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OffKai Expo The VTuber Convention

April 16 – 18, 2027 at San Jose McEnery Convention Center, San Jose, California

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Apply as Vendor

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Vendor’s Information Pamphlet <Pre-Application>

Thank you for considering vending at OffKai Expo 2027! We’re looking forward to hosting everyone again! We on the vendor staff just wanted to take a minute and explain some changes coming to the OffKai Expo 2027 Artist Alley, Booths, Day Tables & Yabai Market. As always please be sure to familiarize yourself with the Conventions Code of Conduct & Vendor Rules.

Changes from Gen 5:
  • Some application questions may have changed or been added since you applied last time, so please make sure to carefully read the application form even if you are a returning vendor with saved information in your application.
  • Full Weekend Tables will be able to use the loading dock where union members will transport their merchandise to their slots for a fee of $149 (+tax). This service is still included for free with Full Weekend Booths.
  • Yabai Market will be near the Artist Alley in a separate room, double the size of last year’s Yabai Market.
  • Yabai Market hours tentatively are Fri & Sat 7pm to 1:30am, instead of 8pm to 1am, giving our Yabai vendors more opportunity to sell their art.
  • Day Table and Full Weekend Table/Booth applications will run concurrently, instead of staggering one after the other.
  • Day Tables now include 1 Day Badge.
  • Due to venue policy changes and interference with our event production, the use of personal Wi-Fi Hotspots/Routers in the Artist Alley and Exhibitor Hall space by Artists, Exhibitors, their affiliates, employees, contractors, or solicited attendees is expressly prohibited. For the avoidance of doubt, “Wireless Transmitters” does not include personal mobile phones, tablets, or similar personal devices operating on a cellular carrier network, provided that the device’s mobile hotspot, personal hotspot, Wi-Fi tethering, and Wi-Fi Direct functions are disabled at all times while in the Artist Alley and Exhibitor Hall space. We will provide free wi-fi for each Artist & Exhibitor.

Applications for the Artist Alley & Yabai Market open on October 2, 2026 11:00AM PT and will close on October 23, 2026 on 11:59 PM PT. Acceptance letters will be sent out in early December. Slots are not first-come first-serve. In each of the previous five years we received many more applications than available slots and each year more artists apply. We would love to be able to host all of you, but to ensure a healthy convention where everyone involved can flourish we have to curate and limit the number. All applications are reviewed by a jury consisting of Vendor staff and OffKai Expo Executives. We consider many different factors when reviewing applications as it is important to us to feature a big variety of art styles, subject themes and merchandise types at OffKai Expo. We are looking for artists and vendors big and small, as well as first timers and seasoned vendors.

Please be aware that we will not consider applications that have no relevance to the VTuber community. Our Artist Alley is curated to only feature VTubers or VTuber related art and merchandise.

OffKai Expo prides itself in showcasing a lot of different talent, creators and artists and to give as many people as possible a chance to participate. That means sometimes we might not accept long time returning creators, in favor of giving a new face an opportunity. We value each and every application and a declination is not a judgement on the perceived quality or popularity of the works provided, nor the creator themselves. This community is bursting with countless amazing artists and we wish we had the space and attendance numbers to feature every single one. Not getting accepted, even if you might have been a long-time regular vendor at OffKai Expo in the past, does not mean we value your work any less in any way. We are very aware that getting declined from vending at a convention is a painful experience and we thank you for your patience and understanding while we make our selections. Our wait list is also traditionally very short. Not many people will be waitlisted, but this means being put on the waitlist has a much higher chance of actually getting a slot if one were to become available.

Once applications open, please follow the button below which will prompt you to sign up for an account on our registration portal. Once logged in, there will be an “Application” section in the left column with a “Vendor” link. You do not need to buy a badge to apply for a slot. If you run into a snag please reach out to us.

Apply now
Application tips
  • If you are a returning vendor, it helps a lot if we get to see some new art or merchandise that wasn’t featured in your last application.
  • A good application portfolio should be easy to navigate and highlight the subject matter relevant to the con you are applying for, which in our case is VTubers. Good table photos help a lot. They should be taken in good light, showing off the entire table. If you do not have any table photos, a mock-up sketch or test set up at the kitchen table is also very helpful for us.
  • Please be aware that OffKai Expo is a VTuber focused event and if you or your art/merchandise do not have a connection to the VTuber scene, your application is unlikely to be accepted.
IMPORTANT NOTICES
  • Vendors are responsible for managing and controlling their own lines. Vendor staff, venue staff or fire marshals may get involved if lines and crowding become too great or start interrupting the business of other Vendors. Vendor staff might ask you to cut or re-route the line or implement other measures to deal with the crowding.
  • Changes to table placements, and pipe and drape (where applicable) cannot be done after set up time due to venue policy and union rules.
  • If you specify in the application that you would like to book a hotel room in the vendor block, we will reach out to you after getting accepted for your booking name and details. Each slot can only get 1 room, assistants are not able to get additional rooms. Rooms will be in one of the hotels inside the convention center itself, with the cheapest rates of our attendee hotel block applied.
  • Accepted vendors will be able to add table assistants/helpers. Those extra Exhibitor badges will grant access to the convention and will be the same price as our weekend badges. Only people with Exhibitor badges are allowed to work at a table or booth. If any of your helpers already purchased a weekend badge or any of the VIP badges, there will be no extra charge to add them as a helper! 
  • If you would like to be seated next to a friend, please mention so in your application. Please also mention any other seating requests you might have. We try to accommodate everyone’s requests, but cannot guarantee anything.
  • If you want to share a table with another artist please submit their name, social media and portfolio into the sharing tables information field on the application. They must follow all the same vendor rules and will affect consideration for tables. We only allow table sharing if all artists have been approved by us. All payments and modifications will be made by the table owner (original applicant).
  • Vendor Wi-Fi is strong enough for transactions and simple browsing. This will be made available free of charge. If you require more bandwidth, please indicate so when submitting your application.
  • We have a strict no generative AI policy. Applications featuring AI-generation in any way won’t be considered.
  • The same applies to art that has been found traced, stolen or sold without permission.
  • If you get accepted, you will automatically receive exclusive access to two Artist Alley & Exhibitors channels in our official Discord server, one for announcements and another one for chatting with fellow vendors and having a direct line of communication to our staff for any questions or concerns you might have. We highly recommend Discord for communication but will ensure all announcements will also be sent through email. Please make sure your Discord ID is written correctly with proper capitalization in the application to help our automation. If you share a table with someone or are a team of more than one person separate each Discord ID by comma. Example: ratsukare, teza_kinoku
  • Of course, if you have any questions please reach out to Vendor staff by email at vendor@offkaiexpo.com
2027 Artist Alley Table
  • Full Tables will cost $475 and include 2 Exhibitor Badges.
  • Tables will be 8ft by 2.5ft and come with table covering.
2027 Artist Alley Booth
  • Booths will cost $775 and include 2 Exhibitor Badges.
  • Booths will be 10ft x 10ft and come with pipe & drape and 2 tables. You may re-arrange the tables however you feel fit. One table will be 8ft, the other 6ft.
  • If you are interested in a 20×10 booth, please mention it in your application. We will have a very limited number of double booths available.
  • If you are planning a M&G at your booth please be sure to specify it on your application, as this will affect your location within the room. This is to ensure ample space allotted for lines without interrupting neighboring booths.
  • M&G in Artist Alley are for the tabling individual/group only. M&Gs involving non tabling participants should apply through the exhibitor form when available.
2027 Day Table
  • Day Table applications run concurrently with the general applications.
  • Day Tables are meant for Artists who may not have the availability, amount of product or capacity to vend all 3 days of the con. Each day there will be a number of Day Tables
  • Day Tables will cost $200 and include 1 day badge to the convention. This badge can be upgraded to a full weekend badge by paying the difference.
  • Tables will be 8ft by 2.5ft and come with table covering.
  • Day tables will be contained within the main Artist Alley to ensure maximum safety of vendors’ merchandise.
  • Day tables must be disassembled at the end of each day to allow for the next day’s vendor to set up on time.
2027 Yabai Market
  • Yabai Market applications run concurrently with the general applications.
  • Yabai Market Tables will cost $325 and includes 1 Yabai Market Badge
  • Tables will be 8ft by 2.5ft and come with tablecloth
  • We have a very limited number of 10×10 booth slots available, if you are interested in being considered for one of those, please mark so on your Yabai Market application
  • This market is meant for vendors selling 18+ material, as such you may openly display such material without censor during this time. This also means that only applications featuring 18+ materials will be considered for this space.
  • Yabai Market will be open Fri & Sat of the convention starting 1 hour after the closing of the Artist Alley. The Yabai Market is in a separate room that will be locked and inaccessible to non-Yabai Market vendors outside of vending hours. You can set up Thursday night and leave your set-up until after Yabai Market closes on Sunday morning.
Exhibitor

Exhibitor Hall differences/rules (“What would require that I table/booth at Exhibitor Hall instead of Artist Alley?”)

  • Not Own Art / Crafts
    • Art or craft works that are not originally created or drawn by the tabling individual or group to be only exclusively sold, such as licensed commissioned work, may only apply to be part of the Exhibitor Hall.
  • Meet & Greets
    • A tabling individual or group that is hosting meet & greets that are not the tabling individual or group, such as hosting third-party creators or artists, are prohibited in the Artist Alley and shall be part of the Exhibitor Hall.
  • VTuber Community
    • A tabling Individual or group shall have relevant art, content, games or written works that is related to or adjacent to the VTuber community to be part of our Artist Alley.
  • Merch-Company
    • Merch only individuals or groups whose works are solely clothing, tabletop games, electronics, food / beverage and action-figures may only apply to be part of our Exhibitor Hall instead of our Artist Alley.

Electricity (Excluding Yabai Market)

After you get accepted, if you require electricity you will be able to buy the option as a product with the following associated costs:

  • Table 2 amp $80 (this is enough power to charge small devices)
  • Table or Booth 5 amp $200
  • Booth 10 amp $300
  • Booth 20 amp $500