I know that the Weapons Policy for 2008 hasn't been released yet, but I can guess that it would not include airsoft weapons (which is a downer since most of my costumes have an airsoft part to it).
I look at photos from other conventions, especially those outside of California, and there I see weapons that can look real branished for pictures and whatnot.
Is it that California law is much different than other states or that FanimeCon is taking steps to ensure safety that these rules are most strict (or less strict)?
It's both. IIRC, California is a bit tricky about airsoft (do they still need orange tips and their original brands?) and we really, really don't want an incident at Fanime. A lot of staff would love to have airsoft, but it's just too risky. We DO have police officers, and if I were them, I would be really nervous with a lot of props that look exactly like a real gun floating around. Stressed, nervous cops aren't a good thing.
(And on different notes, it makes our insurance provider and the facilities really nervous too. That's bad for business and bad for the reputation of convention-goers nationwide.)
Yeah, orange tips are still required.
I'm just trying to get a feel for how Weapons Policies are from con to con. While Fanime and AX lock down on weapons like airsoft, Sac-Anime allows them but are double-peacebonded and whatnot.
I would think that the larger the con, the stricter the policy. When you have a lot of people running around, it's much easier for someone to create a panic, or someone to sneak under the radar if you're not careful. I believe SAC-Anime is a lot smaller than Fanime?
Yes.
I remember they made the Scout Trooper fomr last year, strap down is blaster pistol to his boot holster with those purple zip strips.