This agreement is subject to updates and revisions. Last updated SPRING 2023.
OVERVIEW
RollerCon (“RC”) issues media credentials annually that give media passholders permission to capture RollerCon events for that year with professional equipment, and entitle the bearer to special media access areas.
Media passes, however, do not entitle the bearer to unlimited access. There are convention areas that are off limits to photographers due to safety or other reasons. There may be hijinks (ie nudity) better off not captured, or not displayed publicly on the internet. We are super ardent about brain safety, so RollerCon asks that no photos of people skating at RC-related events (like the Skate Park tour) without helmets be displayed/associated or hashtagged with our tags. RollerCon is happy to work with Media Passholders if you have any questions, comments or suggestions about those types of situations.
For safety reasons, RollerCon Media Passholders are not permitted to enter the skate park unless they arrange for Skate Park Access and sign the RC Skate Park Photographer Waiver. All Media Passholders are welcome to photograph skate park events from outside the fence.
Passholding attendees who DO NOT HAVE RollerCon Media Credentials may capture photos and videos on private phone cameras with limited, revocable permission from RollerCon. But passholders without RollerCon Media Credentials do not have permission to use professional grade equipment in RollerCon conference areas or events and are not given access to Media areas. Whether their gear may be considered “professional grade” is entirely at the discretion of the RollerCon Media Manager and leadership staff.
1. MEDIA OPTIONS AT ROLLERCON
Shoot at Will:
Media Passholders may shoot at will – when they want, where they want, within the parameters of this agreement and the access levels granted by their credentials. This agreement details ownership and how their work may be used by the photographer and RollerCon. At will shooting does not accrue RollerCon volunteer hours.
Media Shifts:
Media Passholders are also invited to accept scheduled Media Shifts, taking photos and videos of specific events scheduled via our VORC system. These shifts will accrue volunteer hours which can be used to earn a free pass or discount in the next year, plus all the other benefits of volunteering at RollerCon. For more information, please check out https://rollercon.com/help-wanted/. Media shifts will be scheduled and announced to Media Passholders in the Summer each year, when they become available for self-selection.
2. REQUESTS AND CRITERIA
To request media credentials, you must complete and submit a request using the RC media credentials request form by the deadline. The Media Credential Request is open from April 1st – July 1st.
No requests will be accepted after the deadline has passed. Credentials cannot be approved at RollerCon. RC staff will do its best to respond to all requests within a week of submission. To check on the status of your request, you may email rollercon@gmail.com . But please be patient. We will confirm your request via email when we process them.
3. CREDENTIAL PASS CATEGORIES
This section is new; developed since we invited skaters to join our media team.
RC classifies Media Passholders into two categories: Skaters (eligible for Media Credentials) and Non-skaters (eligible for Media Credentials and possibly a comped Off Skates Media Pass). We do not offer comped Media passes with skater privileges. But we are happy to give you Media permission and access on a Skater or MVP pass that you have purchased. Comped off-skates Media passes are offered to photographers who have returned to RollerCon after posting public galleries in our RollerCon Photo Album, that we are able to use freely with credit. Photographers who accept assignments and media shifts are prioritized for Comp Passes.
Comped Media Passes are OFF SKATES only.
Skaters may be issued Media Credentials which entitle them to permission to shoot and access to media-only areas. These credentials can be added to a Skater or MVP pass that you have purchased.
4. OWNERSHIP
The photos Media Passholders take at an RollerCon are the property of the Media Passholder. As a condition of your approved media credentials, your application grants permission to RC to use photographs you have taken and shared on RollerCon social media pages, groups and feeds, in our Photo Album, and hashtagged in any social media with RollerCon tags. We will always make our best effort to credit and link to the Media Passholder. You grant RollerCon the right to crop or treat the photographs, but we try really hard not to do that without asking first. We prefer that you give us the size we need with your watermarks. We typically request photos by posting our needs (including size and usually category of subject matter) in our RollerCon Media Group, a fb departmental chatroom.
RC may request your permission for specific use of a photo or video. Terms of the usage agreement are made by agreement of the photographer and/or media organization and RollerCon.
5. LIVE BROADCAST AND TV/VIDEO COVERAGE
RC has exclusive broadcast rights to all RC events and works closely with its official broadcast partner(s) and the Westgate and LVCC staff. No professional camera crews other than those credentialed by RollerCon may film or broadcast private RollerCon convention events.
RollerCon works closely with our credentialed Media Pass holders to produce Facebook Live, Instagram and other social media broadcasts, both live and archived. Footage and photos are requested by RC and submitted at the Media Passholders’ discretion. Credit is always a high priority for RC.
Television, Film, and Video production companies must submit a written request to film at least 3 weeks prior to the beginning of the convention. Approval is subject to Westgate / LVCC review in addition to RC. The request should include:
- Information about the company
- Synopsis of the show/film/video/etc.
- Intended distribution methods
Companies intending to produce material for internal use only or for marketing, advertising, or public relations purposes may not register as media.
6. PROPRIETARY RIGHTS AND RESTRICTIONS
You may not use, distribute, exhibit, reproduce, adapt, display, or publish any audio or visual accounts of the Event(s), other than in the manner described in this agreement. Nothing in this media credentials agreement authorizes or allows you to violate any trademark, copyright, or other proprietary right of RC, our host hotel, our sponsors, the leagues, the teams, and/or the skaters. All RollerCon staff and attendees including Media Passholders are subject to the terms of the RollerCon Code of Conduct.
7. EVENT PHOTOS
If you have been issued media credentials, you have a limited, non-exclusive, and non transferable license to take and use photographs of the Event, as long as such use does not imply an endorsement or sponsorship relationship between a third-party and RC, the leagues, teams, and/or skaters.
All RC attendees sign the digital equivalent of a media waiver when they purchase their RC passes. The waiver acts as a model release for our photographers. There are also signs posted at the venue that notify every person who enters that they are agreeing to being photographed.
All commercial sales of images from the Event require separate, specific, signed model releases from any identifiable person in the image. You are responsible for obtaining the proper releases. RC photos may not be sold for use as stock photography. Prints and media may only be sold by the photographers at RollerCon if the photographer has a vendor booth or is working with a vendor who has a booth.
You agree not to post bout or skater photographs that are not in the spirit of RC’s values. This includes, but is not limited to, posting images to websites that rely heavily on nudity, sexual content, violence, obscenity, and/or websites that advocate illegal behavior or discrimination based on race, gender, and/or sexual orientation. Absolutely no photos that contain nudity – intentional or otherwise – may be posted, displayed, published or sold.
8. WORKING WITH ROLLERCON SPONSORS
This agreement does not cover your relationship with RollerCon sponsors and vendors. RollerCon recommends to Sponsors to arrange usage agreements directly with Media Passholders. We may give your contact information to Sponsors who ask for it for this purpose.
9. CREDENTIAL USAGE
All RC attendees—including media and photographers—are required to have their RC pass and a form of government-issued photo identification on them at all times during the convention. Credentials and passes are non-transferable; you may not give or loan your credentials or pass to another person for any reason.
If you are issued media credentials, you will have access to areas where media credential access is provided. This includes MVP-only training classes. Please be aware that persons with media credentials who want to enter these classes for media-related purposes, but are wearing or carrying skates with them will not be allowed into the classrooms under any circumstances. You are expected to obey directions given by class session instructors. Additionally, if asked by RC staff, security or officials to vacate an area, please do so promptly.
Credentials do not guarantee you unrestricted access to all areas. Locker rooms and backstage areas are off-limits to all credential holders. RC staff reserve the right to designate any event as “closed to media.” No media credential access will be allowed into such events.
Media Passholders agree to avoid obstructing the view or impacting the safety of any fan, skater, official, and/or other attendees of RollerCon Events. Please also make every effort to not interfere with skating or gameplay in any way. This includes—but is not limited to—standing in the path of skaters and officials, blocking the penalty box, or blocking team coaches and officials from seeing the track at any time.
The ability to shoot on the roller derby track is completely at the discretion of RC and game officials. Media credentials do not guarantee a track floor shooting position. If you are allowed to shoot from designated photo boxes on the track, you may only move from these areas at half-time and during official time outs. In addition to RC staff, game officials have the authority to require media passholders to move to a different location or to leave the track altogether at any time.
Anyone granted media credentials is expected to behave in a professional manner while at RC. Code of Conduct violations, inappropriate behavior, misuse of media credentials and/or misuse of RC passes may result in immediate loss of media credentials and/or RC pass, removal from convention grounds, denial of media credentials for future RC events, and/or banning from future RC events.
10. ASSUMPTION OF RISK AND RELEASE
You assume all risk and danger incidental to the sport of roller derby and roller skating in the park and other RollerCon convention locations, as well as any risk or danger reasonably foreseeable while on the grounds of the venue. You release RC, its employees, members, directors, officers, sanctioned tournament and host sites, title sponsors, participating skaters, volunteers, assigns, and all agents thereof from any and all liabilities resulting from injuries or personal property loss occurring before, during or after actual play, or while otherwise at the Event venue or any associated RC events. It is the Media Passholders’ responsibility to give skaters the right of way.
11. INSURANCE, SAFETY & INJURIES
All RollerCon attendees, including Media Pass Holders in all categories, must sign the RollerCon Registration waiver to attend skating events. Media Passholders are not required to purchase insurance from our approved insurers, but if they do not, they are not eligible to make claims. In case of injury, attendees with approved insurance coverage may make insurance claims. Accident medical insurance coverage, if purchased, is only in effect for sports-related injuries that occur while working in the skate park or in the center of the roller derby track. RollerCon-approved Insurance coverage does not cover “trip and fall” or other types of injuries outside the track boundaries or skate park fences.
12. INDEMNIFICATION
You jointly and severally indemnify, defend, and hold RC (and its officers, directors, and representatives) harmless from and against any and all claims, actions, damages, liabilities, costs or expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs of suit/arbitration) arising out of or in connection with any act or omission by you, including, without limitation, your breach of any term of this agreement.
With respect to any claim that might give rise to your liability as an indemnitor, RC will (a) have the right to fully participate in the litigation of such claim with counsel selected by you or your organization, and approved by RC, at no expense to RC; and (b) not be obligated, without its consent, to participate in any settlement of such claim.
13. AGREEMENT
Submission of your request and acceptance and use of RC events credentials constitutes your agreement to abide by the terms and conditions contained herein. Failure to abide by the terms and conditions will result in loss of your photo credentials for these Events and future RC events.
If you agree to the terms above, please submit your request for Media Credentials.
The Media Credential Request is open from April 1st – July 1st. RollerCon reserves the right to refuse media pass privileges for any reason at our discretion.