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Welcome to the first instalment of exhibitor newsletters for TCAF 2025!

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The TCAF 2025 Exhibitor Newsletters will be sent every few weeks and include updates on deadlines, logistics, and FAQs about exhibiting at TCAF.  You will also receive key information about floor plans, table numbers, shipping, travel, our Square payment program, and checking-in. 

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Please stay subscribed to this newsletter to receive up-to-date TCAF information. With our new festival location at Toronto Metropolitan University’s Mattamy Athletic Centre (NOT the Toronto Reference Library) and dates (TCAF is June 7-8, 2025 this year - NOT Mother’s Day weekend), it’s going to be more important than ever to stay informed with us!

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Before we start our updates, we wanted to address the very real and constantly shifting environment we find ourselves in. Travel for conventions is always stressful, but this year is especially so. As you may have already seen, one of the biggest and saddest stories in comics right now is the news of cartoonist R. E. (Rebecca) Burke’s detainment while traveling in the US and Canada. We know many exhibitors who are planning to join us at TCAF this year from the US or elsewhere might be wondering if travel is a good fit for them at this time.

Please know that we understand how uncertain things feel right now, and do not want to add to anyone’s stress. 

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Our table payment deadline is April 4, 2025; however, if you need more time to think about things, we understand - please just let us know and we will hold your table. And, if at any time your plans change, please do not worry - we will figure things out together. 

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This newsletter and our soon-to-be launched Exhibitor Portal on our website will include up-to-date information on shipping, best practices for travel, and any advice that the TCAF team thinks might be helpful. Due to the constantly evolving landscape right now we want to double check a few things before we release information on shipping and transporting merchandise across the border. One of our biggest pieces of advice is to ensure your passport is up to date.

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Amongst our many hidden talents as a team, several TCAFers are multiple passport holders including our Executive Director, Amie Wright. Amie is a dual citizen between the US and Canada. She grew up in a small Connecticut town not unlike Stars Hollow, and previously lived in NYC and worked at the New York Public Library. 

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This is all to say, we know there’s a lot of very real travel and life anxiety right now. We also know that, while comics can break your heart (thank you Jack Kirby), comics—and the comics communities we have built—can also heal your heart. We look forward to welcoming you all to Toronto this year, or if it’s a pass this year, in future years to come. 

This email will cover the following:

 

  1. Exhibitor Portal Launch! 

  2. International Travel > Passport reminder

  3. Accessibility notice

  4. Table Payment Reminder (Deadline: Friday April 4th)

  5. Access TCAF Notifications 

  6. Hotel Booking Reminder (Deadline: Monday May 5th)

  7. Information Timeline for the Months to come! 

  8. Email Response Time 

(1) Exhibitor Portal Launch 

While we'll continue to inform you of all essential TCAF 2025 information and deadlines to via these exhibitor newsletters, we understand that emails can pile up in your inbox, and after a while, it can be hard to recall which newsletter contained the specific piece of information you need when you need it!

To make things easy to find and access, we are compiling all the information you will need as a TCAF exhibitor in one easy-to-use online hub. Introducing: The Exhibitor Portal! This is an exhibitors-only section of the site, so you will be prompted to enter a password.

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Your password: TCAF2025Toronto

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You can access the exhibitor portal directly from the TCAF website (www.torontocomics.com) anytime by clicking the link in the navigation menu at the top of the website. While the Exhibitor Portal doesn’t contain a lot of information yet, we will be continuously adding to the site to keep you informed with everything you need to know about paying your table fees, hotel bookings, shipping information, load-in details, and everything else you will need to know! 

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We encourage you to consult the Exhibitor Portal often; while we will still inform you directly of any changes or revisions to previously stated dates, times, and deadlines, the Exhibitor Portal will always be kept up to date with the most current information. We hope this helps makes your TCAF 2025 experience as smooth as possible!

(2) International Travel > Passport Reminder

 

If you are coming to TCAF from outside of Canada, whether you are flying or traveling by car, train, or bus, remember that you need a valid passport to enter Canada. Please make sure you have your passport, as well as a digital / paper copy (just in case!) and that your passport is up-to-date. We've heard reports in the past of people experiencing difficulty traveling if their passport expires within six months of their trip so please be sure to check the *expiration date* on your passport. If your current passport expires anytime between July-December 2025, we strongly encourage you to renew it before traveling to TCAF.  

 

With the current state of travel and international relations, it’s especially important to secure and check your travel documents well ahead of time

(3) Accessibility

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We asked about your accessibility requirements in your TCAF application, but if there is anything that has changed or you want to reiterate anything that was in your application, please let us know! 

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TCAF 2025 will be partnering again with Retreat Neurodivergent Breakroom. Retreat is an all-ages physical space at TCAF 2025 where neurodivergent (ND) attendees, artists, exhibitors, families, and volunteers can get away from the crowds and overstimulation to self-regulate. Retreat will offer a range of stim toys, from infinity cubes to grounding mazes, drawing materials, weighted lap pads, eye masks, and earplugs to reduce sensory stimulation. Please note that Retreat is not a strictly quiet space because stimming isn’t always quiet, but there will be no music, no scents, and no loud noises.

Retreat’s exact location in the Mattamy will be shared in our upcoming floor plan and exhibit specs.

We are very happy to be hosting Retreat again at TCAF and if you want to support the work of Retreat organizers and co-founders Fozzy Lai and Xander Matthews, please buy them a coffee.

(4) Table Payments and $$$ Questions

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This is a reminder that table payments are due on April 4th, 2025. If you need more time to make a payment, no worries!  Please just let us know so we save your spot! When ready, your payment can be made in the following ways:

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  • Via PayPal: You can pay us through our PayPal account, contact@torontocomics.com 

  • Via Credit Card: If you need or want to pay via credit card, please email contact@torontocomics.com  and we will invoice you. 

  • Via Cheque (Check): You can mail a cheque (check) made out to “Toronto Comic Arts Festival” to Toronto Comic Arts Festival (TCAF) c/o The Beguiling Books & Art, 319 College Street, Toronto, ON M5T 1S2, CANADA (*Please put the name you’ll be exhibiting under in the memo field)

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NOTE: We are not able to take cash payments.

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Table rates:

Exhibitor 3ft table space: TOTAL = $254.25 CDN ($225 + HST)

Exhibitor 6ft table space: TOTAL = $508.50 CDN ($450 + HST)

Publisher, Partner and Industry: TOTAL = *rates vary
*Please email us at contact@torontocomics.com to review your total invoice.

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$$$ Questions: 

  • What is CDN? CDN = Canadian dollars. To find out the current rate of exchange from your currency to Canadian dollars you can consult a currency exchange calculator such as Xe Currency Converter. Please pay your TCAF bill in Canadian dollars. 

  • What is HST? HST = Canadian harmonized sales tax which is a combination of federal and provincial taxes on applicable goods and services. In Ontario the required HST rate is 13%.

(5) ACCESS TCAF Notifications

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For all exhibitors who applied for consideration to our Access TCAF program, thank you for your patience as we finalize approvals. We received a record number of applications to Access TCAF this year.

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Access TCAF has a set budget per year, and is based on the average number of applications from years past. In 2024, applications to Access TCAF were around 5% of our total exhibitor applications; in 2025, they were 45% of our total exhibitor applications.

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Due to the record number of applications this year, we have shifted budget funds to double the number of table waivers we can offer to reflect the # of applications and overall need. 

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However, even with this doubling of funds for 2025, the amount of applications received for Access TCAF well exceeds available and reallocated funds. Due to this, and as noted on the Exhibitor Application, approvals for Access TCAF 2025 will go to a lottery. Please know that we are actively looking at ways as an organization we can increase our budget for Access TCAF for festivals to come.

We will notify all exhibitors who applied for consideration to Access TCAF the results of the lottery by the end of next week. 

(6) REMINDER: HOTEL BOOKINGS

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(7) Information Timeline

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We’re so excited to have you joining us at TCAF’s new location at the Mattamy Athletic Centre this year! Here’s our working timetable for the months to come: 

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March

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April 

  • Deadline for Table Payments: Friday April 4th

  • More announcements of Featured Guests 

  • First Programming announcements 

  • First offsite Events announcements 

  • Preliminary Exhibitor list up on website 

  • Preliminary Floor plan will be released 

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May

  • Deadline to Book into Hotel Block: Monday May 5th (if spaces are still available)

  • Square program signup for eligible exhibitors

  • check-in information

  • Final Exhibitor list up on website 

  • Final Programming list up on website 

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June

  • Word Balloon Academy: Friday June 6th 

  • Libraries & Education Day: Friday JUne 6th 

  • TCAF 2025: Saturday & Sunday June 7-8, 2025

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July

  • Festival post mortem sent out to all exhibitors, publishers, and panelists!

(8) Email Response Time and Capacity 

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TCAF, like other art festivals, is a small but mighty team of enthusiastic part-timers and volunteers with a lot of heart. Our two person administrative team answering and responding to your emails is amazing Festival Administrator, Mandy Folsom, and TCAF’s sole full-time staffer, new Executive Director Amie Wright. 

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We aim for a 48-72 hour email response time and we are checking and responding to emails Mon-Fri 9am-6pm ET. Please know that due to, well, everything these days, our email response time has been impacted. Thank you for your patience and understanding. 

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If something is pressing, please send a message to contact@torontocomics.com with ‘URGENT’ in the subject line. 

Thanks for reading all 8 sections! 

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Have questions or lose this email? No worries! Check out the Exhibitor Portal on our website for all of this information. 

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Future emails will include:

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  • Advertising

  • Debit and Credit Card Payments for International Exhibitors

  • Floor plan

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Your TCAF super friends, 

Mandy and Amie
Administrative Team for the Toronto Comic Arts Festival (TCAF) 2025

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