The Embassy Suites by Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista South
is located at 4955 Kyngs Heath Rd, Kissimmee, FL 34746. Parking at the hotel is $18/day (or $10/day as part of the ISCA Group Rate).

Please note - there are TWO Embassy Suites in the Orlando/Kissimmee area and it is VERY easy to confuse the two. Make sure to put in the full address to your map apps and ride share services:

Embassy Suites by Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista SOUTH, 4955 Kyngs Heath Rd, Kissimmee, FL 34746

The hotel offers a free breakfast buffet featuring a station for made-to- order omelettes and egg dishes, as well as a variety of meats, fruit, yogurt, cereal and more. Breakfast is open 6:30am-9:30am M-F and 7am-10:30am on weekends. 

The hotel also offers a complimentary evening reception with snacks & drinks (including alcohol, up to the first two drinks free) from 5:30pm-7pm daily.

All suites have a nice-sized bedroom and also a living room area equipped with a microwave oven, refrigerator, safe, table, sofa, chairs and other conveniences.

The pool and hot tub area is open daily from 6am-11pm. There is also a fitness center that has weights, treadmills, bikes and features a Peloton bike.

Eating outside food is NOT allowed in the hotel ballroom, however, you are welcome to eat outside food in the lobby area or your own hotel room.

Due to a serious and unforeseen family medical situation, we are saddened to announce that our Guest of Honor Peter Emmerich will no longer be able to join us for ISCAcon33. We want to extend our gratitude to Peter for his time and efforts thus far, including our wonderful interview with him that can be viewed by Professional Members on the Exaggerated Features blog. We are sending Peter and his family our warmest thoughts and healing energy during this difficult time.

In light of this news, we are pleased to announce an esteemed speaker to fill Peter’s place: John T Quinn. Born and raised halfway between Bruce Springsteen and John Bonjovi in the great state of New Jersey, John T Quinn dreamed of working for the Walt Disney Company. He studied Illustration at the School of Visual Arts in New York where he specialized in caricature. After some years working as a freelance editorial illustrator and as a drawing instructor and even a short stint working in the animation industry, in 1996 John was recruited to work as a Character Artist for Disney Consumer Products. John has been drawing Disney characters and designing Disney product for nearly 30 years. He currently leads the 3D Team for DCP's Global Creative Organization. Follow John on Instagram: @jtq3

We are so glad that John is able to join us in Kissimmee on such short notice. We thank you all for your patience and flexibility as we navigate through the unexpected things that life throws at us and look forward to seeing you in just under 3 weeks!

Volunteer to be a part of ISCAcon33! Just a few hours of your time makes a big impact and you get a small thank you gift! Your help is greatly appreciated.

We’re looking for people to fill the following volunteer shifts at the con:

Con Photographer (free con registration, equipment required)

- Taking official conference photos

Registration Assistants (Sun Night 5-9pm 1 hour shifts)

- Help checking in attendees

Badge Checkers (1 hour shifts)

- Helping checking badges at speakers and events

Wall Checkers (Thur 4-4:45pm)

- Inspect each wall

- Check for any regulation mistakes

Auction Assistants (Friday Night)

- Carry pieces around the room

- Answer questions

- Look for bidders

Interested? E-mail our Executive Director Kara Mundy and let her know what position and/or time(s) you would like! director@caricature.org

Once you arrive at Orlando International Airport, you will need to take a taxi or a ride share service (Uber, Lyft, etc.) from the airport to the hotel. Unfortunately there is no shuttle service to our hotel. It's a bit of a drive to the hotel (about 30 mins), so you may want to buddy up with fellow members to share the transportation costs. 

Please note - there are TWO Embassy Suites in the Orlando/Kissimmee area and it is VERY easy to confuse the two. Make sure to put in the full address to your map apps and ride share services:

Embassy Suites by Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista SOUTH, 4955 Kyngs Heath Rd, Kissimmee, FL 34746

WHAT TO BRING
Drawing board or small easel. Tables and chairs will be provided by the hotel. But if you are more comfortable working on an upright surface, you will need to bring your own support. A rigid drawing board is good because you can move around the ballroom more easily to draw others as well as use during the live event style, speed and likeness competitions, which will be done in a separate room.

Art supplies.  Bring a variety of supplies to draw, paint and sculpt with. You should bring some materials you are already comfortable with. But you could also use the con as an opportunity to explore new media. There is also a JoAnn Craft & Fabric store located 1.3 miles from the hotel. Popular materials that people work with are markers, pastels, colored pencils, acrylic paints, digital paint, watercolors, cut paper and sculpting clays that air-harden.

Wall size: 20” wide on the walls

3D artwork: There will be a designated display table for standalone 3-D artwork (artwork that is 3-dimensional may also be displayed on wall space if it can be hung using ONLY blue painters tape but must fit within the designated competition space). Submissions must be able to fit on a 12”L x 18”W table space and no more than 30” Height (30.48cm L x 45.72cm W and no more than 76.2cm Height)

Paper Size for Live Event & Speed Competition: Paper must be no wider than 20”

Paper Size for Likeness Competition: Paper size should be no larger than 12 inches (30.5 centimeters) by 16 inches (40.6 centimeters)

Studio Piece Competition: If you plan to compete in this category, prepare your work ahead of time and bring it to drop off at Sunday's registration. Participants may submit their single best studio piece that was made in the past year. Submissions must be no larger than 12”L x 18”W table space and no more than 30” Height (30.48cm L x 45.72cm W and no more than 76.2cm Height if 3D). The subject of the studio piece does NOT need to be an ISCA member. 

New Rules for ISCAcon33! Live/Retail Portfolio Competition: If you plan to compete in this category, prepare your work ahead of time and bring it to drop off at Sunday's registration. Live/Retail Portfolio submissions must be a single sided/single printed sheet of paper that displays selected artworks/subjects. Paper size should be no larger than 12” x 18” (40 x 55 cm). Artists can select as many works that best represent the artists’ live drawings from 2024 and fit on a single piece of paper (live work is defined as any caricature created in a retail or gig setting). Reference images of the subjects MUST be included. 

Additional materials. Here are a few extra items you may not have thought to bring but may be helpful: Extension cord and power strip since there are never enough outlets for our devices. Small clip light to illuminate your workspace or models. Camera or tablet/laptop computers in case you want to do digital artwork or take photographic reference of your models. Headphones if you want to listen to podcasts or music while you work. Your own printer, ink and paper for printing digital work. Otherwise, there is a UPS Store 3.4 miles from the hotel where you can have digital work printed, but you must plan accordingly to have all work up on the walls by 3pm on Thursday the 14th.

What to wear. Most of the week is casual. Bring plenty of layers, because temperatures in the ballroom can vary from warm to cold throughout the day. The hotel has a pool and hot tub, so don't forget your swimsuit! There is also a workout room, so pack your gym clothes if you want to get in some exercise throughout the week. On Friday night is our Awards Banquet. For this event, members will dress formally, so pack your banquet best, but please do wear whatever is comfortable for you!

WHAT TO EXPECT
The con starts at 5pm on Sunday Nov. 10 with registration, where you pick up your badges and Pro Members get their shirts, compendium and goodie bags. The icebreaker reception starts at 6pm. There will be a cash bar and free boxed lunches. This is the time to socialize and meet your fellow artists. Feel free to bring a sketchbook, as people usually end up drawing each other during the opening-night reception. But do not bring easels to the reception. You may not set up your equipment until the next day.

On Monday, Nov. 11, if this is your first ISCAcon, we will be having a First Time Con Orientation from 8:30-9:30am where you'll have a chance to meet and connect with fellow board member and other first time con attendees. The ballroom will open for everyone at 9:30am. Artists are not allowed in the ballroom before that time, so there is usually a rush to find a spot to set up the moment the doors open. But you shouldn’t worry. Every spot is good, and there will be enough tables and chairs for everyone who wants them.

At 10am, once everyone is settled, we will be hosting our opening ceremonies and orientation, accompanied by some light breakfast snacks. After this, the general competition has begun and you are free to begin drawing your colleagues. Please note - subjects of your competition artwork can only be of fellow con attendees. The ballroom will be open and available 24 hours a day for the rest of the week, but there will be a few different organized and timed competitions, like the Live Event Style, Speed and Likeness competitions.

Various seminars will be offered each day by fellow ISCA members and notable artists. The general competition ends at 3pm on Thursday afternoon, at which point, no new works may placed on your wall gallery space. Cleanup of the ballroom will take place from 3-4pm and the ballroom will close at 4pm for artwork review by the Board. The ballroom will reopen from 6:30-11pm for voting along with the Caricature Showcase open to members of the public. Pro Members will be given a ballot for voting in multiple categories. 

Friday evening will be the banquet, auction and awards ceremony. Members are encouraged to dress formally or semi-formally, but anything goes. After eating, the various awards are given. The final top awards are the Bronze, Silver and Golden Nosey. Prepare your speeches ahead of time!

If you are coming from overseas and flying in the U.S., remember that there are many restrictions as to what you may bring on an airplane, both as a carry-on and in your checked luggage. You are never allowed to bring any volatile chemicals or solvents in ANY piece of luggage you bring on a plane. But if you want to bring art supplies like tubes of paint or sharp knives or tools like screwdrivers, be sure to pack them into your checked luggage. You will not be allowed to bring those items in your carry-on luggage. If you are in doubt about what you can bring, be sure to read the guidelines on your airline’s website. Remember that you will be able to buy just about any kind of art supply from the art store set up in the ballroom. If it is a special item, you may be able to contact them before the convention and make a special request. The annual ISCAcons are always a worthwhile experience. You will meet people that will end up being your friends for years to come. You will gain valuable networking resources and artistic insights. You may be coming to just draw and have a relaxing time, to meet some of your favorite artists in person, or you may be coming with the intent to seriously compete. You will get out of it whatever you put in. Don’t stress out too much about it, though. Make a supply checklist for yourself and don’t wait to pack until the night before your flight and you will be alright.