Party Hosting Guide

Thank you for offering to host a party at Arisia!

New for this year:

1. Signage posting rules at the hotel have changed.  Party flyers or other advertising may not be affixed to any walls, doors, elevators, or any other part of the hotel except official Arisia signboards that are set up for the posting of flyers.
2. We are encouraging parties (especially ones that might create a lot of noise) to have adjacent rooms occupied by hosts, friends of the hosts, people associated with the party, etc.  Please have these people fill out the Special Request form after they make their reservations, and work with the Party Czar at parties@arisia.org to make sure that the right people get the right rooms.

Parties can be Open or Closed:

• Open
  1. The whole convention is invited, all convention members are welcome.
  2. An open party keeps the door open or ajar.
  3. Serving of alcohol is not allowed at an open party.
  4. You may advertise your open party. There will be a Party Board where you can announce your open party. Also, the newsletter will list open parties if they are posted on the Party Board before the newsletter deadline.
  5. After your open party is over, please make sure the hallway outside your party is clean.
• Closed
  1. The party must be by invitation only.
  2. You may not hand out invitations at the door of your closed party, or at an open party you host.
  3. You may not hand out invitations while your closed party is going on.
  4. Closed parties cannot be advertised around the convention by using posters, flyers, the Arisia party board, or be otherwise publicly posted.
  5. Posting fliers around the convention that mention the name of the party or the group hosting a closed party, but omit the location, day, and time of the party, is still considered to be an advertisement.
  6. Closed parties must keep the doors closed.
  7. Arisia’s corkage waiver does not include alcohol.
  8. If you serve alcohol, you must check ID. The legal drinking age in Massachusetts is 21.
  9. You may not serve alcohol to anyone that appears to be drunk (you may be liable for any subsequent injuries or damage that they sustain or cause).
  10. No alcohol can leave the closed party space.
  11. The person checking ID should remain sober until their task is completed.
  12. Noise complaints are the #1 reason that parties get shut down.
  13. Keep the noise at the ID checking station down as well. The party is inside the room, not outside.  
  14. Please also pick up the area where you checked ID and the hallway by the party room after your party is over.
  15. If your closed party plans include anything to do with Fuel, or Rockets, notify parties@arisia.org of this well in advance of the convention, so we can plan accordingly.  
  16. A party cannot change from open to closed on the same evening. You may however host more than one party per night, although this is discouraged. If you absolutely must host two parties in a night:
      1. Notify parties@arisia.org of your plans.
      2. The parties should have distinctly different themes.
      3. If the first party is open, and the second party is closed, the closed party may not be advertised at the first party.
      4. There must be an interval of at least one hour between the end of the first party and the start of the second party.  Your party room must be free of guests during the hour interval.
      5. If you would like to host an open and a closed party on Arisia weekend, we prefer that you host them on different nights.

  General Party Rules:

  1. The person filling out the Party Hosting form should be the person hosting the party.  If this changes, please notify parties@arisia.org so we can provide the proper person with needed information.
  2. If you decide to change your party theme from the one initially listed on the Party Hosting Form, please notify parties@arisia.org
  3. Please disseminate the Party Hosting Guide to all people involved in organizing and running the party.
  4. If you have leftover party supplies, please consider having another party on a different night.  Just let us know about it. You can also donate your supplies to another party.
  5. Be aware that there are other hotel guests in rooms around your party!  Be considerate of your neighbors.
  6. If you would like to have your party helpers and friends moved to rooms near your party, please let us know.
  7. Please review the relevant sections of the Code of Conduct:  /code_of_conduct
  8. Exercise discretion when bringing in outside food and beverages to the hotel, when your room is cleaned,  or when ice is delivered to your room. Please also be discreet when transporting or storing party supplies.
  9. Registered parties can request a free ice delivery from the hotel.  An ice delivery consists of 30 lbs of ice. We suggest you request an ice delivery. If you did not do so when you initially filled out the Party Hosting Form, please notify parties@arisia.org with the day and time you would like your ice delivered. There is a charge of $3 per pound for ice if it was not requested when you filled out the Party Hosting Form.  All ice orders (paid or free) must be made by December 30th.
  10. We strongly encourage you to tip housekeeping well after you host a party. Please also tip the bellmen if you use them to bring in your supplies.  

  If you fail to follow these guidelines you risk your party being shut down and you risk potentially being banned from hosting future parties at Arisia.