Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get my badge?
All badges will be at Balticon Registration, on the 5th floor of the hotel, in the Maryland Foyer. When you arrive at the hotel, take the elevators or stairs up to the 5th floor, then follow the signs. We are NOT in the same location as Hotel Registration.
Which line do I stand in?
For pickup of ALL badge types, start at the Check-in line. If you are not pre-registered and are purchasing your badge at the door, you will then head to the Cashier to finish payment. If you are pre-registering for next year and have ALREADY picked up your badge, you can go straight to the Cashier line.
What payment methods do you accept?
For online registration, we accept Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express. You can also pay by check or money order through our mail-in registration. At the door, we accept cash, check, Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express.
Are there any discounts available?
Yes! We now have a Young Adult category, for our members ages 13-20, as well as our Child membership for ages 6-12. As always, children under 6 are free! All children must be accompanied by all times by an adult.
Active Duty Military and their family are free on Monday with valid ID.
What about one-day memberships?
Our early registration pricing is a really great deal if you might want to stay a second day, and a full-weekend membership is cheaper than two single days combined. However, if you really only have one day available, one-day memberships are available for purchase at the door, as well as upgrades from one-day to full-weekend. Prices will be posted on our website in May.
What if I’m attending with young children?
Children 6-12 are half price, and children under 6 are free. We now provide registration for Kid-in-Tow badges along with your online registration, or they can be added at the door. When you arrive, we will provide a wristband with your phone number for your child to wear as well as their badge, since we understand that small children frequently remove their badges. Maryland state law requires that children under age 8 be accompanied by an adult at all times. We do not provide babysitting services. However, we have a Children’s Programming track with activities for our youngest fans, and the convention space is stroller-friendly.
Can I pick up my spouse/girlfriend/child’s membership as well as my own?
Maybe! You can pick up someone else’s membership IF one of the following:
- The two memberships share a last name.
- The two memberships share an address.
- The two memberships were purchased on the same transaction.
- You have ID for both memberships.
Do I have to use my real name?
Only in our database. Your badge name can say whatever you want! We use ID to match up the registration with the person who purchased the badge, so the name on your registration does need to match some form of ID that you carry.
Do I have to show ID?
No. You are more than welcome to pay cash for a badge at the door. However, if you purchased a badge, we would like to make sure that no one else picks up your badge, and that only you get the badge you paid for. We are very reasonable about what we consider valid ID; we just need to know the badge is going to the right person. You may also bring your receipt as proof of purchase, either printed or electronically.
What happens to my email address if I give it to you?
We will email you a copy of your receipt, if you pre-register online. We may use it to contact you individually if we need to (i.e. we found something with your name on it in our Lost & Found, you purchased a piece of artwork, there’s a question about your registration, etc). We are hoping to also send out an informative email blast just before the convention to remind you about parking and where to pick up your badge, but we NEVER share your information without your explicit permission.
What happens to my phone number if I give it to you?
We may use it to contact you individually if we need to (i.e. we found something with your name on it in our Lost & Found, you purchased a piece of artwork, there’s a question about your registration, etc). We NEVER share your information without your explicit permission.
I can’t attend. Can I get a refund?
Sorry, Balticon memberships are non-refundable. If you will not be able to attend the convention, you may roll over your membership to the following year’s Balticon or transfer your membership to another individual. Transfers and Rollovers must be initiated at least one week prior to the convention. Exceptions can be made at the discretion of the Con Chair or the Head of Registration for extreme circumstances such as medical emergencies or death in the family.
- Rollovers
To initiate a rollover, contact Registration at registration@balticon.org. Please provide the name and address of the membership(s) to rollover, and, if possible, the original purchase receipt. Please note that at this time we are only able to roll a membership over to the next convention. If you would like to roll your membership ahead more than one year, you will need to repeat the process the following year.
- Transferring Memberships
To transfer a membership, please provide:- A copy of the original purchase receipt, or other proof of identification.
- Name and address of the person who CURRENTLY has the membership
- Name, address, email address, and phone number of the person to TRANSFER TO. Membership transfers must be initiated by the person who currently holds the membership (or someone they have appointed to handle it for them). They cannot be initiated by the person the membership will be transferred to.