he answer is simple – yes, they are.
However, the same answer is rather complicated as well. Most of the conventions demand a written allowance of the parents provided by an under-age participant. The organizers do not want to be responsible for accidents, those who ran from home and other unpleasant situations. The allowance gives organizers information about parents’ permission. However a child can falsify parent’s signature and organizers do not have to check all the allowance documents. In such case, parents need to solve the problem with a child themselves. They can designate a carer of age (eg other participant of the convention, approval required).
An average age of convention participants is 15-20 years old, though in some cases an average age can fall to 14 yo. However, there are some conventions where a great amount of high school students and undergraduated is expected – the average age then can raise even up to 24 yo.
Posted in: Conventions FAQ