How to Register

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How to Register

JAN PRICE·SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2020·

With PARADE REGISTRATION DAY (February 15, 3:00 PM Eastern) looming, here’s a guide to help you understand the process.

Registering for the parade is an easy, online process. The form(s) we developed ask for basic information about your parade entry and include a Comment section.

There are four (4) forms used as follows:

1. PARTICIPANT – if you are registering as an individual marcher or as a group lead (the contact for 2 or more people registering together), you must fill out this form.

2. VEHICLE – if you or your group plan on entering a vehicle (car, truck, bus, float), you must fill out this form as well. Fill out the PARTICIPANT form first to reserve your place in the parade. If you plan to have bicycles, motor cycles, scooters, mobies, riding lawn mowers, golf carts, go carts, power wheels, large people powered conveyances, etc. – these do not need to be registered as a vehicle. Still let us know about them in your PARTICIPANT form using the Comment section.

3. WAIT LIST PARTICIPANT – when all available space for marchers has been reserved we immediately open a Wait List. When this occurs we provide the link to the Wait List form as well as directing people via a message that replaces the regular registration form.

4. WAIT LIST VEHICLE – when all available space for vehicles has been reserved we immediately open a Wait List. When this occurs we provide the link to the Wait List form as well as directing people via a message that replaces the regular registration form. Note that the Vehicle Wait List may not open at the same time the Participant Wait List.

Filling out the appropriate form(s) does not guarantee your place in our parade. We review each entry. If we have concerns or questions, we will contact you within 2 weeks of registration closing. You will NOT be contacted if your entry was accepted/approved and you can consider yourself confirmed for the parade. Be sure to double check what you enter in the form, especially your email address as it is the only way we can contact you.

Step 1

We announce the link to the form(s) using Facebook, Twitter, Google Groups, the Dragon Con website and other social media when registration opens. Click, or cut and paste, the link and you should be all set to register.

You can access and complete the form from multiple devices, including smartphones. If you encounter a problem, contact us immediately at dc_parade (at) dragoncon (dot) org.

*****2020 Parade Registration Opens February 15 at 3:00 PM Eastern*****

Act quickly! Last year’s parade filled up within 2 hours of registration opening. If it’s already full by the time you attempt to register, please register for the Wait List. We were able to move most of the folks on the Wait List into the parade last year.

The form(s) include helpful information. Please take a moment to read through it before filling out the form.

IMPORTANT STUFF:

If you are a member of or planning to join a group that is registering for the parade (e.g., the 501st, the Parade of Elements, the Marriott Carpet groups, etc.) DO NOT register yourself as an individual. Your place in the parade is covered by your group membership.

If you are a group lead, please reasonably estimate how many spaces you’ll need. For those who have been in the parade before, you have history to go on. For those who are new to the parade, keep in mind that first time groups are often smaller than planned. We love optimism and the incredible enthusiasm we see for the parade but we also want to make sure as many as possible will find a place in it.

If you are a commercial entry planning on promoting your product, service, event, client, or self along the route DO NOT use this registration process. Contact us if you are interested in doing this and we’ll get you to the right folks.

If you do not plan on becoming a Dragon Con member by parade morning, do not register for the parade. Likewise all of the members in your planned group must be members of Dragon Con by parade morning. Participation in the parade is a perk of membership. No badge/membership, no march.

If you plan on registering a vehicle in the parade, do not forget to also complete the separate vehicle form and following any additional instructions you find there to complete the process.

Step 2

You’ve completed the form(s). Double checked the information you provided. Clicked the “Submit” button. You are done.

If you successfully filled out the form, you’ll immediately get a screen letting you know your entry was received, telling you what to expect next and how to contact us if you have questions. It’s probably a good idea to take a screen shot of this acknowledgement for reference.

You will also receive an auto reply email from Google that recaps what you entered in the form. If you don’t see it in your inbox, check SPAM filters. Definitely keep this email for your records.

If you have made a mistake in filling out the form (left off a required piece of info or similar), you will be redirected back to the form for corrections.

Step 3

If you are not on the Wait List and have NOT heard from us within 2 weeks of registering, consider yourself/your group confirmed participant(s).

We will publish a list of those confirmed participants several times as we move closer to con.

We will confirm parade vehicles via emails to the persons who registered them in mid-June.

We announce when registration has closed and the Wait list has opened. We also announce Wait List(s) closing when it becomes apparent that the number of people waiting exceeds any potential space.

We notify wait listed folks via emails when we have found space for them in the parade. We will attempt to move people until early August when we lock things down for con.

Step 4

If your plans change, please let us know ASAP. If you can no longer attend or decide to drop out of the parade, please let us know. If the number of spaces you reserved have not been claimed by late July, let us know. If you have a cosplay/costume change, let us know. If your planned vehicle breaks down or otherwise becomes unavailable, let us know. Let us know by emailing dc_parade (at) dragoncon (dot) org. Please DO NOT post the information in one of our social media channels. We might not see it and can’t take appropriate action (like moving people or vehicles from the Wait List or assigning you to the right parade section).

Step 5

The (coveted) TMI Mail. If you are listed in our database as a confirmed participant (individuals and group leads) you will receive this final confirmation email about 2 weeks before con.

It contains more information about parade participation than you ever thought you’d need. It includes your parade section assignment, where and when to find us for check in on Thursday & Friday, the route map, staging maps which will give you the approximate location of your parade section (or vehicle position), directions on how to get to staging, shuttle schedules and maps, and a whole bunch of other very helpful information.

Group leads should share this information and plans for distributing wristbands with their group members.

I make announcements when all of the TMI Mails have been sent. Check SPAM filters as the email is large and is often redirected there.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact us. Good luck in the pending Parade Hunger Games and we’re looking forward to seeing all of you on parade morning!