Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. A standard admission badge of any type is required for entry into the con, even if you are accepted as a panelist. Please note, Dream Con has discontinued complimentary badges for accepted panelists. As such, the previous refund process no longer exists, effective immediately.

This year, there are more opportunities for badge purchases. We believe this extended timeline promoted in advance of the event helps you adequately prepare for the convention regardless of the panel decision made. We recommend that you encourage friends you invite to your panel to acquire badges as soon as possible. Finally, we tried to keep this a surprise but couldn’t contain it any longer and want to make sure you are informed as tickets drop. We’re excited to offer two new additions this year for panelists. Accepted applicants will have their standard Weekend Badge converted to a Panelist Badge, allowing them to take advantage of the Panelist Package. Keep an eye out for more information about the Panelist Package when the panel application opens in late October.

WEEKEND Badge ($100)  This 3-day badge grants full standard access during regular show hours to Dream Con’s exhibit hall, gaming hall, tournaments, panels, screenings, and general convention space. 

PREMIUM Badge (TBD)* [Available via UPGRADE ONLY] *PRE-PURCHASED “WEEKEND” Badge Required. Limited Premium badges will be available for upgrade in June 2024. Please monitor the website, mobile app and social media accounts for updates regarding price and perks.

Dream Con is Friday, July 26 - Sunday, July 28, 2024, at the Austin Convention Center located at 500 E. Cesar Chavez St. and the Hilton Austin located at 500 E. 4th St in Austin, Texas.

Dream Con is thankful to have grown so quickly within the past two years; thus, we are moving to the Austin Convention Center to accommodate more attendees and enhance the Dream Con experience with a bigger venue. Additionally, we wanted to bring an anime and gaming convention to Austin which is closer to where RDCWorld resides.

In the past year, Covid-19 restrictions have shifted across the nation. The Dream Team has been keeping a close eye on these changes. More importantly, we are aware that changing policies have impacted insurance, thus impacting equitable access to Covid-19 tests and vaccination. From a lens of equity and access, we have amended our Covid-19 policy and appreciate your understanding. Please review the Rules and Policies page for additional details.

In 2023, we had limited and secured entrances into the Austin Convention Center. We had metal detectors and a bag policy. For the Hilton, it is a public hotel but we had unarmed security, local police, and first aid between the two floors (4th and 6th). 

If you need to report an incident, please fill out the Dream Con Incident Report Form.

Feel free to contact us with any additional questions, comments, or concerns at your convenience or leisure.‍

Weekend badges granting general admission access into the event will be available during three separate dates. The dates for the ticket/badge drops are:

Friday, September 15, 2023 at 7:00 pm CT / 8:00 pm ET / 5:00 pm PT.

TBA DECEMBER 2023

TBA MARCH 2024

Limited Premium badge upgrades will be available for purchase. A Weekend badge is required in order to be eligible for the upgrade. The date for the upgrade is:

TBA JUNE 2024

An admission badge is a physical plastic card (sometimes paper, metallic etc.) that contains various types of information relevant to the event such as a barcode, QR code, attendee name, venue maps, policies, disclaimers etc. This card is fastened to a lanyard that must be worn by each attendee for the duration of the event after being picked up from the registration area. Admission badges must remain in your possession and be visible at all times.

Admission badges will be checked repeatedly by event staff and security throughout the event. REMINDER: Attendance is a privilege, not a right. Badges can be voided and revoked at any time without refund at staff discretion, but especially, for violation of any policies, procedures, and protocol.

‍For this event, tickets are add-on products available in limited quantities and/or at an additional cost. This means in some instances both an admission badge and separate ticket may be required to participate in specific programming. Tickets may be utilized for special activities such as meet and greets, parties, maid cafes, demos, sporting events, sponsorship/partnership initiatives etc. Tickets may also be restricted exclusively to event attendees that have pre-purchased admission badges and may not be available to the general public.

Badge pickup is available on-site. We will announce the room location closer to the convention date. Attendees can visit the area to pick up badges during all three (3) days of the event. Check Dream Con’s website and mobile app for the Registration area hours of operation as these may vary from year to year. If that information has not been published on the aforementioned platforms, please continue to check back at a later time until they appear. When arriving at the venue, attendees should look for signage to assist/guide them towards the Registration area’s exact location.

Registration is where attendees go to receive their admission badge and other credentials to enjoy the convention. There will be signage when you arrive at the location, pointing you in the right direction, or you can ask an event associate where to go. 

‍NOTE: Special badge types (i.e. exhibitors, press, partners)  may have separate registration areas from the general public. If you have been approved for a special badge type, you will receive confirmation and follow up emails regarding all instructions for pick up. Please verify via the event department email address that issued your confirmation.

All three-day admission badges are only required to visit the registration area once: during their first day upon arriving on-site at the venue. The credentials claimed at this time during the initial pick-up will be valid for the entire duration of the event. If a supplemental credential (e.g. ADA wristband, weapons check, etc.) other than an admission badge has been lost or stolen an attendee may need to revisit the Registration area(s) for a replacement.

‍REMINDER: Admission badges that are lost or stolen will not be given complimentary or at-cost replacements.

Early registration is an optional opportunity for attendees to pick-up their pre-purchased admission badges and other credentials (i.e.  ADA wristband) in advance of the event’s primary programming days. Early registration may occur exactly one (1) calendar day (i.e. Thursday) prior to the main weekend of programming. The duration of Early Registration varies between approximately two (2) to eight (8) hours depending on staffing availability and attendee interest. Staff highly recommends participating in early registration to minimize/reduce wait times, foot traffic, and congestion at registration during regular programming hours. On-site/at-the-door sales of admission badges will not be available during early registration. ONLY admission badges pre-purchased online via GrowTix prior to this day will be available for pick-up. 

NOTE: Typically, there are no other official on-site activities in the venue(s) planned for attendees to participate on Thursday during early registration but please monitor the Dream Con mobile app, website, and social media accounts for any special updates/announcements.

REMINDER: Early Registration operations are subject to change each year at the event leadership’s discretion without notice. Confirm the location and hours of operation each year via official announcements from the Dream Con mobile app or website. If this information has not been announced upon viewing these platforms, please continue to revisit/check at a later time for future updates

There will be four (4) public releases to purchase admission badges during the following months: September, December, March, and June. Please monitor the Dream Con mobile app, website, and social media accounts for updates regarding future admission badge release dates.

WEEKEND Badge ($100)  This 3-day badge grants full standard access during regular show hours to Dream Con’s exhibit hall, gaming hall, tournaments, panels, screenings, and general convention space. 

‍PREMIUM Badge (TBD)* [Available via UPGRADE ONLY] *PRE-PURCHASED “WEEKEND” Badge Required. Limited Premium badges will be available for upgrade in June 2024. Please monitor the website, mobile app and social media accounts for updates regarding price and perks.

Please click the hyperlink from Dream Con's website or social media and you will be entered into a virtual queue. This "waiting room" is where all potential customers standby until it is their turn to make a purchase. The duration of a customer's wait varies greatly depending on your location in the virtual line, the amount of people ahead of you, and the quickness of their activity. There will be a progress bar on the screen showing your place in line and estimated wait time. When the bar is full, your screen will redirect to the GrowTix selection page to choose your desired ticket type and quantity. Each customer will have 10 minutes to complete the entire transaction. Please make your selection, enter your personal information, preferred payment option, and then press submit. Be sure to review all messaging including event disclaimers and the refund policy as each completed purchase represents a binding agreement in which customers confirm they have read and agree to abide by them.

GrowTix is the only approved platform to purchase authentic admission Dream Con badges at standard rates. Be advised our partners may use alternative platforms for their services and events. Dream Con strongly discourages attendees from purchasing any resold badges via social media such as lnstagram, Twitter, and Facebook. In most cases, these are typically scams.

‍The onsite registration area at our venue requires a valid photo ID in which the legal name matches the QR confirmation’s ticket name or billing information’s order name. Please keep in mind that the name on the badge, ticket, or order is not editable. As such, any person utilizing a resold ticket would not have their ID match, resulting in denied entry. As valued members of our community, please work together to inform one another and hold each other accountable.

Unfortunately, no. Dream Con does not offer options to mail badges via any courier or parcel delivery services. All orders must be picked up in person on-site at the venue by the registered name in GrowTix upon presenting a valid photo ID.

All badges must be picked up in-person at the venue and require a valid photo ID matching the QR confirmation code’s ticket name or the billing information’s order name as registered in the GrowTix system to be distributed by event associates. Both physical confirmations presented on paper and digital confirmations presented via mobile device will be scanned and must match the name registered in the GrowTix system. No person may present another person's identification to pick up an order regardless of their affiliation or relation. Verbal or written authorization to have another person present an ID that doesn't belong to them will not be accepted. No remote digital/virtual verification will be permitted. These included, but are not limited to, video conferencing software such as FaceTime, Zoom, Skype, Google Meet etc. Both paper and digital QR confirmations will be reviewed/scanned and must match the presented valid photo ID along with the information registered in the GrowTix system.

By default, all badges are registered under the order name listed on the billing information during the original transaction. A secondary “ticket name” may be assigned by the person listed on the order name. The ticket name is only authorized for badge pickup and venue entry. All other registration services such as purchasing upgrades and after party tickets as well as resending lost confirmations are accessible  only to the order name listed on the billing information. In the event of an ownership disagreement between the order name and the ticket name the person listed on billing information will be given precedence.

Acceptable forms of valid photo ID include Driver's license, Passport, Military ID, or state/local government identification card.

Other forms of ID may be acceptable at the discretion of Dream Con staff if they are issued by reputable, verifiable institutions and contain the following information: legal first name, legal last name, recent photo, issue date, and/or expiration date. Indication of date of birth is also recommended in the event an attendee expresses interest in age-restricted programming.

Each unique customer name and email is permitted to purchase a maximum of four (4) admission badges across all transactions and public admission releases. Any registered names, emails, or phone numbers that infringe on this protocol may have the applicable order(s) or prohibited purchases (i.e. five admission badges or more) CANCELED. Repeat offenders will incur cancellations without refunds which may result in a ban to future Dream Con events.

Event staff reserves the right to invoke this protocol at any point between the online transaction date/time and in-person pickup at the venue. All orders require the attendee’s legal name be submitted prior to purchase and must match a valid photo ID physically presented on-site by the credential's original owner. This is mandatory, non-negotiable, and required for pickup at the venue. No remote/digital identity verification will be accepted.

No. By registering for a Dream Con badge, you agree not to sell, trade, transfer, or share your promotional code, email confirmation, or badge. Confirmations and/or badges that have been sold or provided by anyone other than Dream Con will not be honored.

‍An individual may buy badges for other people, however, there are a few things that should be considered:

a. For onsite pickup, our registration area requires a valid photo ID matching the name on the order and/or ticket name. If both the order and/or badge name are registered in your name and NOT in the person you are purchasing on behalf of then that person is unable to pick up the badge. Even if that person is the one who will actually be on-site at the venue to attend the event, their entry will still be denied. No exceptions. The order and/or badge name MUST be in the name of the person who will physically attend the event.

b. Upgrades and some separately ticketed events are sold through GrowTix and are only accessible via the original customer's email and GrowTix account used to submit the order. The person you purchase on behalf of will not be able to participate in these upgrades or exclusive sales if their information is not submitted in the billing information section; you will have to log in to your email and GrowTix account again at a later time to do so on their behalf. No exceptions.

c. If you are purchasing on behalf of minors, please note that those attendees are still required to have an adult/guardian/companion with a valid photo ID on-site to pick up the badge (especially if they do not have a valid photo ID themselves).

Minors between the ages of fourteen (14) and seventeen (17) are recommended to have an adult/guardian/companion on-site remain at the venue. Minor attendees thirteen (13) and younger are required to have an adult attend and remain on-site at the venue at all times.

Yes. The cosplay contest is free to enter, however, a previously purchased admission badge of any type is required and should be procured prior to submitting an entry application. Companions/assistants of contestants should also purchase badges if attending the con.

Yes. A standard admission badge of any type is required before entering and will be cross-checked with the GrowTix database to ensure enrollment. These tournaments also have a separate entry fee that must be paid. Please note the entry fee is non-refundable under every circumstance; even if a competitor is unable to secure an admission badge in a timely manner. Please pursue at your own risk.

Yes. A standard admission badge of any type is required for entry into the con, even if you are accepted as a panelist. Please note, Dream Con has discontinued complimentary badges for accepted panelists. As such, the previous refund process no longer exists, effective immediately.

‍This year, there are more opportunities for badge purchases. We believe this extended timeline promoted in advance of the event helps you adequately prepare for the convention regardless of the panel decision made. We recommend that you encourage friends you invite to your panel to acquire badges as soon as possible.

Finally, we tried to keep this a surprise but couldn’t contain it any longer and want to make sure you are informed as tickets drop. We’re excited to offer two new additions this year for panelists. Accepted applicants will have their standard Weekend Badge converted to a Panelist Badge, allowing them to take advantage of the Panelist Package. Keep an eye out for more information about the Panelist Package when the panel application opens in late October.

Although not required, staff highly recommends purchasing a standard admission badge during public release. In the event an applicant is not selected a standard badge purchase will guarantee entry to Dream Con. Each program has limited capacity and additional opportunities for rejected applicants to purchase badges will not be available. Please review each department’s webpage and application for additional details.

Rejected applicants will not receive an extra opportunity to purchase badges after all public releases have been completed. We recommend purchasing a badge during the public release if you would like to guarantee entry to Dream Con in the event you are not chosen to participate in one of the aforementioned areas/departments.

Unfortunately, no. The standard rates will apply.

Accessibility wristbands are offered free to fans with mobility, vision, hearing, ASL, and other medical or accessibility needs. These wristbands can be picked up onsite at Dream Con's registration and information areas. Please note: These wristbands only provide additional access and do not include admission. ADA attendees and their companions/assistants must still have a pre-purchased admission badge prior to requesting a complimentary accessibility wristband.

Unfortunately, no. Badges will not be given complimentary or at cost replacements. The confirmation email/webpage QR code(s) used for pick-up will not act as a substitute for the original admission badge and does not entitle the attendee to a replacement admission badge. Please be mindful and responsible of your admission credentials at all times.

Upgraded badges are limited quantities of premiere passes that grant access to additional perks, rewards, and benefits to a select group of attendees. The product names vary from year to year and sometimes include commemorative and special packages. All registered Weekend badge customers will be permitted to participate in an upgrade session where they simply pay the difference between their currently purchased badge and the desired badge.

‍REMINDER: Upgrades have limited availability and are not guaranteed to all qualifying customers. Only the email and name submitted with the original billing information will be permitted to perform the upgrade.

Only pre-purchased and pre-registered Weekend Plus badges directly from GrowTix are eligible to participate in upgrade sessions. Weekend badges are ineligible and unable to be swapped/ upgraded to Weekend Plus.

Only the order name/ email of the primary customer listed on the billing information from the original transaction via the GrowTix website may participate in upgrade sessions. If multiple badges within a single order have been assigned different ticket names, only the name/ email listed on the billing information will be permitted to select and confirm upgrades for all the badges within that same order. This is non-negotiable and badges are non-transferable.

You must create an account with https://Growtix.com under "MY TICKETS" and be logged in to the website. If you purchased a badge and didn't create an account prior to the purchase that is ok. When you create an account using the same email, name, and other personal information from the previous transaction, the system will automatically link and display your prior purchases to the newly created account. Please note you MUST be the original primary customer whose order name/email is registered on the transaction’s billing information to participate in upgrade sessions. If multiple badges/QR confirmations with individual names are present in the same order, only the original primary customer on the billing information is authorized to select and redeem upgraded badges for attendees in their group while supplies last. There are no exceptions.

For full details please review the Badge Upgrade Walkthrough.

Upgrades are final, irreversible, non-transferable, and non-refundable. Customers cannot revert back to any previously held badge. No exceptions will be made due to personal circumstances such as a fellow weekend plus badge holder in your group (e.g. friend, family member, partner/ significant other etc.) being unable to claim the upgraded badge for personal or technical reasons. Be mindful of this potential outcome prior to pursuing an upgrade.

No. All badge perks/rewards/benefits are only applicable to the original order name listed on the billing information or ticket name next to the QR code for which the registration was submitted under. They cannot be applied or transferred verbally or in writing to any person including, but not limited to, friends, coworkers, children, spouses, partners, business associates etc. If each person in a group is interested in redeeming the same perks/rewards/benefits then  each person must purchase and possess their own badge.

GrowTix acts as a data processor for and on behalf of partners and clients in event management-related services included but not limited to registration and ticketing, credit card processing, event data management. Personal data processed by GrowTix on behalf of clients are not used by GrowTix for any purpose other than the fulfillment of contracted services with said clients.

RDCWorld and their guests reach millions of people from various backgrounds across multiple platforms all over the world. Unfortunately, it is impossible to meet that demand but we do our best to ensure everyone has a chance.

Each year, we anticipate tens of thousands of potential attendees attempt to access the ticketing platform simultaneously during each release. This can cause the system to become overwhelmed. Even if there were badges available for each person that wanted one, the sheer quantity of people accessing the same digital point of sale at once will continue to cause errors, failures, and crashes. We appreciate your patience, cooperation, and support.

Unfortunately, until a customer clicks "submit" and receives a confirmation email with a QR code, a badge is not guaranteed. At any given moment, the badge(s) in your cart will be up for grabs by hundreds, if not, thousands of people.

The charge is likely an "authorization hold" which serves as a digital ping by the ticketing platform to verify the authenticity of the financial account information input during checkout before finalizing the transaction. If you have an authorization hold but did not receive a confirmation screen and/ or email confirmation, contact us to verify the registered email was input correctly.

If the email was entered correctly, badges may have sold out right before the "submit" button was pushed; therefore, the hold should be reversed due to insufficient product quantity and removed within seven (7) to fourteen (14) business days. NOTE: Having a badge in your cart does not guarantee a purchase. If another customer in a remote location is faster at completing the process, the badge in your cart may be removed if there are no additional supplies of that product type left in stock.

Use the Confirmation Email Form to transmit previously issued confirmations but only to the originally submitted email from the order billing information.

‍If a confirmation email was forwarded to you from the original customer, or you no longer have access to that email, please contact us to explore potential recovery options.

Minors Five (5) Years Old and Under:
There is no admission cost for children five (5) and under to attend Dream Con. Up to two (2) children per paying adult will be permitted. These attendees must remain under direct adult supervision for the duration of the event by a person with a purchased badge and valid photo ID. If venue or event staff evaluates and determines that sufficient supervision is not being provided, all parties may be subject to disciplinary action up to and including removal from the event/ vacating the premises.

Minors Six (6) Years Old to Seventeen (17):
An admission badge is required for all minor attendees six (6) years old to seventeen (17) years old. Please keep in mind that these attendees must have an adult present for the initial badge pickup.
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For minors, a valid photo ID is not required but highly recommended to ensure that they can redeem their badge on-site for pickup in the event of extreme scenarios: If a parent/ guardian/ companion who has purchased badges on behalf of a minor attendee between the ages of thirteen (13) and seventeen (17) and is listed as the original customer on the order's billing information but can no longer attend the event to verify pickup, the minor attendee may still pick up their badges if all the following criteria are met:

a. the minor attendee's legal name is present on the badge
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b. the minor attendee displays a valid photo ID matching the name on the order and/ or badge, and
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c. a different parent/ guardian/ companion with a valid photo ID is present to authorize/ approve the pickup.
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Regard less of the minor's possession of a valid photo ID, a parent/ guardian/ companion with a valid photo ID must also be present on-site at the venue to approve the pick-up of their badge(s) for all persons under the age of 18.
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After picking up badges, it is recommended but not required that attendees between seventeen (17) years old and thirteen (13) years old remain with an adult in possession of an admission badge and valid photo ID for the duration of the event.

All minors twelve (12) and under are required to have an adult nearby/ inside the venue while attending the event in case of emergency. Please note the parent/ guardian/ companion should be the same person from the original order/ billing information. If these are two separate people BOTH need to be present to authorize distribution and pick up badges.

Unfortunately, no. All sales are final. No refunds, transfers, exchanges, or rollovers will be authorized due to customer personal circumstances including, but not limited to, illness, marriage, divorce, educational enrollment, military deployment, change in employment status, etc. We apologize for the inconvenience however this is a critical component in combatting scalpers and scammers. This policy is not meant to pressure any person into making a purchase. Please only commit and make a purchase if you feel capable and comfortable assuming such financial risk.

Transfers are any attempt/ request to redeem or utilize a registered admission badge by a different person/ third-party that was not transmitted/submitted during checkout of the original completed transaction. Admission and perks can only be used/redeemed by the registered person/name in the GrowTix system and are not transferable to anyone, including friends, children, partners, spouses, etc. Neither written consent nor video conferencing (FaceTime, Zoom etc.) will be accepted.

Approved exhibitors, panelists, and press whose associates have a sudden change of plans may not loan/ give their credentials to another under any circumstances. Dream Con's Programming, Press or Exhibitor teams must be contacted with a formal request from the original program applicant(s) no less than 30 days prior to the beginning of the event; or a date/ time agreed upon in writing by the Programming/ Press/ Exhibitor director. If approved, fees may apply as determined by the director. No changes will be authorized within 14 calendar days of the event's first full day of programming.

Rollovers are requests to validate a ticket/badge registered, issued and/or distributed during the current event/ year for a future event/ year. Dream Con's ticket types, classifications, benefits, and prices may shift from year to year and there may not be an equivalent product type available. Thus, standard policy is that rollovers not be authorized unless under extreme circumstances that have been formally reviewed by executive staff.

Dream Con strongly discourages attendees from selling/purchasing resale badges on any platform especially via social media (i.e. lnstagram, Twitter, and Facebook). The onsite registration area at our venue requires a valid photo ID be presented by the original customer/badge holder on-site with the legal name to match the originally submitted name on the order. The name on the order is not editable. Therefore any person utilizing a resold ticket will not match, fail verification, and thus be denied entry to the event. These are typically scams with people attempting to edit the name text to fool their victim.

‍Our registration associate will scan the QR code whether it is presented physically or digitally. Even if the physical paper presented displays an edited unauthorized name, the original/scanned name shown by the GrowTix system will be given precedence and entry will be denied. Please consider and understand this before making your purchase. We encourage all community members to inform and hold each other accountable.