Conventions 101:
Surviving a Geek Convention Part One

Every year, millions of people go on vacation.

Hawaii, the Caribbean, Cancun, wherever. For the two of us, geeks that we are, most of our vacations are planned around conventions.

In addition to local cons like Emerald City Comic-Con, Geek Girl Con, and PAX, we also head down to California every year for Wondercon and San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC).

Next year we hope to branch out further and hit one of the East coast cons.

Back when Laura was doing her research for her Master’s thesis on the use of Shakespeare in the Star Trek universe, most cons were small affairs:  a few dozen tables, fewer cosplayers, the odd media celebrity or two, and a lot of enthusiasm at prospect of a social situation where it was unnecessary to explain your conversational references or passion for a show or story or character.

You went, wandered, chatted, laughed, and hopefully went home with new friends and wonderful treasures.

Now, conventions have exploded both in terms of size and prevalence.  Attending a con the size of SDCC (where attendance is capped at 130,000—basically, a town the size of New Haven, Connecticut under one roof) is not for the faint of heart or light of pocket.  Good planning and better execution are essential even for a much smaller con, as we’ve learned from all the mistakes we’ve made over the year.  But rarely have we found that the work we put into it outweighed the fun. So rather than put you off going, we’ve gathered some tips (that apply to smaller local cons and the huge international ones) to help turn that ratio well in your favor.

Check the website
Luckily, the internet has made con attendance and planning so much easier than it used to be. Before, you had only a vague idea of who or what would be on offer at a con, making it harder to prepare. But now, virtually all cons post their programming, hotel recommendations, guests, and other useful information weeks or months before the con.

Take advantage of this: depending on the size of the con, there may be a huge number of fun possibilities, most of which will not be obvious once you’re walking around the con. At the same time, programming, organization, and other things change frequently in the weeks (days, and even hours) leading up to the con. Bookmark the site and make sure you check in regularly. You might miss something big.

And keep track of literally everything you think you might be interested in. This will be extremely important as you…

Prioritize, don’t plan
It seems simple, right? You go over the programming on the website with a fine-tooth comb and figure out what you’re doing every hour of the con. “First, the Torchwood panel at 10, then the portfolio review at 11, lunch at noon, etc.” But if you plan out your day like that, one or more of the following will inevitably happen:

• The Torchwood panel will have a line a mile long. That people started standing in 16 hours ago. This is not an exaggeration. At last year’s SDCC, the line for the Firefly panel began around 5pm the day before.  We’ve seen lines for panels that would make all the lines at Disneyland combined pale by comparison. And thanks to the unwillingness of many con-organizers to clear rooms between panels, the line for Torchwood will be filled with people who have no interest in Capt. Jack and team. They are simply there to get their butts into a seat so they can see the Supernatural panel that takes over the room at 4pm that afternoon. Not kidding. We know people who show up for the first panel in a convention room solely so they can see two panels that afternoon. In other words, unless all your fandoms are incredibly obscure, you’re likely to find yourself competing with a ridiculous number of people just to get into the room in the first place. And depending on the size of the con, you will likely fail.

• The panel or event you had scheduled in will be cancelled and you’ll end up in a corner leafing desperately through the paper program trying to find a replacement thing to do. In these precious minutes, something you decided to pass up on for your chosen event will fill up or you won’t have time to get there. Which puts you back to leafing through the program. By the time you find something that you want to do and get across the convention center to where it’s being held, it will be over. 

• You are so set on sticking to your schedule, you’ll miss out on something wonderful. Part of what make cons great is, well, magic happens. You’re on your way to something when you run across a group of people doing some elaborate cosplay. Or you catch sight of your favorite fill-in-the-blank doing an impromptu and unannounced autograph signing for a charity. Or you get handed a flyer for an off-site but cool happening. Most con-goers will tell you that their best con experiences were not planned. They stumbled into something wonderful and went with it. You can’t let your schedule dictate your fun.

• So what do you do? Simple. Have priorities, not plans. Decide what one or two things you absolutely must do (even if it includes a night out on the asphalt waiting to get into Torchwood). But for everything else, have a schedule of possibilities, not appointments. Having culled the programming down to two or three fun things you could be doing at any time gives you flexibility without leaving you adrift. And use that flexibility. Truth be told, there have been lots of times where we thought, “Hey, at 2 pm, we’ll do fill-in-the-blank,” only to find that, at 1:30, we just didn’t feel like it and chose something that turned out even better.

• And don’t forget to check the website before you leave your home/hotel. Last minute changes to any and everything are common. And while we’re on the subject of what to do before heading out to the con…

Packing for fun and profit
When putting together your supplies for the con, there are some important things to keep in mind. Whatever you take, you’ll be schlepping around all day: squeezing into a chair at a panel, making your way through crowds, hiking off-site for lunch. So make sure you’re judicious.

First thing to keep in mind is the difference between what you want and what you need and nowhere is this more important than when it comes to technology. Obviously, you’ll have your cell phone with you. But your cell phone may not be the tool you’re used to when you’re at the con. For example, it will be practically useless as an actual phone. Cons are noisy. You’re not going to be able to hear it ring, let alone talk to anyone on it. But it’s still your best friend at a con. Here’s why:

• You can still use it to text. If you’re attending with your friends, at some point, you’ll end up going your separate ways for a bit. Have an agreement that you will check your phone for texts at established intervals so you can keep track of each other and make sure you can find each other again. 

• Trust us, unless you are actually working the con, you do NOT want to take your $1500 professional grade camera to the con with you. Theft, jostling, and accidents WILL happen. Thus, you should never take anything with you that you aren’t willing to part with. That expensive camera is heavy, requires more set-up and time to get a shot, and can be easily ruined. Today’s cell phones often come with decent cameras in them. So unless there’s a reason you MUST have professional grade pictures, lighten your load and your worries by using your cell phone instead. This applies to recording equipment as well. Audio, video, chances are, your cell phone can handle it. 

• You can keep up on last-minute changes and opportunities on your phone. Most cons have Twitter accounts and Facebook pages, and your fellow con-goers will have created useful hashtags. Find out what they are and track them on your phone. You never know who might be doing an impromptu event.

• Bring extra batteries. As you can see, your phone will be working a lot of overtime. Spare batteries for your phone are a must (if you think you’re recharging at some random outlet at the con, keep in mind that you will be competing for those precious few available with the Joker, Predator, and worse). Have three batteries, if possible: one in your phone, one as backup, and one charging at your house/hotel for tomorrow.  

• Make sure you use the available Wi-Fi. Most con facilities will have this, and crappy regular reception. You do not want to be wandering all over the con floor searching for a decent signal.

• Second, unless you have a lot of money to spend, pack in food and drinks. Both will be expensive at the con and likely not very good. In years of cons, we’ve had precisely one meal that was even remotely worth the cost, and I seriously doubt that taco truck will be at your local con.

• When packing snacks, remember that lighter and savory are better.  Fruit sounds healthy and all, but even two or three pieces or fruit can add over a pound to the load you’re going be lugging around all day. All these little things WILL add up. And sugar makes most people more hungry, not less. So a bunch of candy probably isn’t going to be helpful, because it’ll leave you famished and at the mercy of con food vendors. We go with jerky, nuts, crackers, and Clif bars. 

• This doesn’t mean you don’t want to have actual meals. In fact, lunch is a great time to get out of the con. Relax and recharge. Just don’t do it right near the con. Go for a walk and find a more locals-only place. Our favorite SDCC trick is to hop on the Trolley and then hop off a couple of stops later. You’re now in a different neighborhood, and not one where you have to wait an hour to get a table due to other con-goers.

• Water is your friend for a couple of reasons. First, once you have a bottle, it’s free: you can refill your container for free at water fountains. Second, no sugar (see above). And if you MUST have some flavor in your drink, bring some Crystal Light packets or a bottle of Mio. Whatever you choose, stay hydrated. You do not want to pass out in the middle of a group of such creative people. Who knows what you might be dressed/decorated as by the time you come to.

Dressing the part
And finally, dress appropriately. Almost without exception, the con floor and even panel rooms will be hot. All those people generate heat. Unfortunately, all cons don’t happen in the summer months, so what’s appropriate inside the con may be precisely the worst thing outside.

So layer. Light layers that won’t add to your burden when they have to go into that backpack. One of the most helpful things we’ve ever used were those ultra-cheap rain ponchos you can get in the camping section of your local department store. For less than five bucks, you get something to keep the rain off and a resealable plastic bag to keep it in when you don’t need it (and which will keep the inside of your backpack dry once you’ve used said poncho). But a cool hoodie over your geeky T-shirt over some thermal is a great and flexible combination unless you’re at a con in Chicago in January.

And while we’re on the subject of geeky tees. Such things are almost a uniform at cons, and that’s good. Not only are they comfy, but they express something about who you are and what you’re like. So think about the message you’re putting out.

A Doctor Who shirt makes you instantly friends with the other Whovians  in the line for coffee. A Twilight shirt may help you connect with other Twihards but can also get you a lot of patronizing looks. And if you’re planning on meeting your favorite actor from your favorite show, keep in mind that they’ve spent the day with a wall of people all wearing that same shirt. More on that in part two.

Our advice: wear a geek shirt that expresses your fandom(s), but avoid the really ubiquitous ones. You want to stand out (in a good way). How? There are a lot of companies now on the internet that take geek designs that people send in and offer them on T-shirts.

The design changes every day, you have 24 hours to see and order that day’s tee (which means it’s a very limited run—few other people will have ever have even seen your shirt before, let alone own one). A lot of these designs are more inspired and cooler than those you’ll find anywhere else. Laura’s got one that has all eleven Doctors redone as residents of Dr. Seuss’ Who-ville. Super cute and very rare. Check out Tshirt Roundup for pics and links of what’s available any given day on web sites around the world.

So, are you ready to head out? Good.

In part two, we explore what to do once you get there.  See you Thursday.