Vendor Hall Information

Our Vendor Halls

Further Confusion offers four distinct vendor spaces across the convention. Each has its own application process, schedule, and audience.

📣 New for FC2027: All Vendor Halls will be moving to a new, larger space.

Vendor Hall Staff

Your Further Confusion Vendor Halls staff are as follows:

• Ryoohki - Vendor Halls Lead (ryoohki@furtherconfusion.org)
• Zach Gregoire - Vendor Halls Second (zach@furtherconfusion.org)
• Moo Lawgoat - Vendor Halls Coordinator/consultant (moo@furtherconfusion.org)
• DjEAR - Night Market Lead (ear@furtherconfusion.org)
• Gila Bender - Night Market Second (gila@furtherconfusion.org)

Applying to Vend

Applying to vend at Further Confusion is a two-step process through our Vendor Portal:

1. Submit your business information - fill out your business profile, portfolio, and table setup details.
2. Apply to each hall you’re interested in - once your business info is submitted, you can apply to any of the vendor spaces below.

📥 Review our guide on how to submit an application
📧 Sign up for our FurCon Business mailing list

Key Requirements

Every vendor must meet all of the following:

• Must be 18 or older to apply and sell. This applies to you and any assistants staffing your table. No exceptions.

• A valid California Seller’s Permit is required. You do not need your permit number when applying, but you must have it available at Dealer Check-In. If we cannot verify your permit at that time, you will not be allowed to vend. See Seller Permits section of the Vendor Rules for details on how to obtain one.

• Convention membership is required and is NOT included with your table fee. You must register for the convention separately. Registration should be completed before the convention, as it is also required to secure early-access hotel booking.

• Table fees must be paid in full within 30 days of receiving your invoice, unless prior arrangements have been made with the Dealer Lead.

Table Fees

Dealer’s Den

All Dealer’s Den tables include approximately 4ft (1219mm) of space behind the table.

Adult Dealer’s Den

Artist Alley

Artist Alley spaces are single-day assignments. See the Artist Alley page for full details on the lottery, hours, and check-in.

Note: Access to electricity is not guaranteed in the Artist Alley.

Night Market

See the Night Market page for event details, schedule, and attendee information.

Power Drops

An additional $80 fee applies to power drops in the Dealer’s Den, Adult Dealer’s Den, and Night Market.

Power can be requested if you require a dedicated power outlet. Requesting power will affect your seating placement, as powered tables must be placed together. If you only need a phone or tablet top-up, we will have rechargeable USB battery packs available to lend (just bring your charging cable)!

Table fees do not include convention membership

Further Confusion has decoupled table fees from convention memberships, making the process more flexible for dealers and their assistants; whether you register as an Attending member, Sponsor, Super Sponsor, or Volunteer.

Dealer table fees are refundable; convention memberships are non-refundable donations to Anthropomorphic Arts and Education, Inc.

Selection Process

Further Confusion’s vendor selection is a juried process, not “first-come, first-served.”

Who decides and how?

The Selection Committee is composed of a minimum of five individuals including members of the Board of Directors of Anthropomorphic Arts and Education, Inc., Further Confusion volunteers, and other furry fans who bring differing perspectives. They are selected by the Dealer Lead to represent a mix of interests, ages, and demographics for a fair and balanced selection.

Why do you ask for a website and images of previous table setups?

We cannot guarantee that every Selection Committee member is familiar with every dealer’s work. We also understand that available inventory changes over time. Effective use of space is a factor in selection, particularly when determining how much space to allocate. If you are new to the convention circuit or don’t have a photo of your setup, a mockup (e.g., set up your “table” at home) works well (even just a drawing of how you intend to use the space). Thoughtful use of space goes a long way!

Why does Further Confusion keep applications open for a week or more?

Our dealers come from a broad cross-section of the community with different schedules, accessibility considerations, and internet availability. We also recognize that technical glitches happen. With that in mind, we do not factor application time or order received. All applications are scored based on content alone.

Wait-list

Typically, the wait list is capped at 25 spots, as it is extremely unlikely that we need to back-fill more than 25 additional vendors.

• Wait-list slots are assigned based on Selection Committee ranking. We will make our best effort to keep dealers informed of their relative position (e.g., “near the top,” “middle”). Further Confusion does not provide specific wait-list numbers, as factors like requested table size must be considered.

Venue Specifics

About table fees

The vendor halls in the Convention Center require rental and labor costs for setup, management, and tear-down. We have structured our pricing to reach as close to cost-neutral as possible while still having lower-cost options available. Table, booth, and power fees do not represent a source of income for the convention. Prices may be adjusted between years in response to vendor negotiations and more accurate cost estimates.

More about power fees

In the Convention Center, we are not able to use our own power equipment. Power is an optional add-on that dealers can request when applying, and we seat “powered” dealers together to share access and minimize costs. If you require more than 500W of power, please speak with us for special arrangements.

Wi-Fi

The San Jose Convention Center provides Wi-Fi access for vendors in the Vendor Halls. Please use it only for business transactions and reference lookups; bandwidth-intensive activities such as streaming should be avoided.

Regarding load-in and display materials

Most merchandise and wares must be moved through the loading dock, where Team San Jose staff will be on hand to assist during Load-in and Load-out hours. Only small, hand-carried items may be brought directly into the vendor space. Vendors with rolling carts, pallets, or elaborate booth equipment should plan to use the loading dock. We will inquire about load-in needs closer to the convention and update this section with the latest logistics information as it becomes available.

Vendor Halls Hours

The schedule above covers the Dealer’s Den, Adult Dealer’s Den, and Artist Alley. For Night Market hours, see the Night Market page.

Table Sharing and Transfers

Pending approval from the Dealer Lead, dealers may share their table with another dealer who was not selected through the selection process.

• Dealers wishing to share must be accepted and registered for a Full Table or Booth, and must have their sharing request confirmed by the Dealer Lead before the convention.

• Half Tables and Double Tables may not be shared.

• If a Full Table or Booth is shared, each business entity must have their own California Seller’s Permit on file.

• “Sharing” occurs when both the original dealer and the added dealer are present and selling from the same table concurrently.

• Table and booth spaces may not be transferred. A “transfer” occurs when an accepted dealer attempts to give their table to another dealer without intending to also be present and selling at that table.

Hotel Booking

Further Confusion works to give dealers at least one week of advance access to book hotel rooms before bookings open to the public. Hotel booking information will be sent to accepted dealers ahead of the booking window.

• Whenever possible, please book the hotel reservation under the same legal name as the primary dealer contact for the business.
• You won’t need to know your roommates yet. You can add them to your reservation later.
• If you need more than one room, please reach out to dealers@furtherconfusion.org.

Dealer Check-in and Setup

The schedule listed above is our target for Dealer Check-In and setup. If there are unforeseen schedule-impacting events, we will make announcements via our social media, email newsletter, and the update board at the entrance to the Dealer Rooms.

What You Need to Bring for Check-in

1. A government-issued ID (driver’s license or passport) with the legal name under which you registered.

2. A copy of your California Seller’s Permit, which must be kept at your table during all business hours.

3. Any other documentation requested via email in advance.

Assistants

Every Dealer seat comes with the ability to designate another convention member as an assistant. Assistants can check in and receive their convention badges with you at Dealer Check-In, but only if: (a) they have pre-registered for the convention, and (b) you have added them using the Manage Assistants tool in our Vendor Portal.

You may change assistants later if needed. When submitting an assistant, please confirm:

1. They are registered with the convention at any membership level.
2. You have added them via the Manage Assistants tool.

California Seller’s Permits

Every business selling in the Dealer Rooms, Night Market, or Artist Alley must have a valid California Seller’s Permit. Please see the Seller Permits section of the Vendor Rules for more information on obtaining a permit. We will verify your permit in advance and at Dealer Check-In.

Note: You do not need your permit number to apply, but you must have it available no later than Dealer Check-In. If we cannot verify your permit at that time, we cannot allow you to vend. See Section 4 of the Vendor Rules for full details.

Health & Safety in the Vendor Halls

Safety is a top priority for Further Confusion. Please see the Further Confusion Health and Safety Policy for details.

Please Note: Masks are required in the FC Dealer Rooms.

Our Policies

There are several important aspects of our vendor policies you should review before applying. We encourage all potential vendors to completely review our rules and policies regarding selling goods and services at Further Confusion. Though we do not anticipate being able to accept all applicants, we want the selection process to be fair and positive for everyone.

AI-Generated Content: Artwork and merchandise created with AI tools are not permitted for sale or display in the Vendor Halls. Portfolio materials in applications may not contain AI-generated content. Please review Section 5.13 of the Vendor Rules for full details.

Resources

📑 Review the full Further Confusion Vendor Rules

📧 Sign up for our FurCon Business mailing list

📥 Review our guide on how to submit an application

📦 Shipping to Further Confusion

If you have any questions

Please reach out to us at dealers@furtherconfusion.org. We look forward to working with you to make Further Confusion’s Vendor Halls the best they can be!