Pop Culture Business Handbook for Cons and Festivals

Film festivals, comic conventions, music festivals and cultural events dominate the modern cultural landscape. Every attendee, vendor, exhibitor, panelist, and organizer needs a player's handbook to navigate the rapidly changing worlds of cons and festivals. The Pop Culture Business Handbook for Cons and Festivals provides a real-world guide and reference for these exhilarating experiences, providing rules, strategies, and insights for the people who attend, work, and develop these fantastical worlds. The book is written by JON M. GARON, law dean and professor at Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad College of Law who specializes in entertainment law, technology law, business law, and intellectual propertyWith discussions on cosplay, selling autographs, film festival submissions, organizing panels, policing bootlegs as well as insurance, crowdfunding, budgeting, pyrotechnics, safety and Con planning, the Handbook provides the definitive guide to "Con Law." It is an essential planning tool for any road trip for a convention and a must for anyone launching or managing a Con or festival. Preface; Introduction; Part 1 - Cons and Festivals1. The Theories Underlying the Con Environment; 2. Con Revenues;3. Con Expenses and Budgeting; 4. Contracts and Agreements to Operate a Con; 5. From Celebrities to Stall Operators - Vendors and Exhibitors; 6. The Reel Story: Film Festivals and Markets; 7. Attendee Basics - Survival Guide for Patrons, Customers, Guests, and Goers; 8. Safety, Security, and Insurance; 9. Legal Structure of the Con; 10. Financial Structure of the Con; Part 2 - Special Considerations11. Free Speech, the First Amendment, and the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund; 12. Copyright Protection for the Works at the Cons; 13. Fandom and Creativity - Including Fan Art, Fan Fiction, and Cosplay; 14. Gambling, Raffles, Door Prizes, and Competitions; 15. Cons as Social Action; 16. When Things Go Wrong; 17. Cons and Transformation of Media Distribution; Part 3 - Resources and References18. Crafting a Legal System in a Fictional Work; 19. Boilerplate - Key Terms of the Standard Agreement20. Sample Agreements; 21. Insurance22. Federal Employment Law Requirements; 23. Regulations for Crowdfunding: A Small Entity Compliance Guide for Issuers24. Sample Nonprofit Corporation Articles of Incorporation25. Contact Information26. Index27. Bibliography; About the Author