about the event

The XVX Festival will be hosted on picSquare, a Japanese platform for digital events. PictSquare allows users to set up digital stalls that can link to third-party sites (so AO3, pixiv, a digital store… anywhere an exhibitor would like to showcase their work). On pictSquare you can customize your stall and your avatar, leave messages for your favorite creators, and chat with other participants.The Festival is SFW/for all ages. Both XiaoVen and VenXiao are welcome, and all exhibitors will be expected to tag their works accordingly.

so… who can be an exhibitor?

Anyone! As long as you have published at least one XiaoVenXiao related work, you’re welcome. We do ask exhibitors to prepare at least one new work for the festival. This can be art, fic, comics, cosplay, merch for sale… anything that inspires you and you would like to showcase. You will also be able to link to any past works, your personal shop, or your portfolios. See the FAQs for more info.

does it cost money?

The XVX Festival is intended to be free for exhibitors as well as participants. See the FAQs and the Exhibitor Guide for more information.

schedule

stamp rally + prize raffle

XVX Festival will be hosting its very own stamp rally! Participate in the activities below to earn points, submit a digital stamp card (via Google Form) with proof of participation, and receive prizes!

EVENT ACTIVITIES

PRIZES

Get 4 points to complete your stamp card! Participants will have one week after the event closes to submit proof of completing activities via a Google Form.

frequently asked questions

When and how long will the event run?

The XVX Festival event will begin on February 1st, 2025 at 12:00 am (UTC-08:00), and end on February 2nd, 2025 at 11:59pm (UTC-08:00). Participants and exhibitors can enter and exit the digital venue at any time during the event period.

• Countdown & Time Zone Converter

Who can participate?

Anyone can be a public visitor!Anyone can also be an exhibitor, provided you have at least one XiaoVenXiao work to showcase.

Does it cost money to participate?

The XVX Festival is intended to be free for exhibitors as well as participants.There is no fee for public visitors.Exhibitors typically pay a participation fee (referred to as a "circle participation fee"), but pictSquare is currently in free beta! Absent any changes from pictSquare, exhibitors will be able to waive the participation fee by registering a pictSquare account BEFORE January 5th 2025. There is no cost to register a pictSquare account. See the Exhibitor Guide for more information.

How do I participate in the event?

Public Visitors: Public visitors can simply sign up for pictSquare, read our pictSquare guides, and wait for the event to go live on February 1st, 2025.Exhibitors: If you would like to join as an exhibitor, we will be opening exhibitor registration via Google Form on November 1st, 2024, and they will remain open until November 18th. Acceptance emails will be sent the following week. Exhibitors should read the exhibitors pictSquare guides prior to signing up.

What kind of works can I create as an exhibitor?

All kinds of work are welcome! If you can link it to your exhibitor stall, you can create it. This includes, but is not limited to:
- Art
- Fanfic
- Music
- Merch and merch catalogs
- And more!

I don’t have any new XiaoVenXiao fanworks and no time to create new work. Can I still participate as an exhibitor?

As the goal of this event is to create and share works for all XiaoVenXiao fans to enjoy together, we ask that all exhibitors create at least one new work for the event, to be displayed as your main work at your stall. Older works can be displayed at your stall.

Can I sell merch/can I buy merch?

Any exhibitor who wishes to sell merch during the event is more than welcome to do so. Note that while pictSquare itself has the option to operate as a storefront, we strongly recommend exhibitors link to their own shops (e.g. Etsy, BigCartel, etc.).NO SHOP ORDERS OR MONEY WILL BE PROCESSED THROUGH EVENT MODS. Exhibitors selling merch will be responsible for managing all transactions and customer interactions on their own.

Why no NSFW?

This event is intended to be as accessible as possible to fans of all ages. Therefore, all main showcased works must be SFW.However, we understand that often, you can’t separate NSFW and SFW content on your portfolio (for example, on AO3). In case that exhibitors link to sites where they have published NSFW material, we ask that this is disclosed on their pictSquare stall.

Is XiaoVen/VenXiao allowed?

As you can see in our festival name - we accept and welcome both ship dynamics! We understand that some fans have strong preferences for how dynamics are expressed even in SFW media, so we will ask all exhibitors to tag their works with the appropriate dynamic if it is relevant. Any abuse sent towards any exhibitors/participants on the subject will NOT be tolerated.

Will there be a Discord?

The XVX Festival Discord server will be open to Exhibitors in advance of the event, as a resource to ask questions and receive event support. Exhibitors will be sent a link to join the Discord in their acceptance email. The server will then become available for all other participants 48 hours before the event begins, and will remain open to all participants for the duration of the event.

Will there be an event map?

An event map with all participating exhibitors will be published before the event.

How do I participate in the Stamp Rally?

Earn stamp rally points by completing the event activities listed in the Event Info page. Participants will then submit proof of participation (for example, taking screenshots of comments left on fanwork, or submitting screenshots for the Photoshoot event) via a Google Form by FEB 8, 2025. Both public visitors and exhibitors are welcome to participate!
 
Participants who complete at least 4 points will be eligible to receive a free xvx sticker by @evercelle, and will also be entered in the grand prize raffle.

guides

• pictSquare Guide - for Visitors
• pictSquare Guide - for Exhibitors

sign up

Coming soon! Sign ups will open on NOV 1, 2024 through NOV 16, 2024.

• Exhibitor Application

contact

For questions or event assistance, please reach out via email or Retrospring (anonymous inbox).

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• Retrospring
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