This page is all about the other pursuit of UK MANGA XL; that being hosting tables at events for independent UK manga artists. Within this page will be some basic information relating to how I go about organising the tables, and the potential costs involved.

The basic idea is to provide a means for people got get the exposure they need at large anime/manga events in the UK. So far the main focus has been at hosting these tables at London MCM Expo, but other events will be considered depending on the demand, and of course my own money. ^_~

This is not a business and there is very little profit to be made for me; that being said other people generally cover their costs. Considering that hiring one of these tables by yourself would be very expensive, when I buy a table it gets shared out, as do the costs. People who buy lots of space pay more, those who only need a little pay less.

Please feel free to read all the other material on this page related to table sharing to get a better idea of how things happen.

My first concern is to generate some interest in a certain event up to a cut-off date. Then once I have that information I can then plan how many tables we will need and speak to event organisers about pricing ect.

Once I have those details from the organisers I will then be able to contact all my attendees and pass this information on to them. I pay for the tables in advance myself, then collect the money off each participant; by cheque or by another means if the person cannot pay by cheque, cheques are prefered though.

Who can apply for a place on one of these event tables?

Any person who has printed their own artwork or comics and has some available for sale, they do not necessarily have to be strictly manga style, indie or western style is fair game too. We also allow people with other creative talents to apply too, people who write, who create soft toys, people with their own designs on clothing and other creative people, we also consider people who have some free service to promote as well; for example gaming clans with servers.

Who can NOT apply for a place on one of these event tables?

People wishing to sell their old junk, and people selling general anime and manga merchandise second hand, or anything that you did not make yourself or had some hand in the design. UK MANGA XL is not a jumble sale!

Is there an age limit?

This depends on the event. If we host tables at London MCM Expo, then there is no age limit as such because there are many young children which attend Expo, and adult material is non-existent and simply not allowed. As long as you have produced one of the other perquisites (like having printed a comic) then you will be allowed to join us as long as you are 13 years old or over.

If we host a table at an average fan made anime convention, then it's strictly over 18's only, unless they are brave enough to allow younger persons in with a responsible guardian. As per the conventions own rules, people will be informed about rules like this.

Yay I want to come, how do I go about sorting it all out?

So you want to be on one of my tables; great I'd be glad to have you. First off you contact me through either email, or on my forums, private message or by replying in the X event table thread on forums I post on. If you heard about this on the Sweatdrop Studios forums, then comment on there, or private message me. Please also tell me how many spaces you would like, how many dealer passes (will be discussed lower down the page), please also tell me about any disabilities you might have so we can better accommodate you if you have one. I will also need your email address for further contact. Emails will possibly include further event details, diagrams of the table and your place on it.

What is a dealer pass?

A dealer pass is a ticket that only dealers get which generally allows full access to the event for its duration. Other conventions use them only as a means of identifying dealers and have no other use. At Expo though they are your access. They are only given to dealers, and at less than half the price of normal public tickets. At Expo they come in the form of wristbands which must be on your person at all times during the event. When enquiring for a table space you must state how many passes you require. For the sake of people taking advantage of this, only two dealer passes per independent artist are allowed, one for you and your partner in crime if you have one. If you have a studio of three or more people, then we can accommodate those as well, you have to prove you are who you say you are though.

Anyone on my studios list on the UK MANGA XL site will not have to prove themselves, I already know you are who you say you are. We do not supply dealers passes for friends or spouses/boyfriends ect.

What happens if I can't attend for some reason?

You email me or contact me on my forums and tell me as far in advance as you can. I will then give you your money back by cheque.

What happens on the day, how do we all meet up, is our table ready for us?

On the day we will all travel to the event from where ever we are. Hotels and whatnot you have to sort out yourselves. There will be talk of hotels near specific venues though in our forums at a later date.

Meeting up:

Before the event we should swap mobile numbers if you have a mobile. You will then telephone me at the event and I will meet you outside. I will then hand you your dealer pass and lead you inside. Whereby you can then set your stuff out in your area of the table which will be marked out with ribbon, with your name within these bounds.

Setting up:

The tables are not set out ready for when you arrive. At Expo one day before the event me and a team of four or five volunteers, or whoever else shows up for then will set out the table ready for the Weekend. If I can not attend, like last year for work reasons I will choose a responsible member of my table to lead this effort in my absence. There will be no pressure on people to turn up bang on time, just contact me when you arrive.

At the event:

Firstly there will be a duty roster or rota where people can put their names down for a particular shift to work from. This way the table is covered for lunch breaks and to allow people to wonder around the event to look at what it has to offer. Every person will be expected to spend some time at the table selling their goods.

People will also be expected to help other people sell their stuff as well. One for all and all for one. People will also be expected to keep track of their stock as there will be a communal cash box which will be divided up according at the end of the event.

I will be producing universal stock sheets to keep track of the sold stock. You personally will be responsible for marking down stock sold. We will also be able to tell from prior stock counts vs sales sheets whether anything has been stolen or misplaced. I will take no responsibility whatsoever for stock that goes missing through theft or incompetence.

So keep your eyes peeled and your minds sharp. As a security precaution, I will be keeping watch over the table most of the time to make sure that in the mad Expo rush people don't take anything they should not be.

Money and takings:

People are expected to bring their own cash boxes and you have sole responsibility for your money. Nobody else or myself will refund lost cash.

I hope I have given people an insight into how this works, I hope to see some of you on my tables. ^_^

Table space pricing: The price of each table space at events will very from event to event, depending on the number of people and the cost of each table itself. Once I have set a price though it will not go up for the duration of that event. In future the minimum space available from us for London MCM Expo will be 2ft by 2.5ft, the price as yet undetermined because this is thinking ahead to the future. To ensure all table space is sold and used and everyone gets a dealers pass there will be no more 1ft by 2.5ft spaces sold in future.

Dealer Passes: At London Expo the price of dealer passes will be worked into the cost of the table, at other conventions they are just a badge given to dealers, and serve no other purpose. Be aware also that because of the rules at certain events you might not be able to aquire a dealers pass. In these cases you will have to buy your own tickets.

My responsibilities: My only responsibility is to organise a table and get enough people involved to reduce the price per person to something manageable. This does not involve your personal safety, or your belongings or your stock. You are responsible for all aspects of your experience and I will accept no liability whatsoever for anything which goes missing through misplacement or theft. I accept no liability for anything for any reason at any time except for these few exceptions my sole responsibilty is to organise the table and show you to it on the day after which everything else is up to you unless I choose to involve myself.

Your responsibilities: You have full responsibility for your entire experience, how much you sell, whether you have a good time, your behaviour, your stock sheet, your money. You'll likely be asked to help out other people. Duties will likely be issued on a rota basis. Regardless of whomever is at the table at the time you are still responsible for your stuff.

These rules are subject to change at my leisure, if anyone dissagrees with these disclaimers and rules then you need not apply If you're happy to abide by them then by all means register your interest. These rules exist for the benefit of everyone and for the protection of everyone.

If you wish to contact me about these events then do so at: wrh2005@googlemail.com; or on my forums here on this site. ^_^