Have you ever gone to a convention, one that you, and maybe your friends, exhaustingly planned for , and just the thought of the event got you excited and extremely hyped for it? What about this, have you ever gone to the said convention(s) and encountered something or someone that ultimately dampened your overall experience at this convention? Since early 2012, I have been attending various conventions, such as PAX East, Anime Boston, and Boston Comic-Con, and from what I have experienced along the years, a few of these negative aspects and things are to be expected, though there are a few that can be completely avoided, if the proper steps are taken.
With this article, I hope to be able to share seven important tips to remember when attending a convention. These tips pertain to a few different things, such as con behavior, daily preparations one needs to make while going to the event, and, ultimately, ways to make the experience fantastic and memorable, for you, as well as everyone around you.
1. Please...take a shower.
And for the love of all that is holy, wear deodorant! Spending anywhere from seven to nine, or even more, hours in a building that heats up pretty easily from the heat of thousands of bodies, I can guarantee that you will sweat. Having to wait in crowded lines, or being packed together waiting for raffle drawing, or even walking around conventions, I have had the unfortunate pleasure of almost passing out due to various body odors because people, most of them who stay in hotels around the area, don't feel the need to shower, or even bring extra clothes with them. So please, as a courtesy towards other con goers, so they don't have to smell your BO, shower and wear deodorant; and Axe Body Spray DOES NOT count as a shower in a can, it makes things smell much worse.
2. Avoid the lines, leave bags at home.
For the past few years, I have always brought with me a backpack or a satchel to hold my phone, charger, wallet, and maybe a bottle of water. Obviously, the bag lines have a bit of a longer wait time than the no bag lines do. This year, however, because of the recent terrorist attacks, the bag lines' wait times have gone from bearable to absolutely ridiculous. After learning my lesson on the opening day at Anime Boston, having to wait close to an hour to get into the building, and in the rain, I decided to just leave the bag at the hotel room and just shove everything I needed into my vest jacket pockets.
This may seem like an inconvenience, and could seem a bit uncomfortable, however, at most cons, like Anime Boston, or PAX, there are vendors and tables that do give out free bags, such as the one pictured below.
A bag like this can hold pretty much anything you need to carry around. What is also great is that you can fold this up, slip it into your pocket, and go into the no bag line, which means you would not have to experience long wait times. Less line time equals more convention enjoyment time.
3. Stay hydrated.
This one may seem pretty obvious, but it never hurts to always throw it in. Like I stated before, you are essentially spending a whole day inside a sweat lodge, which means that dehydration is a serious threat. Bottles of water sold from the con can be expensive, so I suggest bringing one with you. Most cons offer water coolers in every conference room that panels are held in. You can also use those to refill water bottles when they are empty. You can also fill up using water fountains, or even, if you are adventurous, bathroom sinks.
4. Remember to bring cash.
In the age of Square and PayPal card readers, there is still an abundance of groups and booths that will only accept paper money. Not to mention, quite a bit of food vendors only accept cash as well, which was an unexpected, and not too fun, surprise to my group and I when we got hungry at one of these cons. More importantly though, bringing cash with you will help you budget appropriately. A friend of mine usually brings around $300-$350 with her for food and various goodies available for sale that he convention(s). I am not going to lie, I do love using my card to pay for things, it is easy, convenient, and fast; but it can, and has, end up leaving you with a negative balance if your are not careful. Cash only forces you to be responsible with money' well, maybe only for that weekend.
5. Cosplay is not consent.
To iterate, cosplay is not consent. It never was, it never is, and it never will be. You need to remember to be respectful towards others and always ask before giving any form of physical contact. This includes hugs, kissing, picking other up off the ground, and anything else in that general category. I have heard many horror stories from people who cosplay, including a couple where people believed it was okay to grope or sexually touch cosplayers because they were wearing revealing outfits. That is not acceptable, it is sexual harassment; and if you think otherwise, maybe you should probably just stay home. Adversely, if you experience or are witness to non-consensual contact, find a member of the security team, a convention official, or a police officer.
6. Wash your hands frequently, or bring hand sanitizer.
Comparable to a ball pit in a Chuck E Cheese, conventions are pestilence breeding grounds. The most famous, and infectious, that I have dealt with is something people have coined as PAX Pox. Thankfully, I was spared from this awful disease, but a couple of my friends were not so lucky, bombarded with sore throats and a horrendous cough. Just remember to wash your hands every time you use the bathrooms and before you eat any food and try your best to keep your hands out of your mouth and away from your eyes and nose as well. Hand sanitizer is helpful for sanitation on the go, but use it sparingly; sanitizers usually contain alcohol, and too much hand sanitizer can really dry out your hands.
7. Always try to valet, if it is offered.
Parking, especially if you are driving in every day, is crucial. It is pretty much a competitive sport, in my mind. If you can, avoid the hassle and chose valet parking. Yes it an unexpected added cost, but you do not have to waste time trying to find a space, or be forced to park literally miles away. Plus, when you are tired and ready to leave, your car will be brought up to you, so no need to exert the only remaining energy you have to find your vehicle. I usually drive in, with friends, to attend conventions and parking has always been an issue for me. This year, we decided to use valet parking, mostly because we were tired and extremely lazy. To my surprise, it was only $25, which in my is a pretty good price. I can honestly say I regret not doing that in the years previous.
Along the way, you might find that these tips were pretty helpful, or possible not at all. However, these are my top seven that has proven to be most powerful and most agreed upon by a majority consensus between convention attendees. Who knows, you may be able to even add on to this list of tips with some unique ones that you end up learning along the way.
