WAIVER OF LIABILITY

By attending and/or participating in JapanFest 2022, each attendee or participant

(1) Acknowledges that his or her attendance and/or participation involves risk.

(2) Agrees to assume and accept all risk of loss to persons or property (including death).

(3) Agrees to release the organizers, promoters, sponsors, hosts, and volunteers of JapanFest 2022 and their respective agents, officers, servants, affiliates, and employees from all liability, claims, demands, and causes of action, present and future, arising out of or related to any loss, damage, or injury including death, that such attendee or participant may sustain in connection with his or her attendance at or participation in JapanFest 2022.

(4)  Agrees that this release is binding upon his or her heirs, executors, administrators, personal representatives and assigns.

(5) Grants JapanFest the irrevocable permission to use his or her image, likeness, voice or sound recordings in any media or promotional materials whatsoever and without compensation.

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To: All of the vendors participating in JapanFest 2022. Please note the following rules that will apply to you participating in JapanFest 2022. We may ask you to leave our event if you do not follow the rules.

 

COVID-19 TBD(Last updated August 20th)

Regarding Mask: JapanFest may impose mask requirements according to CDC and venue guidelines.

We recommend that you wear a mask.

 

For the safety of our employees and guests, please do not attend if you are sick or have recently been sick.

Please do not attend if you have been in close contact within the past 14 days with anyone who has had COVID-19 or if someone in your household is currently infected with COVID-19.

 

If you are in an at-risk group, please think about staying home.

 

Under Georgia law, there is no liability for an injury or death of an individual entering these premises if such injury or death results from the inherent risks of contracting COVID-19. You are assuming this risk by entering these premises. Sec. 51-16-3(a)(2), Georgia Code Sec. 4 of Georgia COVID-19 Pandemic Business Safety Act
 

*Please note: JapanFest is not responsible for attendance influenced by COVID-19. 

JapanFest is not liable for any problems caused by COVID-19.  Ticket(s) are nonrefundable. 

 

Safety guidelines for Gas South District may be found at: GSD-Covid-19 procedures

Mask wearing is strongly encouraged. Gas South District is a GBAC STAR™ accredited facility. The wellness of our guests is important. We have enhanced cleaning and Covid 19 Procedures.

**Rules and safety guidelines will be updated depending on the current situation and CDC and venue guidelines.

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INSURANCE AND WAIVER

Please note that JapanFest’s insurance only covers claims or suits made against JapanFest, Inc. by festival attendees,  our insurance does NOT cover claims made against festival participants such as vendors, performers, martial arts demonstrators, workshop leaders, exhibitors, etc.

 

Each vendor must have and maintain its own general liability insurance coverage to protect it from third party claims.

 

Further, as to any situation where someone attending is injured or incurs a medical condition whilst partaking in an exhibitor/vendor/performer sponsored event (this could be games, dances, demonstrations, or eating vendor prepared food) the vendor’s or other participant’s own general liability insurance will act as primary coverage. JapanFest’s general liability coverage may or may not act as secondary (or excess) cover.

 

Therefore, it is imperative that you have your own insurance, especially if you are a vendor or exhibitor of breakable items, as JapanFest will not be able to cover any damages.

 

If you have insurance for the items, you will be selling or displaying, the certificate should show JapanFest, Inc. as the certificate holder and, if possible, show JapanFest, Inc. as an additional insured party.

 

Furthermore, all JapanFest participants are required to agree to the following Release and Waiver:

 

For valuable consideration received (including the opportunity to participate in JapanFest), receipt of which is acknowledged,

 

The undersigned (i) releases each JapanFest Releasee from any Losses that the undersigned or any of its officers, directors, employees, agents, or affiliates may sustain in connection with its or their participation in or attendance at JapanFest and (ii) agrees to indemnify, defend and hold each JapanFest Releasee harmless from and against any Losses that may be imposed upon or asserted against any JapanFest Releasee as a result of, or in connections with, (1) my (or any of my officers, directors, employees, agents, or affiliates) participation in or attendance at JapanFest or (2) any action or inaction by the undersigned’s officers, directors, employees, agents or affiliates. The undersigned is aware of the hazards involved in such participation or attendance and agree to accept all risks of property damage and personal injury (including death) related to such hazards. When used herein, (A) “Loss” shall mean and include any loss, liability, obligation, damage, claim, lawsuit, injury (including death) cost or expense whatsoever (including attorneys’ fees) and however and whenever arising and (B) “JapanFest Releasee” shall mean and include JapanFest, Inc, The Consulate General of Japan, the Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Georgia and the Japan-America Society of Georgia and each of their respective officers, directors, trustees, employees, agents, affiliates and successors. This Release and Waiver is binding upon the undersigned's successors, heirs, and personal representatives. The undersigned agrees and it is its intent, to sign this record/document and affirmation by clicking the "Yes'' box and electronically submitting this record/document to Japanfest. The undersigned understands that signing and submitting this record/document in this fashion is the legal equivalent of having placed its authorized handwritten signature on the submitted record/document and this affirmation.

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RULES AND REGULATIONS

JapanFest is an annual celebration of Japanese culture designed to promote understanding between Japanese and Americans in the Southeast. All applying participants, including vendors and exhibitors, have to be related to and help promote Japan and Japanese culture.  If you would like to participate in promoting your organization and it is not

related to Japan or Japanese culture, we encourage you to be our sponsor. Link to sponsor application.

 

All vendors and exhibitors will receive up to 10 free tickets per day for people working at your booth. You may distribute these as you see fit, but if you need additional tickets, they must be purchased at $12.00 per ticket.

 

Once your application has been processed and approved, we will email you mobile tickets. We will not mail hard copy tickets. Each mobile ticket has a unique barcode and may only be used by one person. No one will be admitted without a ticket.

 

Gas South Convention Center will open for all exhibitors and vendors at 7:00 am on both Saturday and Sunday. The main entrance will not open until 10:00 am. You must be completely set up by 9:30 am Saturday. The festival ends at 6:00 pm on Saturday and 5:00 pm on Sunday. All organizations should have completed their load-out by 7:00 pm on Sunday.

 

Those who need to unload items using the loading dock must first check-in at the Performing Arts Center entrance, where you will be given a loading pass to access the loading dock. On Sunday, you must obtain a new loading pass, even if you used one Saturday, as the colors will be different. Loading or unloading is permitted only through the loading dock. No loading or unloading is permitted through the front of the building. NO EXCEPTIONS. Please try to unload as quickly as possible out of courtesy to those waiting to use the loading dock. After unloading, please move your vehicle to a parking

space. Parking at Gas South Convention Center is $5.00. No overnight RV parking is allowed.

 

Each exhibitor must stay within the 10'x10' assigned space unless additional space has been purchased. You are not permitted to distribute pamphlets or other materials outside your booth. You may only give them to guests who actually come to you looking for information.

 

Participants are encouraged to decorate their areas to reflect the artistic nature of their work. If you have a sign or a banner with your organization's name on it, please bring it.

 

Booths must be neat in appearance and not distract from neighboring displays. Each space must be left clean at the end of the day

 

The sale or distribution of food and beverages from booths is strictly prohibited.

 

Vendors are required to collect and pay over to applicable authorities’ sales tax.

 

Booths must be staffed at all times and exhibit their items for the entire festival day. Exhibitors may not remove their items until the end of the festival day.

 

Decorations, signs or banners may not be fastened to ceilings, painted on surfaces, columns, or decorative walls. Helium balloons are prohibited. No duct tape, scotch tape or mailing tape is allowed. Messy items such as confetti, glitter, candle wax, etc. are prohibited.

 

All items sold must be authentic Japanese items. The sale of non-Japanese items is prohibited.

 

The sale of non-licensed and/or pirated merchandise is strictly prohibited. Any vendor found to be selling pirated merchandise will be banned from participating in JapanFest for the current and future years.

 

Exhibitors and vendors are welcome to leave items inside the Gas South Convention Center on Saturday evening, but do so at their own risk. JapanFest accepts no responsibility for any lost, damaged or stolen property. Please be discreet about demonstrations at your booth while performances are occurring on either stage. Please refrain from making loud noises and sounds, and performing at your booth if any performances and/or demonstrations are taking place on stage. You are

welcome to conduct demonstrations and performances at your booth when there are no performances taking place on stage.

 

Anyone found posting, pasting, taping, or pinning material on convention property that is not an artist or vendor will be immediately removed from the convention grounds. Advertisements MAY NOT be placed anywhere other than your own booth area or MAY NOT be handed out in an open area.

 

BEHAVIOR

We reserve the right to ask you to leave the convention center and refuse to refund any fees if your behavior is judged to be inappropriate by our staff. ​

 

JapanFest’s priority is attendees’ safety. The following acts of disruptive behavior will not be tolerated: fighting/sparring (fake or real, including sword swinging), heckling, impeding traffic flow, offensive behavior, failure to observe basic hygiene, public inebriation (or similar intoxication), or any other failure to follow the rules.

 

JapanFest can and will take action against any type of disruptive behavior, even beyond the behaviors mentioned. Attendees that cause these types of problems may be warned, asked to leave, or even face inquiries from the police (depending on severity).

 

PRODUCT SALES

NO SALES are permitted on the premises outside of your own booth space.

 

JapanFest is a family friendly event and we have a no-tolerance policy for any inappropriate adult displays and products. You are not allowed to display any inappropriate items or products at your booth at any time before, during, or after festival hours. JapanFest staff reserves the right to remove such displays or products, and any refusal will result in the disqualification of individuals involved from participating in this year’s event and future events.

 

NO SALES of bladed products are allowed at JapanFest. If you wish to sell bladed products, you will be required to receive prior permission from JapanFest and you must only present samples.

 

You can only sell bladed products by taking orders. Actual products cannot be handed to the consumers at the festival.

 

The sample products must be encased or sheathed at all times except when it is demonstrated by the seller. A consumer can not handle the samples.

 

Booths must be staffed at all times to manage the sample of products.

 

JapanFest reserves the right to remove anyone from convention center grounds at any time.

 

SAFETY

If you will be displaying items that have moving parts, sharp blades, sharp edges, etc., Please make certain that the appropriate safety guards are in place. You must place these types of items in areas of your exhibit that are not easily reached by small children. Appropriate personnel should be present with such items at all times. Be aware that you

are responsible for assisting with the safety of your exhibits. If you have questions or concerns, please feel free to contact any JapanFest staff members for assistance.

 

WEAPONRY SPECIFIC RULES

JapanFest has a clear NO WEAPONS policy that will be enforced. Regardless of if it is sheathed, holstered or peace bound. This includes (but is not limited to): firearms, knives, bludgeons, stun guns, brass knuckles, bows strung with tense string/capable of firing, bullets, grenades, landmines etc. JapanFest reserves the right to remove anyone from convention center grounds at any time.

 

EMERGENCY

Gas South Convention Center is entrusted with the safety assurance of JapanFest visitors. CSC security guards and police officers are present during the event to ensure the safety of the guests and help when needed. CSC security guards and police officers are stationed throughout the building during the event.

 

In case of fire or severe weather, Gas South's event coordinator, CSC security guards and Police officers are trained to safely guide our guests and participants to safety. Please follow their lead and instructions.

 

Any incident resulting in injury or property damage MUST be reported to the JapanFest staff and Gas South Convention Center event coordinator. Please report the incident to the nearest police officers (in uniform), CSC security guards (in uniform), JapanFest staff (in colored shirts with "staff" on the back), JapanFest information center (First floor under the main entrance) or Gas South concierge desk (behind the main entrance ticket booth). All the staff mentioned above have a radio to communicate with the Gas South's event coordinators who are trained to take the necessary action according to the incident. Please do not leave the festival area until the JapanFest staff or the GSD event coordinator meet with you.

 

Med techs are on-site during the event, and they are capable of helping with any incident where their service is required.

 

There is also a building engineer on-site during the event. They respond to calls as needed and helped with building maintenance when necessary. If you encounter any problems that may need building engineers' attention or services, please contact the nearest police officers (in uniform), CSC security guards (in uniform), JapanFest staff (in

colored shirts with "staff" on the back), JapanFest information center (First floor under the main entrance) or Gas South Convention Center concierge desk (behind the main entrance ticket booth).

 

ELECTRICITY

Exhibitors that require electricity will have access to a 20-amp 120-volt 1-phase outlet.

 

You must provide any electrical extension cords that are needed in your exhibit area.

 

Electrical extension cords should be heavy-duty types with a 3-wire grounded connection.

 

The cords used at JapanFest should be UL-approved devices and properly rated for the devices they will be used with.

Extension cords must be in good condition and covered with the proper insulation.

 

Any cords found to be frayed, spliced or damaged will not be permitted.

 

Extension cords used with individual displays should be secured so they do not become a trip hazard around your display.

 

Use extension cords of the appropriate length for the items contained at your display.

 

Please use tape or cable ties to secure the extension cords. Nails or tacks can damage the insulation of the cords.

 

Please be sure to bring materials to secure cords with you during setup.

 

WIRELESS INTERNET ACCESS

Gas South District offers FREE Wi-Fi provided by Harness Group, LLC. for guests. In order to access the Free Wi-Fi, log on to the "GasSouthDistrict" network and connect. Once connected you will be prompted to enter a password. The free Wi-Fi password changes every month. For the current password, please visit the Gas South District Concierge or Guest Services desk. *This is enough for most vendors, they don't see them needing to pay for an SSID. If you need a hard line, we would need to add that to your final bill.

 

DISPLAY OF VEHICLES

Vehicles with gasoline engines may be displayed with a maximum of two (2) gallons of gas remaining in the tank. A locking gas cap must be installed, or the tank must be adequately sealed with tape or in some other appropriate manner. All battery cables must be disconnected and taped to avoid potential sparks.

 

SHIPPING ITEMS TO GAS SOUTH CONVENTION CENTER

You may ship items you will use at JapanFest directly to the Gas South Convention Center If you wish. Gas South Convention Center will not accept items more than 48 hours in advance of the festival. All items must have the following information on the label:

 

Name of show (JapanFest)

Date of Show (September 17 and 18, 2022)

Name of Vendor

 

Name of the person within the company that will be accepting/signing for the shipment upon their arrival.

 

All shipments need to be picked up at the Gas South Convention Center office located at the back dock of the Convention Center. Items will not be delivered to a booth/vendor without a proper signature from the exhibitor.

The following rules apply when shipping items out at the end of the festival:

 

The item must be completely packaged by the exhibitor.

 

Shipments must be labeled with the appropriate shipping information and labels.

 

Shipments must be called in by the exhibitor for pick-up.

 

A Shipping Request Form must be filled out by the exhibitor and left with the shipment.

This form can be obtained from the security office.

 

Shipments must be brought (by the exhibitor) to the security office to store until picked up.

 

All shipments must be picked up within 48 hours of the end of the event.

 

Gas South Convention Center Shipping Address: 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway, Duluth, GA 30096.

 

Gas South Convention Center Shipping & Receiving Department Phone Number; 770-813-7582

 

INJURIES

Any incident resulting in injury or property damage MUST be reported to the JapanFest

committee member( (wearing colored T-shirts during JapanFest) ) or GSD staff. This includes any incident that occurs during the festival itself or during the setup and take-down periods. Should an incident occur, please contact any JapanFest committee member(wearing colored T-shirts during JapanFest), JapanFest volunteers, or GSD staff. Please do not leave the festival area until the JapanFest Safety or GSD staff meets with you.

 

PETS

Pets are not permitted anywhere inside the festival area due to Health Department regulations. We must strictly enforce this policy due to the food sales associated with JapanFest.

 

SERVICE ANIMALS

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) defines service animals as "dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities."

 

Service animals are welcome inside the Gas South Convention Center and must remain on a leash or in a harness at all times. Service animals will rest in the seating area of the individual with a disability, rather than in the aisle. A guest whose service animal poses a threat to the safety of other guests and employees may be asked to escort the animal off

the premises.

 

Animals that simply provide emotional comfort do not qualify as service animals under the ADA. Therefore, Emotional Support Animals (ESA's) are not permitted inside the Gas South Convention Center.

 

SMOKING

Gas South Convention Center is a NON-SMOKING facility. Smoking is not allowed in public areas of the facility, but there are designated smoking areas for patrons. Anyone observed smoking inside the facility will be asked to extinguish the item immediately. Any person who refuses to comply with the policy, after an appropriate warning, shall be

subject to be removed from the facility. Please check with the nearest Event Staff member if you cannot locate the designated smoking areas. Electronic cigarettes are permitted through Security for events, but they may not be used inside the building. E-Cigarettes are permitted in designated smoking areas

 

REFUNDS

An application is a commitment to attend JapanFest. No refunds will be made for cancellation. JapanFest Inc. does not guarantee application acceptance to any organization. In the event your application is not accepted by the organizing committee, a full refund of the required advance space rental and electrical fee (when applicable) will be made.

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CANCELLATION OF JAPANFEST

JapanFest reserves the right to cancel or postpone the festival due to unforeseen circumstances.

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*JapanFest reserves the right to edit or change these Terms and Conditions at any time.

 

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