General
Please refer to the Bay Center’s website for more information about their policies, especially the new safety procedures that have been put in place.
Pensacon has events taking place throughout the day and night beginning Friday at 1:00 pm and ending Sunday at 6:00 pm. The main venues are the Pensacola Bay Center and Pensacola Grand Hotel, with some events taking place at the Saenger Theatre, Rex Theatre and Pensacola Little Theatre. Each venue will have different hours based on events taking place there. See the Venues page for details.
Other venues throughout downtown Pensacola will be used for other events and official parties, both before and during Pensacon. Consult the program book, the mobile app, and the website for more information.
Our Pensacon mobile app will be updated closer to the event date on both the Apple Store and Google Play. On the app, you will find all the information you need about Pensacon, including celebrity info, schedule of events, maps of venues, and much more.
Pensacon welcomes families and attendees of all ages. Some panels and special events such as after hours parties may not be appropriate for minors, so parents please use discretion when bringing your children to select events. Sunday is designated as Family Day, and we will have special panels and activities designed for kids to enjoy. Our staff and volunteers work hard to ensure a safe, friendly, and fun environment for all.
Due to the number of attendees and the Bay Center’s safety policy, strollers are not allowed in the Bay Center on Saturday. Pensacon and the Bay Center reserve the right to deny strollers entry on other days if deemed necessary due to capacity in the area.
Pensacon has grown too large to be confined in just the Bay Center, so we have spread out to various venues throughout Pensacola. The Vendor Floor, Artist Alley, Writer’s Row, celebrity signings, and celebrity Photo Ops will take place at the Bay Center, but celebrity panels, community/fan panels, board and card games, and special events will be held at the Pensacola Grand Hotel, the Rex Theatre, the Pensacola Little Theatre, and the Saenger Theatre. All venues are within walking distance, but free trolleys will be available as well to get you around town.
Many local hotels have partnered with Pensacon to provide special rates for attendees and vendors. As soon as this information is available, we will post it here on the Hotels section of the website.
Many of our attendees enjoy wearing costumes and spend a lot of time, effort, and money in creating their costumes (“cosplay”). However, it is absolutely not a requirement to wear a costume to attend Pensacon. Part of the fun is coming out to see how creative some of the costumes can be! And be sure to attend the Official Pensacon Cosplay Contest sponsored by McGuire’s Irish Pub on Saturday night at the Saenger Theatre.
Please consult our Weapons Policy for costumes.
Pensacon staff and volunteers work hard to ensure that everyone enjoys their time at the convention and is safe. Feel free to bring any problems you may have to our volunteers and they can escalate it up the chain of command as appropriate. You may also address your concerns with the staff at the Special Services table in front of the Bay Center. Our Safety Team will coordinate with venue security and onsite emergency personnel if the need arises.
We also provide Safe Havens located throughout each venue. If you are subjected to unacceptable, harassing, or threatening behavior, please contact a staff member or volunteer immediately. If a staff member or volunteer is not readily available or if you feel threatened in any manner, please proceed directly to any of the Pensacon information booths, merchandise booths, ticket booths, or vendor booth identified as a Safe Haven.
For more information on Pensacon’s Mission Statement, Vision Statement, Statement of Values, and Safe Environment Policy, visit our Info and Policies pages.
The lot in front of the Bay Center off Alcaniz Street and the paved lot across the street are reserved for attendees with VIP passes and the lot in the back of the Bay Center off 9th Avenue is reserved for volunteers, vendors, and media. You must have the appropriate passes to park in either lot.
The gravel lot across Alcaniz Street from the Bay Center is available for attendees. Cost is $10 with no re-entry. Parking is also available throughout the city, and while prices may vary, the typical price is also $10. Free trolleys will be running throughout the downtown area one hour prior to Pensacon’s opening each day, and will run all day and into the evening on Friday and Saturday.
See the Transportation page for more details.
Trolley will stop at the Bay Center, Pensacola Grand Hotel, Rex Theatre, Pensacola Little Theatre, and Saenger Theatre. Other stops and exact locations will be announced closer to the date of the convention.
See the Transportation page for more details.
Trolleys are free for all attendees, guests, staff, and volunteers of Pensacon.
Absolutely. Pensacon will have several merchandise booths at the Bay Center. There is one located on the first floor near the Gaming Room (Room A), one on the third floor near the north entrance, and one on the Vendor Floor. We will sell a variety of T-shirts, hoodies, and other branded merchandise. Also, you can purchase merchandise from past shows at our Online Store.
Ticketing
Visit the “Passes” page on the website for details and purchase links.
There is a possibility of passes selling out before the convention. We will be capping our ticket sales this year.
Visit the “Passes” page on the website for details and purchase links. Prices do increase throughout the year.
Yes, if we do not sell out before the convention. However, there will be an increase in prices at the door for weekend passes. Please note that even though Pensacon is using a “campus approach” with multiple venues, passes are only available for pickup during the convention at the Bay Center. If you have pre-purchased a day pass, you must pick it up there before heading to any of the other venues.
Advance tickets (those eligible for early pickup) must be purchased by the Wednesday prior to the show.
Weekend passes purchased in advance can be picked up at the Pensacola Bay Center from 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm on the Thursday before Pensacon weekend. Day passes and weekend passes can also be picked up at the Pensacola Bay Center as early as one hour before the convention opens – Friday 12:00 pm, Saturday 9:00 am, Sunday 9:00 am. Please note that day passes cannot be picked up in advance – for example, if you purchased a Saturday pass, you can only pick this up on Saturday.
Bring the printout of your ticket from Showclix and your photo ID to claim your pass.
No, single-day passes will only be available to pick up the day of.
Your pass allows you access into all Pensacon-related events happening at the Pensacola Bay Center, the Pensacola Grand Hotel, the Rex Theatre, the Pensacola Little Theatre, the Saenger Theatre, and all venues hosting Official Pensacon Parties and Events downtown.
Yes, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday are included in the three-day weekend passes.
No, your pass will have your name on it and will allow access to you only.
Celebrity Guests
Unless otherwise noted, all celebrity guests will be located on the second floor of the Pensacola Bay Center. The easiest way to get there is to follow the signs to the outside stairs on the north side of the Bay Center. For those needing access via a wheelchair or a similar accommodation, there is an elevator that can be accessed on the first third floors on the West side, and on the third floor on the East side. The celebrities are located on both the east side and the west side of the second floor, which are designated Celebrity East and Celebrity West. If you reach the second floor via the elevator, you will need to head through the tunnel to get around to the celebrities on the other side.
Most of the celebrity guests charge for autographs, and depending on the celebrity, they may also charge to take photos with them. Prices vary per celebrity guest. Guests do not provide their prices in advance, but most charge between $20 – $80 for an autograph. Professional photo opportunities will be available for purchase through Wolf Studios Photography.
On the vendor floor, Wolf Studios Photography will be set up to take professional photos of you with our celebrity guests. Photo ops can be pre-purchased before the event via the website link above, or during the convention by visiting Wolf Studios Photography’s table on the vendor floor. It is recommended that you pre-purchase desired photo ops so that you are guaranteed a spot. Photo op sales during the show are cash only.
We highly recommend that you purchase a professional photo ops with desired celebrity guests, to ensure that you get one. These are available in advance here: Wolf Studios Photography. Each professional photo op comes with an 8×10 print, and the option to purchase a digital copy. Some celebrity guests may allow selfies at their tables for a set fee, but there are no guarantees as to who will offer these. Before you attempt to take a photo with or of any celebrity, you must ask their permission.
Yes. Unless otherwise noted, all celebrity guests will be at Pensacon all three days.
Being Part of Pensacon
The volunteer application can be found on our Applications page. Volunteer applications will open in the late summer or fall of each year. It is best to volunteer as early as possible to take advantage of information that is disseminated to our volunteer crew. Training is mandatory for all volunteers.
Pensacon encourages members of the community to volunteer to run panels with topics ranging from movies & TV, comic book, science & technology, production & performance arts, cosplay, and much more. If you have a unique idea for a panel that you would like to hold, you may submit an application when they open.
Similarly, we are looking for experts in various fields to volunteer to run workshops, to host games, conduct demonstrations of skills, or to perform on stage. If you would like to participate in this manner, please submit a Special Activities application.
We welcome businesses in the downtown area to host an Official Event such as a party, themed dinner, or other activity either during the day or in the evening. Applications can be found on our Applications page.
Pensacon also offers opportunities for businesses to become sponsors and to advertise with us. For details, go to our Sponsorships page.
Pensacon offers free tables for fan groups and non-profit organizations from the community throughout the lobby of the Pensacola Grand Hotel. Space is limited. Applications for community tables can be found on our Applications page.
Booths on the vendor floor are curated, which means they are not sold on a “first-come” basis. As they are in high demand, we recommend filling out the application as soon as they become available. More information can be found at the Applications page.
In addition to the high-profile artists and authors Pensacon brings as guests, we also offer the opportunity for local artists and self-published authors to sell their artwork and books by purchasing a table at either Artist Alley or Writer’s Row. For more information, visit the Applications page.
Media
If you are interested in covering Pensacon, applications will open in October. Keep an eye on our Applications page.
Please allow 2-3 weeks for review and follow up.
Members of the media who are approved for a media pass will be notified by Kat Bishop, Director of Marketing & Communications. She will provide approved applicants with a link to request interviews. All requests will be reviewed and submitted through the proper channels, and you will be notified of your scheduled interview time and location, if granted.
Members of the media who wish to receive a media pass must first submit an application via the Applications page before the posted deadline. Approved media personnel will be provided with media passes that will allow them entry to the convention and official Pensacon events all weekend, as well as a media kit. Interviews with Pensacon guests must be approved prior to the convention by the Kat Bishop, Director of Marketing.
