DashCon 2

Panels are essentially a convention breakout room. Volunteer presenters will give typically lecture-style presentations on a topic of interest to a group of attendees. Think ‘powerpoint night where I yap about my hyperfixation’ but on a larger scale, with topics ranging from professional artists giving advice, to in-depth breakdowns of specific media. There’s a lot of diversity, and panels can take forms beyond what we’ve outlined: a trivia show, an art trade, a skill-building workshop, et cetera. We’re open to all your wildest and whackiest ideas!

Panel applications open at 9:00 AM EST on Monday, 10 February 2025. Applications close at 9:00 PM EST on Saturday, 15 February 2025. Shortlisted panellists will be contacted to arrange an interview and discuss further details at a later time. Shortlisting is not a guarantee that you will run a panel. 

Applicants will be required to provide their contact information, preliminary information about their panel idea (a title, max 1-2 paragraph summary), and agree to follow the all policies outlined on our website. Panels vary in length between 30 minutes, an hour, and 90 minutes. Up to 7 panelists may be included on a single application. Applicants may also attach a partial or completed slideshow to their application, though this is optional. Successful applicants will be issued a time slot and location for their panel, and will be required to submit all panel materials (slideshows, props, etc) for review before the day of the convention (July 5th, 2025). Panelists will be provided with microphones and projectors upon request.

Panels at DashCon 2 are not permitted to include 18+/adult content (such as but not limited to explicit material, gore, obscenity). We are a family friendly event, and all panels must follow the rules outlined on our Convention Policies page. Further rules and restrictions are also outlined below. All panels will be moderated, and DashCon 2 reserves the right to cancel a panel and revoke a panelist’s badge at any time if the material is found to violate our policies.

Panelists will not be required to pay for their tickets, but we encourage all applicants to purchase tickets on February 22nd as we cannot guarantee spots in advance. Panelists who have purchased a ticket will be offered a refund. Unfortunately, DashCon 2 cannot refund the processing fees taken by Simpli Events nor those of their transaction processing service Stripe. We do not offer compensation for travel or other expenses occured as a result of volunteering for DashCon 2.

Panelists are free to explore the convention outside of their panel, but will be expected to have signed in an hour before their panel, and to be on-call 30 minutes before and after their scheduled panel time. Panelists who do not sign in or show up to their panel will have their pass revoked. 

Applicants are required to have read and agree to obey DashCon 2’s Convention policies, as well as DashCon 2’s Panel Rules and Restrictions. Any Panelist found to have violated these policies will have their badge immediately revoked and will be asked to leave the convention. No compensation will be offered for travel or other expensese in the case of a revoked pass.

All panel applicants agree to the following conditions by submitting an application.

• Panelists must be 14 years of age or older at time of application, and must be able to provide a government-issued ID
• All panels are prohibited from including 18+/Adult material (such as but not limited to nudity or other explicit material, gore, obescenity). Content that violates the DashCon 2 harassment and/or anti-discrimination policies (such as but not limited to solicitation of audience memebers/other panelists, hate speech) is also prohibited.
  • Panelists are expected to act with their best judgment and to ensure that their panels are appropriate for all audiences.
• Panelists must remain dressed according to the standards outlined in the DashCon 2 Cosplay Policies
  • Any live firearms or other weapons/props are prohibited as also outlined in the DashCon 2 Cosplay Policies
• Solicitation of money or financial transactions, including but not limited to paid raffels or gambling, are also prohibited. Prizes for competitions or games are acceptable, but will be at the expense of the panelist.
• Panel must remain within their allotted time-slots; please plan for a 5-10 minute clean up grace period, depending on the complexity of your panel. 
• Panelists must check in and pick up their panel badge at least an hour before their scheduled panel time. If a panelist does not check in within 30 minutes of the panel, a DashCon 2 representative will call the panelist’s provided phone number. If there is no response, the panel will be cancelled and the panelist’s pass revoked.
• No smoking, vaping, or e-cigarettes are permitted in the convention space or panel space

DISCLAIMER: DashCon 2 reserves the right to approve, deny, reschedule the time and/or location of, change the given rating of or cancel any panel at any time as event staff deems fit. The above rules are subject to change at DashCon 2’s discretion, and volunteers will be expected to have read and understand these updated policies. Panelists are wholly responsible for all material presented during their panel and ensuring the legality and safety of said materials. DashCon 2 accepts no responsibility for the content of panels.