Edward's Convention Tips: Good Advice

This is part 2 of my 3 part series about convention preparedness and general advice! Check out part 1, tips on how to plan before the con, here.

As I said in part one, this is not a "comprehensive, everything you need to know, do and prepare for at conventions" type of post. There are lots of lists like that already out there on the wonderful world wide web if you do a google search. This is just some advice and things I've found help me a lot. Some of these tips are on other lists and some of them aren't.

So please enjoy part 2!

Some Good Advice 

The Con Bag

I always, always take my "Con Bag" with me to conventions. It's just a messenger bag that I carry around with me while I'm at the convention. It's super handy for carrying snacks and most importantly, all the little do-dads I buy from Artist Ally (AA) and the Dealers Room (DR). It's also good for holding any paper work you might collect (business cars, schedules, etc.) and for holding my money pouch and cell phone. I also usually carry a manga around with me for those moments when I find I haven't much to do.

My "con bag." I bought it at my first convention. I like it because it says "Pika Pi" on it. XD

I like having a con bag because I can buy things or have things on me, without having to go back to my room all the time. And a most of the time I don't get a hotel room when I go to the local conventions, so it saves me going all the way out to my car to store/grab things. It's very handy! It can sometimes be a pain. Like, when I'm wearing Sailor Moon (with her long pig tails) and someone asks for a picture, I have to take the bag off. And then as soon as I get the bag back on again, someone asks for another picture. But that is the way of conventions when you cosplay, I suppose.

Overall, the pros out weigh the cons by far, and it's really a nice thing to have.


I also have a "con pouch." It's a little coin pouch I use to put all my important things in, like my credit/debit cards, ID and monies. It's handy too. Because, if you don't know, in real life I use a retro metal lunch box as my purse, and a metal bandaid box as my wallet. Which are both pretty impractical to carry around a convention all the time. The bag and pouch seem to work best for me.

Emergency Bag

This bag contains anything that one might need if you had a cosplay malfunction. Sewing needle and thread (preferably the colors of the cosplay you're wearing), hot glue gun with glue sticks, super glue, safety pins, extra buttons or beads (if applicable), a comb for your wig, hair spray, bobby pins, etc. etc. There are lots of things you might need in this bag, depending on your cosplay. There are almost always "cosplay repair" rooms at the convention, but they might not have that one thing you need. So it's good to be prepared. I use a big makeup travel bag to hold all these things, along with my makeup.

Going with friends

Whether or not you want to go with friends is really up to you. But I have some suggestions either way. 

If you are an introvert, you should probably consider going with friends. Introverts tend not to randomly go up to strangers and make new friends, so you could be bored or lonely if you go by yourself. For me, I'm an extrovert, so going with friends is not such a big deal, because I ALWAYS make friends at the convention. Going with friends is, of course, more fun! Because I have people I know I can be silly with.

If you decide to go with friends, make sure you go with people who are into this stuff. I've gone to cons where the person I was with was not nearly as interested and entertained as I was, and I was constantly finding myself worrying about them and if they were having fun. Completely forget to pay attention if I was having fun or not. And really, you can't have much fun if you're worried or focused on someone else. So keep that in mind if you decide to bring someone with you.

Also, if the someone you are bringing is only going to be there for a day, or a few hours, make sure they have their own transportation! It's not as fun if you have a time limit and have to take them back home. I've missed out on a few things I wanted to see, because the person I was with had to be home by a certain time. 

But the beauty of conventions, is that most everyone is happy and friendly! It's so easy to make new friends if you just talk to people. If you're like me, making friends will be no problem. But if you are very shy or an introvert, you might consider going with some other nerds.

Take Care of Yourself  

I think every "What to do at Conventions" list or blog says this, but it is VERY important, EAT AND SLEEP! There is no way you will have as much fun if you are hungry and tired the whole time.

I mean eat more then just ramen and pocky the whole weekend. Eat REAL food. I listed some suggestions in the Planning portion of this trilogy that are quick and easy, but also filling and better for you. I'm not saying ramen is absolutely forbidden (I like ramen too), but don't eat it for every meal. It's not good for you.

And don't just take a 2 hour power nap and call it good! Get a good night rest! I know that if you're over 18, you'll most like go to the late night events. (I always stay up late and sing karaoke until my voice gives out XD). But most of the events at cons don't start until 10am or so, so you have plenty of time to sleep in. Also, you might find yourself with an hour or 2 where there are no panels or events you want to go to; go take a nap! 

So don't forget about the basics.

What to Do During Down Time 

Sometimes you'll find yourself between events or panels and you've already checked out the AA and DR a dozen times, and wonder what to do with yourself. Here are some suggestions.

Eat: Have dinner or a snack, or go out to lunch with friends.

Check out the Anime Room: All conventions have a room where they play different anime all day and night. So if you're bored, go check it out.

Brush your wig or change your cosplay: It's important that if you have a wig that is shoulder length or longer, that you brush it through out the con, otherwise, by the end of the weekend, it will be a terrifying mess and it can ultimately ruin your wig. So during your down time, run a comb through your wig to catch any tangles before they get really bad. Also, if you have more than one cosplay, now is the perfect time to change.

Take a nap: After a late night of singing karaoke, it might be good if you take a nap if you find you have enough time between events.

Check out the arcade or table top gaming room: There is always an arcade or gaming room at conventions where you can spend some time.

Read a book or manga: I always bring a manga that I'm currently reading with me to the cons so I have something to read during down time.

Do a cosplay check: Every once in a while, when I'm not doing anything else, I like to pop into the bathroom and make sure my cosplay is still looking fabulous. I make sure my wig isn't falling off, that my accessories are in place, make sure my makeup isn't smudged etc. You want to be looking your best for random photos!

Go visiting: I have lots of friends qho have tables or booths in the AA and DR, so when I'm not doing anything else, I like to go around and visit with people.

Be Considerate of Your Fellow Nerds

Shower. Please. This is mentioned on every con list I've ever seen, but that's because it's IMPORTANT! There is nothing more unpleasant than walking around, having fun, and suddenly smelling someone's three day old con funk. So please, for the love of your fellow nerds, shower. EVERY DAY! And put on deodorant. And change your cosplay. If you only have one cosplay, give it a sprits with some deodorizer. These all sound like no brainers, but you'd be surprised how disgusting humans can be. So please, think of the noses of your friends and loved ones, and please take a shower.

Here is a wonderfully hilarious (and kind of old) video of Foamy the Squirrel on this subject. It talks about more than just showering, but he illustrates it well. 

I think that's all the general adivce I can think of. If you have an other advice for con goers, please post it in the comments and I'll be sure to add it to my list!

Come back next week for part 3: Cosplay Advice!


Loves,
Edward

Edward's Convention Tips: Planning

That time is drawing near.
It's a cosplayers favorite time of year.

The time we hold so dear.
Convention season is here!! 

Haha... I wrote a lil' poem. 

Anyway! I thought I'd make a list of important tips and advice for newbie con goers. (Or it might help veterans, I don't know.) I'm certainly not a veteran, but I do have a few years experience and would like to share what I've learned so far. Now, there are LOTS of lists out there on how to survive a con. This is not going to be a comprehensive list of everything you need. This is just a list of things I've found help me prepare for and survive convention season. Some of these things I've seen on other lists and some things I haven't. 

I was going to do my entire list in one post, but it was starting to get long. So I'm going to split it up into three different posts: Planning, Personal Tips, and Cosplay advice. I'm still deciding if I'll post them over this week or if I'll just continue to post them on Mondays. I guess it will be a surprise!

So I hope you find this list helpful!

Planning

The Right Convention

For people going to their very first convention, I suggest going to a smaller con. 1000-2000 attendees or smaller. I find that these smaller cons are much more personable. My first convention was Anime Oasis. And it was the perfect size for a beginner con goer! It was large enough that it had interesting events and guests. But it wasn't so huge that I was overwhelmed. My husband's first convention was Sakura-con. I regret that decision now.....  It was just way to huge for a first timer. There is SO much to do at those big cons, it's hard to figure out what you should try to see. And there is a lot of waiting in line for events and seeing guest. With smaller cons, this is not such an issue. My favorite part about small cons is the intimacy. It's so much easier to make friends and get to really know people. My Facebook friend list doubled when I went to Anime Oasis, but I only got a few new friends when I went to Sakura-con.

Make a budget

This is important! You can't go to a con if you don't have any money. It's important to plan ahead. You don't want to be a month away from the convention and realize you forgot to save money for food. And if you don't make much money or don't have a job, there are lots of ways to save money! Here is a list of things you need to plan for and how to save money with them.

Badge- Be sure to buy your badge AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE! The earlier you buy it, the cheaper they are. At some conventions they sell badges for the next year for a super cheap price. That's the best time to buy them. The WORST time to buy is at the door. They are most expensive and a lot of times you have to wait in line.

Hotel- Hotel rooms can be VERY expensive. And don't forget the hotel tax that they add on. The best way around this is to bunk with several other people to split the cost. I won't condone "room stuffing" (that's cramming as many people in a room as humanly possible, +1), but that is a route some con goers take. Keep in mind, if you get caught, you could get kicked out of the hotel and not be aloud back again!

If you live in or near the town the convention is held in, you might not need a to get a hotel room. You might be able to walk or drive to the convention each day with no problem. But keep in mind, if you are driving each day, you have to account for the gas used to drive back and forth AND you'll most likely have to pay for parking each day. Which can add up quick. I suggest pricing out how much a room will cost when you bunk with other people (don't forget the tax) and comparing it to the amount of money spent on gas and parking. Which ever is cheapest is the option you should choose. I did this recently and discovered it was much cheaper to share a room than it was to drive every day and pay for parking.

Gas/Parking- Whether you're driving across the country or across town, you'll have to plan for gas money. I suggest carpooling when at all possible to save some money. And don't forget parking when you get there. A lot of time you'll have to pay for (as mentioned above). Be sure to check with the hotel or convention center to find out your parking options and how much it will cost per day.

Food- The best way to save money on food is to eat out as little as possible. Of course you might want to go out to eat with friends at least once or twice during the weekend, but don't do it for every meal! You'll spend a fortune. I suggest bringing your own meals to save money. And I don't just mean ramen noodles either. What we did for Sakura-con, and my favorite food for cons, is to buy a small precooked ham (or you could do lunch meat or a rotisserie chicken), some sort of bread or rolls, and your favorite cheese. Then when you are hungry and get back to your room, you just slap together a quick sandwich and you're done! EASY! And much better (and tastier) than eating ramen for every meal all weekend. If you do decide to eat out with your friends, go out for lunch instead of dinner. Dinner menus are always more expensive. I plan about $50 for going out to eat for the entire weekend. Otherwise I eat whatever I've brought with me.

And don't forget snackies! Yogurt, fruit, and pocky are some great choices. I like to have light weight things that I can carry in my con bag (we'll discuss the con bag in a later post) that I can munch on and not have to go all the way back to my room.

Fun money- Of course you'll want to buy cool stuff from the dealers room and artist alley! Be sure to plan for it! If you want to save money here, be sure to ask if they have any deals. Or if you can get a discount if you buy more than one item. More often than not, they will give you a discount. Or if you're good at haggling a lot of time you can get a deal that way too. My strategy (because I'm female and I'm cute) is to look very interested, but somewhat wayward, and a lot of times men will give me discounts. That might be kind of sexist, but hey, that bag wasn't worth $35 anyway. XD

Also, a lot of times, the artist alley has a lot more unique and interesting things than the dealers room. And they are usually cheaper too! So don't brush off the artist alley as a bunch of homemade trinkets. Sometimes there is some cool stuff in there!

I like to plan about $100 for "fun money." That's kind of a lot, but I burn through it really fast! And it never seems like enough. Lol.

 Plan Your Schedule

I like to print out the schedule as soon as it's available and highlight all the events I want to go to. That way I know if things overlap and I can decide which I'd like to see more. It also helps me to see when I have down time so I can plan when I'm going to eat and change cosplays. It's important to remember to make time for eating and sleeping!! It's also important to plan time to visit with your friends! That's kind of the whole point of going to conventions!

Make a List (and check it like 10 times)

I don't know about you, but I'm incredibly forgetful. My first convention, I drove all they to the con (5 hour drive) and realized I forgot my badge. DON'T DO THAT! So now I always make a list of everything I plan to bring to con. That includes: your regular overnight stuff (regular clothes, toothbrush, shampoo, pjs, etc.), important paperwork (your badge or confirmation email, hotel info, ID, credit/debit cards, etc.), whatever memorabilia you'd like to have signed (if applicable), and an itemized list of all the items needed for your cosplays (very important! I have forgotten important items for Sailor Moon before). Lists are your friend! I'd forget my ass if it wasn't attached. Seriously.

So those are my pre-con planning tips! I hope they are helpful and aren't too repetitive of other lists out there. Do you have you're own pre-con planning tips that you haven't seen on other con-survival lists? Please share them in the comments and I'll add them to this list! Leave your name too so I can credit you!

Join me next time for part 2: Personal Tips and Advice!

Love,
Edward