Convention is coming up and it's time to get ready! Here are some things you should think about before heading out.
1. Costume days! How long is your con? Do you need your costume for the whole convention? Or just specific times and events? I've found that if you have multiple days to check out the convention, it's a much better experience if you wear your costume for only half of the time you are attending. When you are in costume people will come and stop you to take photos and talk to you, so it's hard to wander around the vendors and artists alley and enjoy your time browsing or listening to that panel you wanted to see. If you plan out days for your shopping and panels and separate time to wear your costume, you'll definitely have more fun and get to see more! The plan that generally works for me is, first day: wander around and scope out the vendor hall and artist alley, figure out where the celebs are going to be sitting. If I need an autograph grab em today or on the last day if possible. Day 2: This is usually the busiest day, definitely a costume day. More people means more exposure for that incredible outfit. Day 3: If this is the second to last day of the con, I would try for wearing a costume. If it's the last day of the con, I find I won't wear a costume because I may not stay for the whole day. Find a plan that works for you! 2. What do I bring? - Without a costume: Make sure and bring a backpack and a water bottle. It's important to keep hydrated! Take some cash with you. This will limit your spending a bit to what you really want, and help you avoid those nasty banking fees from the convenient ATM's on site. - With a costume: Bring everything you would as if you didn't have your costume, but also bring a spare pair of shoes to change into, even a change of clothes if it's more comfortable. 3. Comfort You're going to be at the convention for a long period of time, at least a few hours a day. If you're going in costume, make sure it's comfortable! Ask yourself these questions: - Can I wear this for a long period of time? - Do I have good visibility? - Can I use the washroom easily? - Will my feet be sore after a short period of time? - Will I be too warm? or cold? - Do I need a "Handler"? It's always important to make sure you can get around the convention with as little assistance as possible. If you can, bring a change of clothes and shoes for yourself so you can get changed after the con, or as soon as you start feeling uncomfortable. If you are signed up for a costume contest and know that your costume will require assistance, I recommend only wearing your costume for part of the day right before the contest, so you don't tire yourself out too quickly! 4. Buddies Go with friends! This makes the convention so much better! And if you're in a costume, this gives you more people who can help you out throughout the day. 5. Transport How are you going to get to the convention? Transit? Driving? Walking? Jetpack? My advice? Choose the easiest most convenient way for you to get to the convention. If you know that you can get there on transit and comfortably wear your costume, do that. It's cheap and direct, vs driving which will cost you a bunch of money to park for the day. Make sure and plan this out long in advance and take weather and traffic into account on the day! 6. Accommodation Is your convention local? Or do you need to find hotels or an air BnB? If you need to find somewhere to stay, make sure you do it long in advance of your con. Also as a little forewarning, if you are local, but want to stay at a place that is closer to the convention centre, try to steer clear of Air BnB. A lot of them have a "no locals" policy. (Found that out the hard way for Calgary Expo). This is a great blog post I found with more awesome advice on getting yourself con ready! https://calscrafts.com/2014/06/30/troubleshooting/ Now good luck and have fun!
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