a first-come, first-served basis and may be capped if the theatre is full. There are queuing areas around all theatres where you can line up in advance so you don’t miss out. Yes, the relevant single day or 3-day badge is required to attend a panel.
We livestream our largest theatres across our Twitch channels (/pax, /pax2, /pax3 and /paxaustraliaofficial) and all the action from PAX Arena (/paxarena). We’re looking at ways to record our non-streamed theatres too.
We would love to have our many guests and friends of the show return, but if there's someone specific that you really want to see, connect with us on Twitter or Facebook. And yes, we know how much you like Critical Role.
Generally we clear after every panel with one exception - Friday morning between Storytime Session and the Penny Arcade Q&A. That’s the one instance where you don’t have to leave your seat. There may be other exceptions, but those exceptions are few and far between...refer to the schedule, once available, for additional information.
Of course!
The Omegathon is a three-day elimination tournament between randomly selected attendees (we call these attendees “Omeganauts”) who compete in games from any and every category (tabletop, console, PC) culminating in a live championship match on the big stage during PAX closing ceremonies. The final round is always out of left field and is completely insane.
3-Day badge holders can opt in to compete in the Omegathon during the badge purchase process.
You can be sure that all the areas of PAX that make the show what it is will return, as well as looking at adding some new stuff. Take a look at our Features page for more details on what to expect from the PAX experience in 2023.
And yes… we’ll have plenty of tables.
Please keep an eye on the PAX Aus socials over the coming months for the latest announcements and updates of who will be attending. Exhibitors are normally ready to start announcing their plans for PAX around August/September time.
VENUE & ACCESSIBILITY
All the details on how to get to the MCEC can be found here.
Absolutely. There is parking available at the venue and nearby. You can find all the costs and details here.
Yes! You can collect a programmed receiver that will allow you to switch channels for each of our theatres from the MCEC concierge desk. The receiver will work with hearing aids fitted with T Switches. There are a limited number and they must be returned daily, so if you are likely in need of assistance please email us so we can do our best to help!
We have medical badges available for those who may need assistance. Medical badges provide entrance to panels, expo hall, and other events provided any associated line has not already been capped to capacity. It is not a ticket on its own and must be obtained in addition to a regular badge. You can collect one at the registration desk during PAX. The prefill form is no longer required. You must show a government pension or similar paperwork regarding your need for the badge.
We also have Companion Passes available at the event. Companions may attend the event for free while they are accompanying a person requiring their care. The person they are accompanying must have a full priced ticket. Once the attendee requiring a companion has their ticket - the carer must email us their name, email and number and bring their companion card to the registration desk along with the original ticket holder where they will be issued a ticket.
Email us at info@paxaustralia.com.au if you have any questions.
Yes! However, be warned that a lot of your fellow attendees will also be using it, potentially clogging those invisible air-pipes. Try not to rely on it, because you may find it...unreliable.
We will indeed have cloakrooms scattered around the venue. Cloaking is available for a gold coin donation to Child’s Play.
COSPLAY
You sure will! For details on how to get involved, check out the Cosplay Championships page here.
Afraid so! You can get a good sense of our criteria on our safety and accessibility page, and your first stop should be at Info Desk for weapons check tagging for us to verify everything is legit and abiding by our criteria for safety.
If we have to hold your prop weapon for the show, we’re sorry, we wish things were different, and we’ll make sure you get it back when it’s time to leave. We’re charged with keeping tens of thousands of people we like an awful lot all safe and sound, and we’ve got to play things pretty conservatively when dealing with weapons (even in prop form).
For more information, check out the Victorian Police policy on Imitation Firearms.