Surviving the summer convention scene
So you are getting ready for that big con coming up. Maybe you are fortunate enough to live near one of the cities the Con is taking place or perhaps you are traveling many miles to partake in the nerdgasmic activities of one of the summer Cons. These Cons will no doubt offer you a trove of fun and entertainment that even Jabba’s Palace couldn’t match. But go unprepared and you may find yourself facing off against your own Rancor of problems and misery. The following guide is meant to get your prepared, both for the new con goer and the experienced who may need a refresher course.
Rule # 1 Buy Admission Tickets in Advance
There is no excuse for deciding to buy your tickets at the door. Before you even consider this option take a moment to imagine the chaos that ensues when the doors open. Thousands of people in line, many of whom already have tickets. The crew at the gates are and ticket counters are understaffed and even if several lines exist it moves painfully slow. As you get closer you see that new queues are forming, those with tickets and those who need them. The line for those to purchase tickets is moving five times slower that those with tickets, and there are still hundreds if not thousands of people ahead of you. Some ticket packages offer a VIP access that gives those ticket holders a special entrance that lets them bypass a lot of the queues. If this is something you can afford this alone may be worth the money. Either way, make sure you buy your tickets in advance or you may end up missing some of the earlier events you had hoped to see.
Rule #2 Make A Schedule
Is there a particular panel you hope to see? Is there an autograph you are dying to get? Is there a screening you can’t wait to see? If any of these are true, or there are any other specific activities you want to partake it, you must prepare a schedule in advance. Most Con’s will put up a schedule on their site detailing the times and locations for panels, autographs signings, and special events. Take some time to look over these schedule with the people you are planning on attending with and decide in advance exactly what you want to see and where it is. Make a schedule for yourself so you know where you have to be and at what time. Keep in mind that most of these events are very popular and availability for them fill up fast. So if two activities you want to do are back to back, you may have to make the tough call and pick one over the other. Popular panels begin queuing up sometimes hours before they happen. Fans begin standing in line for autographs at the celebrities booth way before they are scheduled to appear. If you do not get into these lines early enough you may miss out altogether. So find the most important stuff you want to do, prioritize, and then make a schedule. If you do this, you will get to do all the activities that are most important to you and you will not feel disappointed that you missed something you really wanted to see.
Rule #3 Arrive Early
So you bought your tickets in advance and you made a schedule, but that’s still no excuse to show up late. The later you decide to get there, the longer the lines are going to be backed up (unless you don’t plan on going until much later in the evening). Getting there a couple hours early may save you three or four hours in various lines, such as the admission lines and other queues for specific activities and events. No one wants to wait in lines when they can be off doing fun stuff, so do yourself a favor and try to get there as early as you can.
Rule # 4 Don’t Get Distracted by The Shiny’s
In this case the shiny things are the vendors with tables and tables full of the biggest geek fan memorabilia you could ever hope to see in one lifetime. Remember there is a lot going on, and if you get bogged down in the shopping area, you can kiss the entire day goodbye. This is a typical noob mistake, and actually happened to me the first time my friend and I went. We were so thrilled to have access to all of these shopping goodies, we just let time fly by as we went from table to table looking at all the amazing stuff. Before we knew it the entire day was over and we did not get to enjoy very much of the activities that were scheduled for that day. There is a time and a place for everything. If you want to do some shopping, set some time aside on your schedule for it and go then. Which brings up the fifth rule.
Rule # 5 Refrain From Making Purchases Too Early If You Can
This is important for a couple reasons. First, it is no fun lugging crap around with you all day long. Not only do you have to carry it but if its something collectible, you are going to spend way to much energy and time trying to make sure it does not get bent, folded, torn, or otherwise broken in some kind of way. Second, you can get stuff much cheaper if you wait until the end of the Con. Now of course if you feel like something is pretty hard to find and may not be available later then by all means grab it while you can; But most of the stuff sold at the Cons can be found at multiple vendor tables. If you can hold off and play a game of chicken with the vendors, by time they are getting ready to pack up they are more than happy to offer a deal. The fact is these sellers would rather sell their items at a discounted rate than have to pack it up and haul it off again. Usually they will even start advertising some crazy deals at their table towards the end, but even if they are not you can almost always get them to drop the price by 20-40% off what they were asking for it on day one.
Rule # 6 Do Not Eat At The Con
Sorry folks, but generally your choices of food vendors at most Cons are outright awful. In addition, as if the food at these Cons were not bad enough, you will also be paying $10 for something like a pre-made tuna sandwich that has been sitting in a cooler all day. Sometimes they bring in name brand vendors to sell their food, but just know that your options are going to be limited and the prices are astronomical. To add insult to injury you will also have to wait in line for about 30 minutes just for the opportunity to experience this food hell. So take my advice and eat heartily before you go, and wait it out to eat dinner til it is over. Depending on the rules of the Con you are going to you may be able leave the Con for lunch and come back. Also, Cons usually allow its guests to enter with backpacks or other kinds of bags, if the Con you are attending allows this then you can do what I do, and bring snacks and drinks in your backpack to hold you off til dinner later that night. But by all means, do not eat the food at the Con!
Rule # 7 Slow Down (when you can), Enjoy The Eye Candy, and Take Pictures For The Memories.
Chances are you will be moving quickly from place to place, or you will be smashed into a mob of people slowly pushing and moving as a mass about as slow as a slug. But if you can find a moment to get away from all that and take a breather, then definitely do it. Don’t let the event get away from you, stop for a moment, take a look around and breathe it all in. Check out the awesome homemade costumes, the crazy anime kids, the neat toys and gadgets people are carrying around. This is the one time of the year where your uttermost nerdness actually pales in comparison to your present company. If you have a camera take a lot of photos of the things you are seeing, because chances are when you get back home people just aren’t going to believe you! “What, a hot girl at a Comic Con? Yeah right! Oh wait …. is she wearing the Leia slave outfit? Wow!”
Rule # 8 Just Because the Con is Closing For the Evening Does Not Mean the Fun is Over!
Usually Con’s have after parties, some are official and some are just being put on by local businesses so they can cash in on the event. Generally these parties and after con events can be found out about by people at the Con handing out flyers or rack cards. Also, many times information can be found right on the Con’s website or official program as these parties will generally pay to advertise to the Con goers. These after Con activity’s can be a ton of fun with con related themes as even celebrities hosting the events. So don’t just let the fun end when the doors close, find an after Con activity and enjoy the nightlife for a change.
