Frequently Asked Questions
Table of Contents
- What is Pawsome?
- Where is Pawsome?
- When is Pawsome?
- Is Pawsome a ‘sex con’? Kink con? NSFW?
- What can I wear at the convention?
- What events take place at Pawsome?
- Is there a fursuit lounge?
- Is there a Dealers' Den?
- What are the age limit and ID requirements?
- What is disabled access like?
- What can I expect my badge number to be?
- What are Founder Members?
- Is there parking and public transport at the venue?
- When do non-residents have to leave?
What is Pawsome?
Pawsome is an annual residential convention held in the southwest of England and it is first and foremost a furry convention, in the traditional sense. The difference here is that we have taken the dress & costume code of some US cons like Midwest Fur Fest, and imported it to the UK for the first time.
Where is Pawsome?
Pawsome is held at the beautiful Bowden Hall Hotel in Gloucester. We have exclusive use of this venue and its grounds during the convention; the hotel erects signs refusing entry to the general public over the weekend so that we can be undisturbed.
When is Pawsome?
Our inaugural event ran from the 4th to the 7th of October 2024. We are aiming to stick with the first weekend of October annually, as it sits nicely between the other UK furry events and with luck the weather should still hold. Pawsome 2025 is booked for the 3rd to the 6th of October.
Is Pawsome a ‘sex con’? Kink con? NSFW?
Sex con? No. Of course, as with any convention from Anime to Yachting, some attendees might have sex with each other in their hotel rooms, but this is not something facilitated or promoted by the con. Sexual activity and nudity are not allowed in public areas. We do not schedule any kind of sex events. There is no darkroom at Pawsome.
Kink con? Well, it's not a convention about kink, but we are kink-friendly where that relates to clothing choices. Our "You Do You" dress-code allows people to express themselves in ways they may not have been able to before in a semi-public setting, and we love to support that. At Pawsome you may well see a shiny latex dragon chatting over a Sunday roast with a grown man dressed as a tiny baby, and nobody bats an eye.
Not Safe For Work? That may depend on your workplace 😉. The hotel property is closed to the public during the con, everyone on site is over 18, and we respect our attendees by treating them as mature and worldly adults. Comedy panels may include risqué jokes, bondage equipment is permitted in the Bring and Buy Sale, and we do have some "adult" dealers in our Den. If the sight of sex toys set out on a table for sale would genuinely shock you, Pawsome may not be the con for you - and that's ok, there's room for all of us in the fandom.
What can I wear at the convention?
Pawsome is known for its "You Do You" costume policy. As long as it doesn't offend other attendees (who tend to be broadminded), or upset the hotel (who have seen a lot before), we don't like to tell people what to wear. Since this is a furry convention, costumes with an animal connection are encouraged, but this can be interpreted quite broadly. Full and partial fursuits are very welcome, of course, but we also like to see all the other ways that people can express their inner animal. We follow the typical furry rule against clothing made from real animal fur, but otherwise we don't discriminate against particular materials.
The actual rules are set out in the official Pawsome Costume Guidance policy. The section specific to Animalz relates to the 2024 convention and may change in future years.
It's impossible to cover every situation in a general policy, and so the convention directors (not individual staff members) do reserve the right to determine whether any particular outfit is acceptable. If you're unsure, you're encouraged to seek this determination in advance by contacting [email protected] before the con, or @pawsome_operations during it, preferably with photos of what you plan to wear.
What events take place at Pawsome?
Our 2024 event schedule included furry convention staples such as opening and closing ceremonies, dance nights with DJs, educational workshops on various subjects, and card-, panel-, and board-games. We hosted meets and showcases for related communities such as pup-play, pony-play, babyfurs, and rubber and inflatable creatures of all kinds. We held an epic Nerf-gun battle that promises to become a Pawsome tradition, and some people sang very badly into a karaoke machine and we cheered them anyway. The "Critter Crufts" agility course showed off costumes' manoeuverability - or lack of it - and at the fashion show we admired outfits from expensive custom fursuits to a simple pup-hood and fishnets. Commercial dealers offered their wares in our Den, and attendees bought and sold second-hand goods at the Bring and Buy Sale. Several people were rolled around as giant inflatable blueberries. And each day of the convention was brought to a close with a bedtime story read by the Convention Chair from his armchair in the lounge.
A few months before the next convention, we'll call for event ideas from the membership. Keep an eye on our announcement channels if there's something you want to run, or can't host yourself but would like to see.
Is there a fursuit lounge?
We don't call it a "fursuit lounge" since many of our attendees opt for costumes other than traditional fursuits, but we do have a room set aside for changing (particularly for non-resident attendees), cooling off, minor costume maintenance, etc. Water, fans, and sweet and salty snacks are provided.
Is there a Dealers' Den?
Yes, Pawsome includes a Dealers' Den. In common with other smaller cons, this is run as a timetabled event in the main space rather than being a dedicated room open throughout the convention. This makes best use of our space, keeps footfall high while the Den is open, and allows dealers who are also attendees to enjoy the rest of the con without being tied to their booth. Note that dealers are not required to be attendees - you can apply to come to Pawsome for the day just to sell your products.
What are the age limit and ID requirements?
Pawsome attendees must be at least 18 years old on the first day of the convention. As a matter of policy, all attendees must show identification to receive their con badge. Acceptable forms of identification are:
- Driving license (UK or EU)
- Passport (any country)
- Card bearing the PASS hologram, such as the CitizenCard.
- MOD90
The name on your identification must match that on your membership record. If this is a problem (for example because you are in the process of changing your name) please contact us in advance so we can make a note on your membership record and avoid any delay at Registration.
What is disabled access like?
Bowden Hall is an old building and access is not as good as we'd like.
The ground floor is all on one level except for four steps up to the large event area, which can be bypassed using a ramp. However, there are several narrow doorways and corridors which could be awkward to negotiate with larger mobility aids. The small size of the con does mean that you rarely need to get through crowds except possibly at peak time in the Dealers' Den. We do not have queues for events.
The building doesn't have a conventional lift, but there is a folding platform stairlift to the first floor where there are two adapted bedrooms. Unfortunately, two of the rooms used for games and panels are up a further flight of nine steps to the second floor and there is no lift for these.
During preregistration for the convention we ask about mobility concerns and aim to allocate hotel rooms appropriately. It is not a binary choice between "disabled room" and "standard room".
Please contact us with further questions or to discuss concerns or suggestions - we want to make Pawsome accessible to as many people as possible.
What can I expect my badge number to be?
Rather than a new badge number for each convention, we give you a Paw ID when you sign up as a Pawsome member and this number remains with you from year to year. It will be displayed on your badge at conventions, and we may ask you to use it when contacting us, registering for events, etc.
What are Founder Members?
Starting a new convention has some significant up-front costs, particularly the deposit to secure the venue. Starting in late 2023, we offered Founder Member status to a limited number of people who believed in the idea of Pawsome enough to put their money towards a new unproven convention far in the future. Some of these kind people even knew they wouldn't be able to attend themselves, but still wanted to contribute to help make the con happen. Pawsome will be forever grateful to these people who trusted us enough to kick-start the convention - go to the dedicated Founders page to see the honours list!
Pawsome has now been well and truly founded, so there will be no new Founder Members. Like most conventions, in future years we will gratefully accept Sponsorship from those who would like to help financially.
Is there parking and public transport at the venue?
Car parking is available at Bowden Hall and there is no charge. The nearest public bus-stop is half a mile from the hotel, so this is possible with limited luggage, but we'd recommend taking a taxi from Gloucester railway station if travelling by public transport.
When do non-residents have to leave?
If you are not staying with us, you will need to leave the hotel and return to your own accommodation after the bedtime story, typically around 2am.