OAX TICKETS + REFUND POLICY

This is a second-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 $175 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 24 to 26, 2025. 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 Delaney Schneider at DoubleTree Hilton:

Delaney Schneider
Group Housing Coordinator
Direct 407.513.5913
delaney.schneider@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 5pm 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

To Be Announced!

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 2025, 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.

ANYTHING GOING ON AFTER THE SHOW?

Well, yeah. On Monday, we're going to put together a big group to go to Universal Studios or Disney 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.

DISNEY WORLD

Disney owns all the things you love, like Star Wars, Marvel, and Minnie Mouse, and it's less than 15 minutes south of the show venue. Disney Springs is a popular and free outdoor shopping, dining, and entertainment area to visit, too. And don't forget Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park, too.

Find out more here:

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com
https://www.disneysprings.com
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/destinations/animal-kingdom/

MUCH MORE THAN DISNEY TO SEE & DO

Check out these great places to visit! Travel times from the show venue are in parenthesis.

SeaWorld (10 mins south) https://seaworld.com/orlando/
Andretti Indoor Karting & Games (8 mins south) https://andrettikarting.com/orlando
Dezerland (4 mins east) https://dezerlandpark.com/orlando/
Gatorland (18 mins southeast) https://www.gatorland.com
Cape Canaveral/Kennedy Space Center (1 hour east) https://www.kennedyspacecenter.com
St. Petersburg/Dali Museum (2 hours west) https://thedali.org

WILL THERE BE MORE FAQs POSTED?

By the looks of it, yes.