Take care of yourself! These
shows can be/are very exhausting. Never sacrifice comfort for style.
You will be doing a lot of walking and standing so make sure you have
comfortable shoes. If anything get some Dr. Sholl's for your shoes.
They are not very expensive and trust me, your feet will thank you. Stay
hydrated, drink plenty of water. If possible keep a bottle of water on
you at all times. Not sure how you feel about public fountains but
refill as often as you can. Feel free to drink what you want but make
sure to mix in water as often as you can. It's cheaper than most drinks
and free if you use a public fountain.
Backpack it. You'll
get cool and sometimes HUGE swag bags (Warner Brothers) at the shows
but it's best to try and keep your hands free. Double strap it! I
carried a side bag for a few years and halfway into the day it was
killing my shoulder so I would switch it to the other and sure enough
that one started killing me to. With all the freebies and stuff you'll
buy its gonna fill up and get heavy fast so why get your arms all tired.
If possible and your hotel or car is close enough, make a few drop offs
and unload some of that weight. The backpack isn't just for swag, there
are a few things you should keep in there. Aspirin for possible
headaches and body aches. Gum and or Mints (do you want to meet Stan Lee
with stank breath?). Snacks like trail mix, candy bars, fruit snacks or
even power bars. A pen and or Sharpie. A bottle of water (remember stay
hydrated). Coins, I always find myself needing quarters at these
things. Your phone charger or one of those portable power packs for your
phone or other device.
Have patience. Be prepared to
do a lot of standing around and waiting. Remember your not the only one
trying to get a sketch or book signed. Another thing to remember is
just because you're in line doesn't mean you'll see the end of it. There
are times when they will cut lines off for whatever reason, so make
sure it's worth the time and effort. Ask the people already in line how
long they've been waiting and if it's been moving.
Be nice and polite! These
things can get awfully crowded and your personal bubble may get popped
every now and then. Accidentally running into people or getting run into
can and will happen. It's very rarely on purpose so if and when it does
happen simply apologize and say excuse me. Your favorite writer or
artist would be happy to sign your books, but not their whole twenty
issue run on X-Men. Remember there are other people who want to meet
them too, don't be that guy or gal. If you see someone drop something
and they don't know it, pick it up and give it to them. There's nothing
worse than losing your badge, phone or wallet on vacation.
Bring Your Own Food (B.Y.O.F.). Now
most of the food at conventions is very expensive and not worth the
price. Sure there may be plenty of spots around the convention center to
eat but you can't leave to hit up Jack In The Box and be back in time
for the Kevin Smith panel! Remember you do have some snacks in your
trusty utility belt (backpack) but you should pack a lunch or at least
buy something before you go into the show. Anyone who's spent all day in
Hall H at SDCC know how important it is to bring a lunch and dinner
with them. Eating throughout the day is just as important as drinking,
you want to keep your energy up. Those snacks aren't just there to save
you money, they also keep you energized.
Knowing is half the Battle! Bigger
shows like San Diego Comic Con are excellent at providing you with
resources to help plan for the weeks events. Get to know and love the
event guide they provide you with. There is a ton of useful information
in them like a map layout of the main exhibit floor with booth numbers
and aisles to help you navigate your way to whatever it is you want to
see or do. The map also shows you all the bathrooms (remember all that
water your drinking). They let you know who's gonna be at the show.
Whether it's your favorite actors, writers, artists or companies like DC
and Marvel, it tells you where and when you can see or meet them.
You can't see and do it all. I
know you have your heart set on seeing that Big Bang panel but you
should have a backup plan in place just incase you can't get in. These
shows don't clear the rooms out after each panel so you may have to show
up early and sit through a few things you don't care for in order to
see the panel you want, especially if it's to see some of the more
popular stuff. I've slept outside overnight in the infamous Hall H line
just to see that thirty second clip of Batman vs Superman and it was
worth it! Ok there was a lot of other cool clips and stars there too but
my point is, sacrifices must be made if you really want to see
something. Make a list of all the panels and/or signings you want to go
to even if they start at the same time. You won't know for sure which
ones you'll actually get into, so it's always good to have a few back
ups just in case.
The Buddy System. If
you're at the show with your friends the chances of you guys wanting to
see separate things is pretty high. Sure we all love Superman but say
he wants to meet the artist drawing action comics and I want to meet the
actor playing him in the movies (Henry Cavil), we'll need to split up,
but before you go your separate ways, there's a few things you want to
establish. Be sure you know your buddies phone number, and I don't mean
having it saved in your phone, I mean actually having it written down in
your pocket or having it memorized because if you lose your phone or it
dies you could find yourself in a sticky situation with no way of
contacting them. Always establish a check in time or meeting place. For
example, we will meet at the Marvel Booth in a couple hours or I'll text
every half hour to see if you're ready to meet back up. Staying in
constant contact is important.
Venture Outside. It
gets pretty crowded and stuffy in those halls not to mention ripe (yes
the stories are true about "Con Stench") so take a break and get some
fresh air when you can. Fresh air isn't the only thing outside either.
Shows like SDCC have tons of things to see and do outside the convention
center. If you thought there were tons of freebies in the exhibit hall
there are just as many outside the convention center. Let's not forget
there's a whole city out there. Unless you're in one of the twenty four
hour Anime rooms, you might not want to go home when the exhibit hall
closes. See what the city has to offer. Check out some of the local
restaurants or maybe even enjoy some of the night life. Remember it's a
vacation so make the most of it. I will admit though, some of those days
can be long and exhausting, going straight back to the hotel room to
get some rest is perfectly acceptable.
I hope some of these tips help make your Con experience a little more enjoyable and I'll see you out there on the Exhibit Floor!
