OAX TICKETS + REFUND POLICY
This is a first-year show, so we need your help to make it happen. There's no better way to do this than to secure your tickets/hotel rooms as early as possible and to get your friends to come along, too.
The VIP tickets get you into the private opening reception on Friday night plus both days of the show. We'd like to see couples enjoy the weekend together, so there's a special rate to add your significant other for the reception and weekend, too, plus children of attendees 16 and under get in free. Tickets are available for the full weekend, as well as for just one day. And maybe you just want to come to the reception? Great, that's available, too, just contact us.
And if you end up not being able to make the show, then you can cancel your hotel reservation up to 72 hours before your arrival with no penalty, and OAX ticket cancellations will be 100% applied to next year's show. Just email info@oa-expo.com with your request.
HOTEL ROOMS
We've negotiated a fantastic, peak season rate of only $169 per night at the show's venue, the DoubleTree, with no additional resort fees. And yes, there's NO DEPOSIT required, just your credit card information.
Want to extend your stay? Good, because we've got the hotel to allow you to book rooms three days before and/or three days after the show so long as rooms are available. The standard room configuration is with two queen size beds, though some rooms are available with a single king size bed.
We've blocked off a good number of rooms, and they're likely to sell out, so please reserve your dates ASAP. When the number of reserved rooms begins to run low, we'll ask the hotel for additional rooms, though we can't 100% guarantee they'll accommodate our full request.
Rooms have been secured in the hotel's North Tower, with the elevators located directly across from the OAX reception desk and main entrance.
HOTEL ROOM BOOKING + POLICIES + PARKING
Reservations are made through the OAX-specific link we've provided or by calling 1-800-222-8733. Rooms must be secured with a valid credit card with NO DEPOSIT required. Reservations may be canceled up to 73 hours in advance of your arrival date.
At the hotel reservation link, dates are automatically set to January 26 to 28, 2024. To change dates, click "Edit Stay" and click the dates, which will open up a calendar. Select your new dates, click off the calendar, then click "Update" to register your new dates. From there, select the room type you want, then enter your payment/billing info to complete your reservation.
If you have any issues booking an extended stay, then please contact Rob Contino at DoubleTree Hilton:
Rob Contino
Group Reservations Coordinator
Direct 407.206.9865
robert.contino@hilton.com
At the time of check-in, each guest will be required to present a major credit card, on which DoubleTree may place a hold or process a prepayment in the amount of the guest's estimated charges. Again, room reservations may be canceled up to 72 hours prior to the guest's date of arrival without a penalty. No shows and cancelations that occur less than 72 hours of arrival will be charged one night room penalty.
More info:
* check-in time is 4pm and check-out time is 11am
* max occupancy per room is 4 people
* complimentary internet access
* complimentary use of newly renovated Fitness Center
* discounted overnight self-parking rate of $20/day
* discounted event-only (non-overnight) rate of $11/day
OAX ARTIST/EXHIBITOR/EVENT ANNOUNCEMENTS
There will be many, many announcements, pre-show art/commission sales, artist interviews, auction previews, and artist experience opportunities sent out between now and the show date. To make sure you don't miss anything, visit the OAX web site, subscribe to the newsletters on Comic Art Fans, and subscribe to the Comic Art Live YouTube channel.
https://www.OA-Expo.com
https://www.ComicArtFans.com
https://www.youtube.com/@ComicArtLive
CAN I BRING ART FROM MY COLLECTION?
Yes! That's what we want you to do! We expect a big percentage of attending collectors to bring portfolios to show off their art and to possibly trade and/or sell pieces with fellow collectors, art dealers, and attending artists. We've even dedicated a large area of the show floor for this to happen, with tables/chairs set up in front of the auction stage to accommodate well more than 100 people at any time for the entirety of the show. It's going to be a massive art fest!
OPENING RECEPTION
This will be a three-hour private kick-off event starting at 6pm Friday, January 26 and located outside in the beautifully appointed center courtyard of the hotel. Attire is anything you want from Psylocke cosplay to tuxedos, though no MODOKs allowed without prior written permission. There will be a selection of finger foods, main courses, and desserts on display from which to choose. And yes, there will be an open bar for all three hours of the reception with very short queues thanks to as many as seven bartenders making sure you never get thirsty. Did we mention you don't have to be up the next day until 9:55am for the 10:00am opening? You're welcome.
ARTIST EXPERIENCES
OAX will be offering a number of special, interactive experiences with select artists where you and a very small number of people will be able to spend one or more hours in a private room with an artist where you'll get art, signatures, swag, stories, and more. Look for these announcements through the OAX site, CAF newsletters, and on the Comic Art Live YouTube channel
GALLERY ROOMS
We've set up two rooms inside the show floor as galleries that will be accessible to all show attendees. The first gallery will house a large selection of never before displayed art by the brilliant Adam Kubert. That's all we'll say about that for now. The second gallery will house all the art to be auctioned off Saturday night. This will be your chance to see each piece in person and to decide what you want to go after.
OAX AUCTION SATURDAY NIGHT
OAX will hold an in-person only auction on Saturday, January 27 that will start at 6pm, one hour after the end of the regular show hours of 10am to 5pm. The event is going to be a pre-party before everyone goes out on Saturday night, with multiple cash bars and enough pizza for as many as 400 attendees.
The auction itself should have between 60 to 100 original art pieces created by attending (and other?) artists ranging in value from $100 to $10,000. Also, we're working to have many auction pieces where 100% of sales will be going to a relevant non-profit organization, most likely The Hero Initiative, who support comic book creators in their time of need.
The auction pieces will be submitted by artists over the months leading up to the show and will be periodically revealed on the OAX web site, Comic Art Live YouTube channel, and through CAF newsletters. All auction pieces will be posted publicly by OAX in early January 2024, when proxy bidding will begin. Proxy bidding will close one week prior to the start of the show. OAX attendees will have two big advantages: seeing all the art in person in the OAX gallery room and being the only ones allowed to bid during the live auction on Saturday night.
We'll also be helping to ship pieces back to collectors.
SUNDAY FREE SKETCH + SIGNATURE EVENT
Is this Europe? No, it's Florida. On Sunday afternoon as the show begins to slowly wind down, many of the attending artists will be doing free quick sketches and providing signatures to attendees. Details on how this will work, and which artists are participating, will be revealed in the weeks leading up to the show.
We're hoping to see families travel together to vacation during the show and think that this Sunday free sketch event will be one to remember for many of their children.
OAX SWAG
All weekend ticket holders will get some swag, which is TBD. For now, one word: MegaCox.
DINING + BAR OPTIONS LOCALLY
The two showrunners, Bill and Kasra, both live in Orlando, and we'll be posting a downloadable PDF map with suggested places to eat, drink, and watch the NFL playoffs. Look for it at least two weeks before the show opens.
UNIVERSAL STUDIOS
The DoubleTree is officially affiliated with Universal Studios and has a kiosk across from their reception desk where you may purchase tickets. Universal's entrance is located directly across the street from the show venue. Free shuttles are available to and from Universal Studios' City Walk, and it's less than 15 minutes away by foot.
OAX will be looking into group pricing for a Monday, January 29 trip to Universal, and will make sure to let you know in advance of the show. Universal Studios is home to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter (Diagon Alley + Hogsmeade + King's Cross Station) along with rides based on Marvel (Dr. Doom, Hulk, Spider-Man), Jurassic Park, Minions, Revenge of the Mummy, E.T., Fast & Furious, Moana, Men In Black, Simpsons, Transformers, and so many more.
ANYTHING GOING ON AFTER THE SHOW?
Well, yeah. On Monday, we're going to put together a big group to go to Universal Studios together. Then we're looking at maybe trashing Bill's house. We'll probably have a few more announcements about cool stuff going on right after the show with some of them including OAX artists.
WILL THERE BE MORE FAQs POSTED?
By the looks of it, yes.
