Frequently Asked Questions

Greetings! PantheaCon is the nation’s largest multi-tradition pagan religious conference. Our purpose is for everyone to come together in safe place to celebrate Community.

Since we are such a popular event, here are a few guidelines & suggestions to make things easier:

1. An oldie but a goodie: “Do onto others as you would have them do unto you”. The Golden Rule is essential in a crowded, heavily charged environment. Also, “Please”, “Thank you” and “Excuse me” go a long way towards keeping the peace. Remember, while the Convention is about you as an individual, it’s also about us as a greater spiritual Community, so please act accordingly.
2. Please treat the all Volunteer Staff with dignity and respect. We work around the clock on site to help you have the best experience possible. Organization, very precise scheduling, limited room capacities and last minute changes are all part of being at a Conference as compared to a Festival.
3. Read your Schedule of Events Program Guidebook, not just the Pocket Program.The large Program Guidebook has all the details for each event including whether you’ll need your ID, if cell phones are allowed, if it’s a “Closed” presentation, a “Closed” ritual, Adults only, etc. “X” marks the spot for “Closed” presentations that will start promptly, so be patiently lined up and waiting outside the room at least 15 minutes early but no earlier than 30 minutes for Big Names and/or popular presentations.
4. Pick only 3 ‘”must see” presentations a day to have fun and play. Because of the popularity of this conference and our room sizes, you will not be able to see everything you want, so plan accordingly and go with the flow. Doing something in every other time slot is ideal because it gives you plenty of time to eat, rest and line-up. While in line, take the opportunity to meet new people, network and turn it into a fun, productive space.
5. Remember, if you have a disability that is not immediately apparent, please let a Staff member know so we can accommodate you at the front of the line.
6. Keep a Watch or Timepiece other than your phone with you at all times and check it frequently.We must run a tight ship time-wise so it is your responsibility to know how long it takes you to get across the hotel, where the rooms are located and allot extra time for slow elevators and servers.
7. You MUST wear shoes in all the Common areas. This has always been Hotel policy and we need to enforce it. You seriously do not want to walk barefooted on these carpets, especially in the high traffic areas.
8. Breathe, Ground & Center frequently. With so many openly spiritual people crammed into such a small space, it’s very important to remember to use your shields and review & reset your personal wards at various points during the day.
9. DO NOT photograph any attendees without their explicit permission.  We take attendee privacy very seriously.  Please see your Program Guide for more information.

Again, we welcome you and thank you in advance for your awesome behavior so everyone here can have a great Con. May Peace & Cooperation prevail!

We are a conference for Pagans, Heathens, Indigenous Non-European and many of diverse beliefs that occurs annually over President’s Day weekend. Well over 2000 people attend more than 200 presentations that range from rituals to workshops and from classes to concerts.

Visit our Resources For Presenters page for information and answers to Presenter FAQs.

You can find a list on our website by clicking here.  We also will have lists of restaurants located nearby at the Information table. The hotel has Spencer’s, an expensive restaurant, the sushi/quiet bar, or Sprigs cafe. During the day they will have a cart with sandwiches, etc. We have set aside one hour for lunch and two hours for dinner, with thirty minutes between programming items otherwise.

As Gryphons (Volunteers), we can be called upon to assist any other department or to do our own specific duties such as monitoring access to presentations and parties.  Volunteers can earn back their Registration fee and may be considered for open Staff positions at future Cons.  Important notes:

1. You must be at least 16 years old to be a Gryphon
2. The minimum shift length is two hours
3. You must work at least eight hours to earn any refund
4. The number of hours required to earn back your Registration fee varies by the amount you paid.  At this year’s rates, it will take eight hours to earn back a $55 dollar registration and 10.5 hours to earn back a $75 registration
5. No one but you can work hours towards your refund
6. You cannot earn more money back than you paid to get into the conference
7. Unfortunately, we do not have crash space for people to sleep
8. Volunteers are responsible for feeding themselves throughout the Con

Here’s how the process works. On arriving at Con, visit Registration to register and pick up your badge.  With badge in hand, please come to Gryphon Central (in Room 245 on the 2nd Floor behind the elevators). You will need to fill out a Volunteer Form and have your picture taken (for our records only), and you will be given a Gryphon number and a time sheet. Your time sheet will be used to determine your refund amount.  To ensure that you receive credit for all hours worked, you MUST check in at the room 245 at least 15 minutes prior to your shift and after the end of your shift – your time sheet must be updated and initialed by a Staff member.  We have an immediate reimbursement policy, which means that you will receive a check on-site after you’ve worked your specified number of hours.

Our work trade agreement also specifies that once you are assigned a shift and have agreed to work it, you must show up or face serious repercussions (e.g. losing all hours previously worked on that day).   Current work trade rates will be available at the Gryphon’s Lair and on your Volunteer form.

To get started, start by checking the online Schedule of Events to determine the days and times you’re available.  Once you’ve done that, please come upstairs to Room 245 as soon as you get your badge and sign up for your shifts. Please remember that Friday, Saturday and Sunday shifts are very popular and will be filled quickly. Monday shifts have a special added bonus: work 3 hours and have it count for 4.  Most Monday shifts involve assisting with load-out and require volunteers to to lift up to 40 pounds.

In 2013, we will be going back to on-site only Volunteer shifts to keep everything fair – just visit the Gryphon’s Lair during the following hours:

• Friday: 9:30 am – 11:30 pm
• Saturday & Sunday: 7:45 am – 10:30 pm
• Monday: 7:45 am – 5:00 pm

Thanks!

Angela T Carlson

Dept. Head: Gryphons

Any photography or recording (video or audio) in public convention space (i.e. anything but a private room) MUST be cleared with Glenn and Programming in advance of the convention. This includes any scheduled programming items, any recording of the Vendor areas, Registration, Suites, and Convention operations (Gryphons, Con Ops, etc). We strongly discourage asking for permission at Con – both Glenn and Programming will be incredibly busy.

We do not require formal model releases for non-commercial use, but attendees must be able to provide informed consent.  That means they need to be notified prior to any photographs being taken or recordings being made:

1. How the photographs, video or audio recording will be used
2. Where the media will be posted
3. For photography, whether faces will be blurred prior to posting

Photography

We ask that photographs not have in frame any attendees who have not given their explicit permission to be photographed. Photographers have accomplished this in the past by photographing their subjects against the nearest wall.  If the organizers of a presentation are planning to photograph their audience, we ask that it be mentioned in the event description in the Program Guide, that a notice be posted on the entrance to the event, and that the presenter(s) notify the audience at the beginning of the presentation.

Party Rooms

If you want to record in a party room, please get permission from both the registered hotel guest that is responsible for the room as well as anyone who might come within range of the recording device.  We’re happy to try and work with people to accommodate requests but we want to avoid disrupting the convention itself.

Please send your fees (check preferred) to Ancient Ways, 4075 Telegraph Ave, Oakland CA 94609.

Ads are only in black and white, no color business cards can be used unless they can be copied as black and white.

Ads can be submitted after October 15, 2012 in PDF format with a line screen of 300dpi to glennancientwayscom  (glennancientwaycom)    No ads will be accepted after January 15, 2013. The best format is PDF. We can work with several other formats if absolutely necessary:

• Adobe InDesign, version CS3 (INDD)
• Adobe Illustrator, version CS3 (AI or EPS)
• Adobe Photoshop, version CS3 (PSD)
• TIF and BMP are also acceptable. Please do not send JPGs or
  GIFs.

All fonts MUST be converted to outlines, and photos MUST be at least 300dpi.

Professional ad design assistance is available at $75 per hour. Email glennancientwayscom for the designer’s contact information. We reserve the right to edit or reject any ad at our discretion for any reason.

Click on the links below to access Program Guides from previous years:

• PantheaCon 2012
• PantheaCon 2013

Airport Directions (0.5 Miles E from San Jose International Airport): Go to Airport Blvd at the light turn left. At the next light, turn onto Airport Parkway. Go two blocks and turn left at Gateway Place. Shuttle buses run from the airport to the Hotel. For pick-up use the Courtesy Phone in Baggage Claim. Advance Shuttle Reservations: 408.453-4000.

You can phone the hotel and ask them directions if you are unsure about how to get there. You can also check their website, www.doubletreesanjose.com, for links to directions to the hotel.

Hwy 101 South: Exit North First St./Brokaw Rd. Make the first Right onto Airport Parkway. Hotel will be on the right.

Hwy 101 North: Exit Brokaw Rd. Make the first Left onto Brokaw Rd. and proceed under Hwy. 101. Hotel will be on the right.

I-880 North: Exit First Street. Make the first Left and go 3/4 of a mile North. Turn Left on Brokaw Rd. Hotel will be on your right.

I-880 South: Exit Brokaw Road. Turn Right on to Brokaw and go 1 mile, passing First Street. Hotel will be on your right.

I-280 North: Take 87 North (Guadalupe Parkway) towards downtown. Exit Skyport Drive. Make the first Right onto Skyport Drive. Turn Left at the next light, Technology Drive. Pass Airport Parkway. Hotel is on your right.

I-280 South: Take 87 North (Guadalupe Parkway) towards downtown. Exit Skyport Drive. Make the first Right onto Skyport Drive. Turn Left at the next light, Technology Drive. Pass Airport Parkway. Hotel is on your right.

Parking charges for all attendees and overnight guests with PantheaCon will be $5 with validation. Only hotel guests have in-and-out privileges.

Be aware that parking is in short supply and you may have to park at a distance. Local office complexes may have parking on the weekend, but not on Friday.

Click here for Hotel and Lodging information. You can also find this link under the Resources menu at the top of the page.

Like most hotels, the Doubletree check-in time is 3 pm with check-out at 12 noon. You can ask for early check-in and late check-out and also store your bags with the bellman. If you are planning to split the room rate tell them at check-in so check-out is swift and easy.

We are sharing with people who may be unfamiliar with our varied ways — Be cool. The elevators, hallways and pool are always “Public” areas. If you are wearing something scanty, please wear a cover-up for when in these shared areas. Costumes are okay, but nudity is not.

Keep “weapons” secure and unobtrusive. No crashing in public areas. There are lots of places to meet and visit. The Coffee Shop has a fair amount of staff turnover, so there may staff waiting on you who will not be used to large ‘fluid’ groups of people at tables — tip generously.

Be as honest as possible about how many people are in the room, but the hotel has a strict “4 people to a room” policy.

Tip early and often. This will help ensure good service, extra towels and pillows etc. (Write “for the maid” on hotel stationary envelope with $ inside and leave by the phone.)

Roll-aways can be available at a $20 per night charge, if you ask early. They allow these in King or Queen Rooms.

Convention Programming

Great people come to entertain and educate us from all over the Bay Area, California and the rest of the country and from other countries too! Programming starts Friday afternoon at 1:00 pm with the opening ritual and continues through Monday afternoon till 5:00 pm. We have up to thirteen simultaneous workshops going on during the day. At night we will have about six different programs plus postings for parties.

We have ninety minute workshops starting at 9 AM and 11 AM with a 30 break between them; afternoon workshops are at 1:30 PM and 3:30 PM with a 30 minute break. There is a scheduled lunch hour from 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM and the dinner break is from 5 PM til 7 PM. Each year, we try to have the program available by Jan. 15.

For more information about what’s happening at PantheaCon this year, click here.

Accessibility in Program Spaces

In 2012 we added open space in each of the programming rooms for those of you with mobility devices such as wheelchairs or motorized scooters. The exact space available will vary as we have a wide variety of spaces and layouts that we use throughout PantheaCon.

The seats immediately adjacent to those open spaces should be held for any able-bodied companion of those who need assistance to get around the convention.

This is a first step towards making the convention easier to access for everyone. Thank you for understanding as this is our first year with these seating arrangements and no doubt there will be education and learning involved for everyone. Any programming staff you see at the convention will be happy to answer questions or help you as best we can as our process evolves.

ASL or American Sign Language Interpreting will be offered again this year. If you need this service, please let us know which events you want to have interpreted as soon as you can and we will make every effort to accommodate your request. A schedule of the events with ASL will be available as soon as we can organize it.

We will also have some handicap services for the blind this year. The Information table near Registration will have people on call to help with both blind  and deaf attendees.

Click on the links below to access Program Guides from previous years:

• PantheaCon 2012
• PantheaCon 2013

Please click here for information on the process. You can also find this link under the Resources menu on the top of the page.

Refund Policy
We have a policy of full refunds. Requests must be made in writing. Send an e-mail request to registrationpantheaconcom or by USPS mail to:

Ancient Ways
4075 Telegraph Ave
Oakland, Ca 94609

Please include name, confirmation #, amount and method of payment.

1. Refunds will only be made to the person who paid for the registration and the request must come from them.
2. Refund requests received before February 1st will be processed immediately.
3. Refund requests received after February 1st but before the conference will be processed after the conference.
4. Any refund requests received after February 18th will only be honored if the badge was not picked up and the request is postmarked by March 18th.
5. Refund requests received after February 1st will only be honored if the badge was NOT picked up at PantheaCon.

Transfers of PantheaCon Registrations

Memberships in Pantheacon maybe transferred to another person until Febuary 1st. The request must be by in writing by e-mail or by USPS from the person who PAID for the membership. You need to supply the Legal name, address, badge name, phone # and e-mail address if avaliable of the person you wish to transfer the membership to.

NO transfer requests will be accepted after February 1st, 2013.

You CANNOT transfer the membership onsite.

If someone cannot come, you must request in writing by USPS or e-mail a refund by March 18, 2013; no refund request will be considered after the March 18th deadline.

The conference staff invites you to help ‘Green’ PantheaCon! You may purchase carbon credits to neutralize your PantheaCon carbon footprint.

‘Carbon credits’ are units of exchange that give a financial value to the cost of global warming-related air pollution. They also work as mini investments, funding such things as the removal of carbon from our atmosphere and the development of environmentally sustainable technologies. By purchasing carbon credits, a person essentially pays for the cost of their contribution to global warming, aka their ‘carbon footprint.’

We recommend that individuals donate $2 to $20 as they register, either with online payments at PayPal or at on-site registration.

PantheaCon has chosen the Carbonfund.org group to send your donations offsetting your footprints left in getting to this event. The following description is from the Carbonfund.org website – for much more information go to their website.

Carbonfund.org supports renewable energy, energy efficiency and reforestation projects globally that reduce carbon dioxide emissions and the threat of climate change. Carbonfund.org is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Please join us today.

Carbonfund.org supports three types of carbon offset projects: renewable energy, energy efficiency and reforestation. Each type plays an important role in the fight against climate change. The projects Carbonfund.org supports meet the same high standards that thousands of companies, organizations, and governments rely on to ensure quality environmental protection.

• Renewable Energy – supports clean, renewable energy development.
• Energy Efficiency – reduces existing energy use, much of which comes from coal, oil, and natural gas.
• Reforestation – absorbs existing CO2 emissions, which helps to reduce the excess greenhouse gases that humans have added to the atmosphere.

The key criteria Carbonfund.org looks for in projects are:

• Real: The project must generate the expected carbon offsets and reductions.
• Surplus: It must be additional to any mandated or regulated offsets, reductions or green power requirements.
• Verifiable: It must be certified to ensure against double counting.
• Permanent: It must permanently reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
• Additional: And it must be above and beyond business as usual, as defined by each certification body.

Other key criteria include location, technology, price, market transformation potential, certification, etc.

Carbon Offset Standards

The hallmarks of quality carbon offsets are third-party certification standards, verification, and auditing. All Carbonfund.org offset projects are verified by a third party to the highest certification standards. This sort of review, coupled with an annual third-party audit of our finances and portfolio, ensure that our donors are supporting only high-quality, transparent carbon offset projects.

1. How exactly does the process work?
Nonprofit organizations with special experience in a particular field, such as reforestation, develop a certification standard in that field, usually after an extensive discussion period to solicit input from other leading organizations. The standard then lays out in detail what criteria a project needs to meet to ensure real, measurable, permanent, additional greenhouse gas reductions. Once the standard is established, a project developer can choose to have its project verified according to the standard. To do this, it hires a third party verifier to investigate whether their project satisfies all the standard’s criteria. The verifier submits its report for review by the certification body. The certification body reviews the report, and, if it meets the criteria, issues its seal of approval. The project is now certified.

2. Is certification the same thing as verification?
No. Certification refers to the standard itself. Verification refers to the process of determining whether a project meets that standard.

3. Does the certification process ensure that my donation results in “additional” greenhouse gas reductions?
Yes. Additionality refers to whether your donation really helps reduce more carbon dioxide emissions, or whether those reductions would have happened anyway. Each certification standard includes an objective set of criteria to ensure additionality.

4. Why are there so many different certification standards?
There are different standards for different types of project. The experts who know how to ensure a high-quality reforestation project are quite different from those who know how to ensure a high-quality wind project.

5. Is one certification standard better than another?
Experts from each of the certification standards never hesitate to say why their standard is the best. The truth is that the major certification standards out there agree on far more than they disagree. While some details may vary, there is broad-based agreement on what criteria need to be met to ensure a high-quality carbon offset project. We encourage you to read about the different standards below.

The Convention Registration desk will open at 10 AM on Friday, Feb. 15. After you register you will receive a registration packet that includes a map of the hotel showing locations of our hospitality room, vendor rooms and where the events will be held. Registration packets will contain the complete program guide, pocket program, up-to-date changes, and other useful information, like places to eat.

Airport Directions (0.5 Miles E from San Jose International Airport): Go to Airport Blvd at the light turn left. At the next light, turn onto Airport Parkway. Go two blocks and turn left at Gateway Place. Shuttle buses run from the airport to the Hotel. For pick-up use the Courtesy Phone in Baggage Claim. Advance Shuttle Reservations: 408.453-4000.

You can phone the hotel and ask them directions if you are unsure about how to get there. You can also check their website, www.doubletreesanjose.com, for links to directions to the hotel.

Hwy 101 South: Exit North First St./Brokaw Rd. Make the first Right onto Airport Parkway. Hotel will be on the right.

Hwy 101 North: Exit Brokaw Rd. Make the first Left onto Brokaw Rd. and proceed under Hwy. 101. Hotel will be on the right.

I-880 North: Exit First Street. Make the first Left and go 3/4 of a mile North. Turn Left on Brokaw Rd. Hotel will be on your right.

I-880 South: Exit Brokaw Road. Turn Right on to Brokaw and go 1 mile, passing First Street. Hotel will be on your right.

I-280 North: Take 87 North (Guadalupe Parkway) towards downtown. Exit Skyport Drive. Make the first Right onto Skyport Drive. Turn Left at the next light, Technology Drive. Pass Airport Parkway. Hotel is on your right.

I-280 South: Take 87 North (Guadalupe Parkway) towards downtown. Exit Skyport Drive. Make the first Right onto Skyport Drive. Turn Left at the next light, Technology Drive. Pass Airport Parkway. Hotel is on your right.

For information on public transportation options once you’ve arrived at PantheaCon, click here.

East Bay: Take BART all the way to Fremont. Make sure to get a transfer on your way out in Fremont! Once outside, look for Santa Clara VTA Route 180. The bus runs every 15 minutes midday but check the schedule at www.511.org yourself to make sure. Take this bus to the Civic Center Light Rail station at the corner of First and Mission in San Jose. The fare for the light rail is another few dollars, as VTA does not do transfers!

Next, take the light rail north (back the way you came) from the Civic Center station to the Metro/Airport station. You can, if you like, walk from here; it’s about a ten-minute walk. Just walk down Metro Drive (the street the light rail crosses) to Technology Drive, turn right on Technology, cross Airport, and the Doubletree will be just on the other side of Airport on the right.

If you have mobility issues (‘my luggage is full of ritual garb’ counts!), you can catch the VTA 10 at the Metro/Airport light rail station. This bus might be free but be ready for another few dollars just in case. It runs every 15 minutes at peak and stops at the corner of Airport and Gateway where the Doubletree is. (verified on www.511.org)

San Francisco and the Peninsula: Take Caltrain to the Santa Clara station. Fare for this leg will be variable based on distance traveled, up to $7.50 or more for people traveling all the way from San Francisco, and trains run every 30-60 minutes. From Santa Clara take the VTA 10 bus past the airport. It will drop you off at Airport and Technology right across the street from the Doubletree.