Announcement pertaining to Anime Detour 2021

Hosting a Room Party

Room Parties Contact (ad_parties)
Room Parties Guide
Room Party Submission Form!

Bring your own flavor to the con floor by hosting an Anime Detour Room Party!

We know what it's like to be throwing a party in your room, only to have hotel staff knock at your door and read you the riot act. We know there isn't much to do after the programming and dance have stopped. We also understand what creates a good time. It is because of this that we have created the Room Parties Program.

We go to great lengths to ensure your Room Party is in a great location, has good advertising, and has as few disturbances as possible. This is not an excuse, however, to wreak havoc and create obscene amounts of noise as hotel rules do still apply. We are here to ensure that you and all of the convention attendees have a great time at the parties.

Registering to throw a party at Anime Detour not only makes you totally awesome, but also provides you with some pretty sweet benefits:

  • Listing of your party in the Anime Detour Program Book, on maps and on signs throughout the hotel.
  • Designated room in the Party Rooms Block, located right in the middle of all the action!
  • No mandatory "quiet time" so you can party all night long!
  • In the event of noise or other complaints with regards to Room Parties they will be handled by convention staff before being escalated to hotel staff.
  • You get a "Welcome Pack” from your Room Parties Department! (Includes: snacks, drinks, some tape, official "Party Host" collector buttons, and more! For allergy concerns and suggestions email ad_parties)
  • Access to the Volunteer Consuite with your Party Host button!

For a complete list of benefits, plus more details on the rules and procedures below, please download our full Room Parties guide.

How To Party

If you've made it this far, then throwing a room party might be for you! We know how much work goes into actually throwing a party, so we aim to make the process of getting one as easy as possible.

  1. Submit a Room Party Request Form.
  2. Profit! ...just kidding. From this point on, we will be in communications with you with regards to any further information you may need to submit or announcements you need to be informed about.


After that, its up to you! A party is only as awesome as the work that gets put into it, so plan early, work hard, and get ready to party!

For a complete list of benefits, plus more details on the rules and procedures, please download our full Room Parties guide.

Rules and Such

Before you submit your totally awesome room party ideas, please note the following rules:



Commerce

  • You may not sell anything in your party room with the exception of registrations to other conventions.
  • Voluntary tip jars are allowed, and you may politely ask for tips, but you cannot deny anyone access to the party if they don't tip. No minimum tip requests.
  • Monetary amount (even if its just a suggestion) + item or service = commerce. So do not do that thing.


Hosting
  • All room party hosts and volunteers must be registered for the convention. No exceptions.
  • While more than one Host may be registered for a given room party, AT LEAST one of the Hosts must be physically present and responsible (read: sober) AT ALL TIMES during the party's hours of operation.
  • Your party must welcome everyone wearing an AD membership badge. If you are an age-restricted party, they must also show a legal form of identification.
  • We do not allow Maid Cafes, Host cafes or snuggle/nap themed parties! This is to keep in compliance with our convention’s harassment policies.
  • Anime Detour DOES NOT pay for your party room. All hosts are responsible for their own room costs and any fees they may incur.


Hours
  • All room parties must be open a minimum 4 hours on Friday and 4 hours on Saturday.
  • No room parties may be open before 3pm on Friday as the convention has not yet started.
  • Barring emergencies, parties must be open for all of their stated hours. If there is an emergency and the party needs to open late or close early, the party hosts should contact the Room Parties team via the Convention Services Front Desk.
  • You must post your party hours near your door. (This is for member courtesy so they know when you are open for partying!)


Noise Levels
  • If your music can be heard two rooms away, it is too loud.
  • No speakers can be placed on the porch or balcony of your room. They must be inside the room itself.
  • If you would like help adjusting your noise levels, contact the Convention Services Front Desk to get one of the Room Parties staff to assist you.


Safety Stuff
  • No fog machines.
  • No dry ice.
  • No open flame.
  • Make sure your party does not violate other Anime Detour policies, i.e. the weapons policy.
  • Don't break the hotel.
  • Blue Painter’s Tape is the one true tape! Use it! Accept no substitutes!
  • Do not cover any thermostats, smoke detectors or fire sprinklers.


Serving Alcohol
  • Parties may only serve alcohol during their stated open hours.
  • You must card for government-issued ID before serving any alcohol, even if the attendee looks old enough. No exceptions. This is for your own benefit (see #6).
  • Attendees are not allowed to leave your room with open containers of alcohol. That being said, if someone leaves your room with an open drink or is making a scene about it, please notify AD Convention Floor (by finding a Convention Services staff member or contacting the Convention Services Front Desk) as they are responsible for enforcing convention policies.
  • Serving alcohol to someone who is already visibly intoxicated is known as over-serving. Use your best judgement in such cases.
  • We will not hesitate to get the Minneapolis Police involved if there are reports of underage drinking or attendees not being carded. You will be held liable and the consequences will not be pleasant.
  • For more information, please review Minnesota's liquor laws and statutes: https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/?id=340A


Other Stuff
  • If it's illegal outside the hotel, it's illegal inside the hotel.
  • All party rooms will be non-smoking, no exceptions.
  • No furniture in the rooms may be moved (with the exception of chairs) for any reason. This is a policy from the Hyatt. This includes the beds. You may not move the bed in ANY fashion or the sectional sofa. Bed and sofa must remain the way the hotel them when you checked in. You may optionally request the hotel remove the bed or sofa from the room. This is a liability issue for the hotel. If you move any furniture (e.g. bed, nightstand table, desk, coffee table, dresser, tv, sofa) the hotel will charge you a fine.

Frequently Asked Questions

What form do I use for requesting a room party?
The Room Party Submission Form!

Where can I find rules, tips and suggestions for throwing a room party?
You can find it here: Room Parties Guide

How do I know if my party request form was approved or received?
You will receive an email reply from the AD Room Parties department usually within 3 days of your form being submitted. If you do not hear back from us after a full week, please email us and re-submit your form.

If we register our room, do we have to register for the convention as well?
Yes, you must be a registered member of the convention to host a room party.

What do I do if I want a separate room for sleeping? Do I register with parties?
If you want a hotel room for sleeping that is not a party room, you have to go through the normal reservations link. The only reservations link we give you is for the rooms inside the room party block and that is limit 1 room per party.

Can I remove the beds or other furniture from my party room?
  • Beds are the only things that can be removed from the room.
  • Do not move the beds yourself, the hotel will fine you.
  • If you want the beds removed, there’s a form for that. The form will be e-mailed to all party hosts prior to the convention.
Can I sleep in my party room?
Yes, as long as it does not interfere with your party’s hours of operations. There are 2 double beds in each room.

Can we sell merchandise at our room party?
You may not sell anything in your party room with the exception of registrations to other conventions. Voluntary tip jars are allowed, and you may politely ask for tips, but you cannot deny anyone access to the party or items being given away if they don't tip. No minimum tip requests.

How loud can my party be?
  • If your music can be heard two rooms away, it is too loud.
  • No speakers can be placed on the porch or balcony of your room. They must be inside the room itself.
  • If you would like help adjusting your noise levels, contact the Convention Services Front Desk to get one of the Room Parties staff to assist you.
What is not allowed in my party?
  • Fog machines.
  • Dry ice.
  • Open flames.
  • Make sure your party does not violate other Anime Detour policies, e.g. the weapons policy.
  • Don’t break the hotel.
How do I put up signs and decorations?
  • Use Blue Painter’s Tape! This is a rule set by the hotel itself. No other type of tape is allowed.
  • Do not cover any thermostats, smoke detectors or fire sprinklers.
What do I need to know to serve alcohol at my party?
  • The party can only be open during stated hours and only if there is an AD badger on site to badge for entry. They will only check convention badges, not ID.
  • You are required to check the ID of everyone you serve.
  • Nobody is allowed to leave the room with a drink in hand.
  • Serving alcohol to someone who is already visibly intoxicated is known as over-serving.
  • We will not hesitate to get the Minneapolis Police involved if there are reports of underage drinking or over-serving. You are liable to the police for any underage drinking or over-serving.
  • For more information, please review Minnesota's liquor laws and statutes: https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/?id=340A
If I get a drink in one room, can I take it to another room?
No. Alcoholic drinks are not allowed to be transported outside of the room they were served in.

Can I have contests in my room party? Can I give out prizes in my room party?
Yes. As long as you do not charge for participation to receive in said prizes.

Do the party rooms have access to the Internet?
The internet access is whatever the standard guest internet the hotel provides. You will not have access to any sort of Anime Detour network (because it doesn’t exist). Would I be able to request additional items like : TV, chairs, water station, or a table?
No, the hotel does not have any extra items for your room, you must provide these items yourself. You can however attempt to request a mini refrigerator, but the hotel has a limited supply.

How long does my party need to be open?
Your party needs to be open at minimum of 4 consecutive hours each day on Friday and Saturday. That’s 8 hours total. If you want to open Sunday as well, that is fine, but you must still be open for 4 hours each day the first two days of the convention.

Can I throw a one-day party?
Contact Room Parties staff and we’ll see what we can work out.

Email: Room Parties Contact (ad_parties)