Convention Do’s & Don’ts… Or How to Survive a Weekend of Convention Fun.

Well… someone asked the other day what some of the things she needed to do to prep for SDCC (her first trip). I thought I’d put together a list of important things to remember when attending a convention but other than my CosPlay rules, I couldn’t find anything. Guess that means I need to write it.

Let’s start with the important things to do when attending a con…

DO’S

• wear comfortable shoes. not brand new ones though- break those bad boys in!
• plan snacks and simple, easily packed food. con food is ridiculously expensive and horribly bad. trail mix and water are your best friend!
• sunscreen- though most cons are completely indoors, outside lines are more and more common. protect your delicate, pale geek flesh!
• carry extra memory cards, batteries, your chargers/cords, and any other items to help keep your cameras/tablets/netbooks/laptops/phones working
• carry a travel pack of wet naps
• carry a backpack rather than a one shoulder or cross shoulder bag
• review the schedule- know what you want to see, where and when it is, and have a back-up plan
• be open to new experiences

And now the very important things to AVOID as much as possible…

DON’TS

• wear new shoes, uncomfortable clothes, or wear something that you will be upset if something happens to it. there are always crowds. you will be jostled, bumped into, touched, and/or spilled on. 
• attend thinking there will be wonderful food options. things’ll be expensive, or far away, or have lines long enough to rival the biggest panel rooms.
• expect that you will see and do everything you absolutely must in order to have a good time. things change, life happens, and other people have they same wants you do- you will miss something.
• be mad if another person is doing the same cosplay you are
• expect that getting there as the doors open means you won’t have to stand in lines. uber-fans will be there the night before (or earlier).
• be mad if you have to squish through crowds to move… yes, people should know better than to block walkways or to stop in the middle of a flow of traffic… you will survive having to squish through. plan your travel paths to minimize
• be afraid to talk to people- cons are amazing places to meet other fans/nerds (I have tons of awesome friends that I met at cons or similar events)

I’m sure there are many more Do’s and Don’ts… what are some that you can think of?

Tara Platt with NerdLush SWAG

Now go forth, my friends, and have a good time. Who is going to SDCC this year? I’ll be there. Say hi. I love meeting people.

Tags: Action Flick Chick Posts, Actors, Conventions, CosPlay, Events, FanGirl Squee, Friends, Geekery, Nerd Adventures, Nerdtastic Ramblings, SDCC