Masquerade

CONvergence Masquerade is one of the premiere events of the convention, showcasing the talents of costumers spanning all skill levels, from beginners to masters.

CONvergence 2025 Information Coming Soon!

Below is information from CONvergence 2024 for your reference.

Watch the Masquerade

At the Convention
The Masquerade takes place on Saturday evening of the convention on CONvergence Mainstage, in the in the Nicollet Grand Ballroom of the of the Hyatt Regency Minneapolis. (See the CONvergence Schedule.)

Previous Years
Watch individual CONvergence Masquerade entries from previous years on the CONvergence Masquerade Youtube Channel!

Participate in the Masquerade

Click here to sign up for the CONvergence 2024 Masquerade.

All entries in the CONvergence Masquerade must sign up in advance either online or in person at the Masquerade Registration Table. In-person registrations will only be taken if there is still room.

The total number of Masquerade entries for 2024 (including all Runway entries) will be not more than 40. Additionally, all entries are limited to a maximum of four persons and one handler. All entries who sign up online must also check in at the Masquerade Registration Table during the convention to confirm their spot in the show.

Entries other than Runway entries must also sign up for a tech rehearsal and Technical (formerly Workmanship) judging time. Runway entries may sign up for a Technical
judging time if they wish.

All Technical judging will be scheduled into an hour slot on Saturday from 8:00am to 4:00pm in the Green Room (Lakeshore A & B). Tech rehearsals will be done during the same hour time slot on Saturday as your Technical judging.

Tech rehearsal and Technical judging times are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis and there is a limit to the number of entries that will be scheduled into a given hour time slot, so if you have time restrictions, be sure to schedule your hour at the Masquerade Registration Table as early as possible.

Anyone who wishes to show off their great costume without having to do a formal performance may participate in the Masquerade by entering their costume as a Runway costume. This will allow your costume to be seen and appreciated by the full Masquerade audience. A Runway entry will not have a tech rehearsal, though they may sign up for a Technical judging time if they wish. and will have a generic light wash stage lighting and appropriate music for their entry selected by the Masquerade staff.

Masquerade Registration Table Hours

Thursday 3:00pm – 6:00pm
Friday 10:00am – 1:00pm and 2:00pm – 6:00pm

Additional Details

Entries, other than Runway entries, will need to provide pre-recorded music in our dropbox with your costume entry name as the file name. Pre-recorded music can also be accepted on a USB drive at the Masquerade Registration Table when you check in. Note that if you need help with your music contact Masquerade by e-mail. We can help you find appropriate music and have audio editing software that we can use to assist you in selecting the portion of the music for your presentation.

Please let us know on your entry form, or when you register, if you want any of the following and we will try to accommodate you as best we can:

Special Lighting
Special Sound Cues
Unusual Effects
Unusual Assistance on or off Stage
Accessibility Accommodations

You may surprise the audience, but do not surprise the production crew!

Masquerade Rules for Runway Entries

As all Runway entries are walk-on-walk-off, very little is required to prepare for the Masquerade. After you register, your main commitment is to show up and look fabulous!

Orientation is mandatory and takes place in the Green Room (Lakeshore A & B) Saturday Morning. No exceptions. Orientation will be done on Saturday at 8:00 am in the Masquerade Green Room (Lakeshore A & B).
A short Runway entry walk-through on Mainstage for all runway entries will immediately follow orientation. If you have any difficulty with mobility whether in your costume or not, please inform us during the walk-through.
Oversized Costumes. Due to constraints with getting on and off stage and in the Green Room, anyone wanting to have an oversized costume (cannot fit through a standard household door) you must contact the Masquerade Director prior to submitting your costume entry at the Masquerade email address.
Orientation is mandatory A special orientation for Runway entries will take place on Saturday before the show at 4:00 pm in the Green Room.
When you register, be sure to give us something for the Emcee to tell the audience about your ensemble.
You do not have to have created your attire to show it off, but it is a good idea to credit whomever did
Props must be cleared by the Masquerade Director for safety reasons. Any props presenting the possibility of damage to the health, well-being or costumes of the other contestants, or the audience will not be allowed. Additionally, messy, wet, dry, or oily substances that might damage the costume of any other contestant will not be allowed in the Green Room or on stage.
The Masquerade is rated PG-13. All costumes must conform to the CONvergence Costume/Clothing policy. NO nudity. Remember, all persons are subject to the laws of Minneapolis, MN while attending CONvergence. Additionally, if your costume is tight, make sure you have the proper support garments.
The Masquerade Director has full authority to eliminate anyone from the competition on the basis of taste, danger to the audience/contestants, violation of the rules, or any other reason deemed sufficient. There is NO appeal process.
All persons who enter the Masquerade or perform on stage, visible to the audience or not, must sign the liability release form and agree to the Masquerade Code of Conduct.

Masquerade Rules for Non-Runway Entries

If you are interested in participating in the Masquerade as a non-Runway entry, it is very important that you read and fully understand all of the rules.

Orientation is mandatory and takes place in the Green Room (Lakeshore A & B). No exceptions, regardless of how many times you have participated in previous Masquerades. Orientation will be done on Saturday at 8:00 am in the Masquerade Green Room (Lakeshore A & B).
Oversized Costumes. Due to constraints with getting on and off stage and in the Green Room, anyone wanting to have an oversized costume (cannot fit through a standard household door) you must contact the Masquerade Director prior to submitting your costume entry at the Masquerade email address.
Visibility Issues. If you are wearing a mask as part of your costume or have any other props or any other part of your costume may cause you to have visibility issues on stage, getting on or off stage, or backstage, you must let the Stage Manager and Backstage Staff know this during your tech rehearsal. As these kinds of items may cause a danger to the audience or other contestants, they must get clearance from the Masquerade Staff to be used during the show.
Movement Issues. If you have any difficulty with mobility whether in your costume or not, please inform us during your tech rehearsal. Also, if any part of your costume may cause you to have issues moving on stage, getting on or off stage, or
backstage, you must let the Stage Manager and Backstage Staff know this during your tech rehearsal, and such
costumes will need to get clearance from the Masquerade Staff to be used during the show.
All dialogue delivered during your presentation must be pre-recorded or read by the Emcee. You will not have a microphone, and if you try to deliver lines live on stage, most of the audience will not be able to hear you.
Presentations are limited to 45 seconds Any entry that needs more than 45 seconds must have special permission from the Masquerade Director. You are strongly encouraged to limit your performance to less than a minute. If you have not timed your presentation, please ask for help doing so during rehearsal.
Group Size is limited to to 4 people on stage. Exceptions are made only by the Masquerade Director, and must be made at least 7 days prior to the convention by contacting Masquerade by e-mail.
Retail costumes are not allowed. To be acceptable at least 50% of your costume must be created or modified by you.
Props must be cleared by the Masquerade Director for safety reasons. Any props presenting the possibility of damage to the health, well-being or costumes of the other contestants, or the audience will not be allowed.
- Messy, wet, dry, or oily substances that might damage the costume of any other contestant will not be allowed in the Green Room or on stage.
- No item may be dropped on stage that can not be easily picked up or swept up by the stagehand before the next contestant goes on.
- It is critical that all props that have mechanical or electrical parts (movement, lights, or sound) be in working order during your tech rehearsal. Such props that are not working during your tech rehearsal will not be allowed in the show.
Weapons & Stage Fighting: The Masquerade Director must clear all weapons/replicas, which must conform to the CONvergence Props policy and be peace bonded. No projectile weapons of any kind are allowed. Unstrung bows may be carried, but arrows must be tied into quivers or otherwise secured. No cap guns or guns with blanks are allowed; low level lasers only (please note: lasers might not be visible under stage lighting.) No pyrotechnics, fire or flame allowed at anytime. All Entries featuring fights or other weapon drills must be cleared by the Masquerade Director.
No smoking or smoke effects are allowed in any part of the Masquerade, Halls or the Green Room. If you need a smoking break, let your Costume Assistant know you are leaving and where you are going. You may not leave once the masquerade has started.
The Masquerade is rated PG-13. All costumes must conform to the CONvergence Costume/Clothing policy. NO nudity. Remember, all persons are subject to the laws of Minneapolis, MN while attending CONvergence. Additionally, if your costume is tight, make sure you have the proper support garments.
The Masquerade Director has full authority to eliminate anyone from the competition on the basis of taste, danger to the audience/contestants, violation of the rules, or any other reason deemed sufficient. There is NO appeal process.
All persons who enter the Masquerade or perform on stage, visible to the audience or not, must sign the liability release form and agree to the Masquerade Code of Conduct.

Good Advice

Whether you’re new to costuming and the CONvergence Masquerade or a seasoned veteran, please keep the following in mind!

Attend the Masquerade 101 Panel (see the CONvergence Schedule) to help guide you, and to allow for Q & A with the Masquerade director, staff, and judges.
Be kind to yourself before the competition. Get some sleep the night before and don’t forget to eat and drink something in the late afternoon.
Check in on time and let a Costume Assistant take care of you. If you are in need of a sudden repair, ask at the repair table in the Green Room and we’ll try to take care of you. If you have a problem, tell a Green Room Den Mother, Costume Assistant or the Back Stage Manager.
Remember to remove any anachronisms that you don’t want to be seen with your costume, i.e. glasses, watches, Con badges, street shoes, etc.
Let the crew help you on and off the stage. We don’t want anyone to fall. Let your Costume Assistant take care of your excess belongings while you are on stage. The stagehand will retrieve anything that you leave behind on the stage and will get it back to you.

Most of all, remember to have a good time. Enjoy yourself! You’re going to do a great job, and besides, you look marvelous!

Entry Classes

All entries in the CONvergence Masquerade will be classified in one of six divisions below. The CONvergence Masquerade Entry Classes are:

Master: An individual who has won four times at the intermediate level, who has professional qualification as a costumer, or who has won Best in Show at CONvergence or any other major convention.
Intermediate: An individual who is not a professional costumer and has won one or more major prizes at previous CONvergence Masquerades, regional conventions, or has won a major prize at WorldCon.
Novice: An individual who is over thirteen, not a professional costumer, and has never won a major prize at a previous CONvergence, regional convention or WorldCon.
Young Fan: An individual who is 13 years or younger and has not won three awards as a Young Fan.
Runway: An individual or group doing a walk-on-walk-off to show off their great costume. They may compete for Technical awards, but will not be judged for presentation.
Exhibition: An individual or group not competing for any awards. This entry class does not take skill or prior awards into account.
There is no separate division for Re-Creation costumes. Re-Creation costumes will compete in the same manner as originals, using the qualifying entry class.

Any participant may compete in a division higher than the one for which they qualify. For group entries, the group’s primary designer determines the group’s entry class. If you are unsure which division you should enter, please ask the Masquerade Director or staff during the convention or contact Masquerade by e-mail.

We reserve the right to have the final judgement on which category an entry competes in.

Awards

Five major awards will be given using the combined score of the Workmanship and Performance Scores:

Best in Show: Awarded to the best combined score for all entries. Best in Show eliminates the contestant from consideration in all other standard categories. They are, however, still eligible for awards in special categories.
Best Master: Awarded to the Master entry with the best combined score. In the event that entry wins Best in Show, this award goes to the second ranked Master entry
Best Intermediate: Awarded to the Intermediate entry with the best combined score. In the event that entry wins Best in Show, this award goes to the second ranked Intermediate entry
Best Novice: Awarded to the Novice entry with the best combined score. In the event that entry wins Best in Show, this award goes to the second ranked Novice entry
Best Young Fan: Awarded to the Young Fan with the best combined score. In the event that entry wins Best in Show, this award goes to the second ranked Young Fan

Technical (formerly Workmanship) judges may also present the following awards:

Best Technical: Presented to the costume considered to have the best skill using various techniques in creating their costume. If the costume received an award for Best in Show, it is not eligible for Best Technical.
Judges Choice Awards: Up to four Judges Choice Awards may be given for costumes the Technical judges consider worthy of recognition. They are not required to give any Judges Choice Awards.

Performance judges may also present the following awards:

Best Performance: Presented to the entrant considered to have the best performance. If the entrant received an award for Best in Show, it is not eligible for Best Performance.
Judges Choice Awards: Up to four Judges Choice Awards may be given for costumes the Performance judges consider worthy of recognition. They are not required to give any Judges Choice Awards.

A full PDF detailing the criteria judges will use can be found here: CONvergence Masquerade Judging Criteria.

Aside from Best in Show, CONvergence Masquerade judges are not required to give an award in any category. Many of the special awards, for instance, will be given only in years where an entry of merit exists.

In addition to the judged awards, CONvergence Masquerade may choose to present a People’s Choice award. This award is open to all costumes in all entry classes and will be voted on by the members of the convention at the conclusion of the Masquerade. Instructions for voting for this award will be given at the conclusion of the Masquerade.

Questions & Comments

If you have any questions or comments about the CONvergence Masquerade or anything on this page, please contact Masquerade.