Over the past few years, as attendance at Comic-Con has grown by leaps and bounds, the number of people attending events has also grown. To make everyone’s programming experience as pleasant as possible, we ask that you follow these guidelines. While these apply to all events at Comic-Con, including gaming and anime screenings, they are particularly important in the big programming venues: Room 6CDEF, Ballroom 20, and Hall H.

New Procedures in 2007!

Because of the huge crowds experienced in Programming last year, Comic-Con has instituted a few new procedures for safety purposes and to help ease the line and crowd control issues we encountered in 2006. These include:

• Exit and Entrance Hallways! In the primary programming room area (Rooms 1 through 10 on the top level of the Convention Center), the four hallways leading into these rooms have been designated either as entrance only or exit only. Please look for the signage over each of the programming room hallways upstairs.
• Rooms will have signage for Entrance and Exit doors! In addition, each room has a definite entrance and exit, and some of the larger rooms have specific areas in which to line up in. When you’re in a room, please listen for the directions for leaving once it is over. Also, look for signage that will help you locate the correct line for each programming room.
• 15-minute breaks in the Biggest Programming Rooms! Comic-Con has instituted a 15-minute break between programs in the five largest programming rooms (6A, 6B, 6CDEF, Ballroom 20, and Hall H). Rooms will not be cleared during this break. This break is to better get attendees in and out of these larger rooms. (The programs in the other rooms—1AB, 2, 3, 4, 5AB, 8 and 10, plus new room 30AB and 30CDE—will still run back-to-back without breaks.)

Please keep in mind...

• Seating in all event rooms at Comic-Con is on a first-come, first-served basis. Because of the sheer number of attendees, simply having a badge does not guarantee a seat in programs and events, nor an autograph from a specific celebrity. If there is a specific program or presentation you would like to see, it's always a good idea to plan accordingly and arrive early.
• Seating is limited in each room, from the smallest (150 seats) to the largest (6,500). To help us all, please:
• Don't put your bags, food, etc. on the seat next to you.
• Keep seat-saving to an absolute minimum.
• Don't leave gaps in seating. Please fill in all seats.
• If you are standing in a room, you may be asked to move or find a seat. This request is for safety reasons and is under the jurisdiction of the Fire Marshal. We do not recommend standing in any programming room at any time.
• There is no reserved seating for press. Press badges do not guarantee entry to any event.
• No Room Clearing. Comic-Con does not clear rooms between events; you are permitted to stay in the same room for multiple programs.
• Full Rooms. Rooms filled to capacity will be closed, and no additional attendees will be admitted.
• Recording of any of the previews or footage projected onto the screens in any of the rooms is strictly prohibited. Hollywood movie and television studios go to great lengths and expense to bring these special showings for Comic-Con. In many cases these are exclusive presentations, specifically for you, the Comic-Con attendees. Recording of any of these presentations, by any means, including cameras and camera phones, is a violation of copyright law. Please don't ruin it for everyone! If any of these special presentations appear on the Internet, the studios may stop bringing these special presentations we all love so much. Comic-Con has an exemplary record in this regard, and that's why you'll continue to see exclusive presentations only at our events, but only you can make sure that continues.
• Photography. Each program has its own set of rules, and sometimes photography is allowed. When taking pictures, please keep these guidelines in mind:
• Keep flash photography to a minimum.
• Take photographs from your seat.
• Follow the rules of each particular panel. Some events will not allow photography of any kind. An announcement will be made if that is the case.
• Q&A. When asking questions of the people on stage, please be courteous. For example, please don't ask for a kiss, a hug, an autograph, a baby, a prom date, or to give them a copy of your script, résumé or movie. Such requests stop a program in its tracks. These celebrities are taking time out of their busy schedules to see you. Please treat them with respect. Because of time constraints, sometimes not everyone who gets in line will be able to ask a question.
• Cell phones, pagers. Just like in a movie theater, please silence all cell phones and pagers when you enter any room. If you must take a call, please leave the room to do so. Be courteous to your neighbors.
• Trash. Please take your trash with you. Remember that other people will also be attending events in the room following you. Do not leave trash on the chairs or in the area around your seat.
• Cancellations. In rare instances, a guest will have to cancel because of a situation out of his or her control. Keep in mind that programs, events, and listed appearances are subject to change.

In Hall H...

This year Comic-Con is once again using the massive 6,500-seat theater known as Hall H. This hall is so huge that in addition to the notes above, it has some specific guidelines:

• The line for Hall H starts to the left of the escalators outside of the entrance to Hall G.
• Please remain seated once an event starts and leave only after the event finishes.
• There are bathrooms in Hall H. When you are facing the stage, the men's and women's rooms are to your right. If you leave the hall, for any reason, you may not be allowed back in. Again, because of Fire Marshal rules, this is strictly enforced, with no exceptions.

Comic-Con has the best attendees in the world, and Hollywood studios, comics publishers, and everyone in the pop culture industries knows this. That’s why Comic-Con has the most incredible guests and programs of any convention. We know you’re here because you love this stuff as much as we do. Please keep the above guidelines in mind at all times, and we’ll all have a safe, courteous, and fun time at the show!