Summer Con Tips

I love the summer anime convention season. The whole being in this place where everybody gets your dorky little obsession still has magic for me, even after seven or eight years of going to anime and comic book conventions. I’m definitely going to Otakon and maybe to either AnimeNext (1-2 hours away) or Animazement if I’m feeling particularly insane to make that drive.

Anyway, every convention is somebody’s first con, so I figured I’d lay out some con tips:

• If you’re not cosplaying, take a backpack or messenger bag if you go to the dealer’s room (trust me you’ll be going there). Carrying half a dozen shopping bags gets old real fast. You can put artbooks, dvds, cds, and a lot of smaller things in there, making it easier for you to go nuts in the dealer’s room with your hands free.
• In fact, save up for the convention, weeks and months ahead of time. Anime cons are much more fun when you can be the Madarame — know what you want and get as much of it as possible. Plus, it’s nice to have money left over for a good dinner or for tolls on the way home.
• Also, don’t rely on ATMs in the convention site, they tend to get tapped out fairly early. This is becoming less of a problem. At least at Otakon 2006, I found most merchants were equipped to handle credit/debit card transactions, but not all of them do, so bringing cash is still recommended.
• Prices for anime dvds and other things in the dealer room usually aren’t better than they are online. This is the time to pick up things you don’t normally see online or things that you wanted to see in person before buying. I’ve shifted most of my anime artbook buying to conventions and I go crazy with keychains/pins/fastener/cellphone charms. I usually don’t buy DVDs at a con, since I can get it online.
• Don’t be shy about asking for a deal, especially if getting multiple items. Be polite and be reasonable. You are not entitled to a deal, but sometimes the dealer will give you a break. Don’t act like you’re being robbed if no deal is offered.
• If a dealer is rude to you, just walk away.
• Buy posters at the end of the day to avoid crushing them during the con.
• The food is better outside of the convention center.
• Bring a bottle of water and some granola bars or cereal bars. Convention food is ridiculously expensive and often of poor quality. You won’t always have time to duck out of the convention center for edible food, so keep snacks on hand. Granola bars are compact and somewhat nutritious.
• Keep hydrated. Most cons have water coolers for you to get a drink. Someone always passes out from dehydration, don’t let it be you. Refill your water bottle here.
• ALWAYS ask permission to take somebody’s photo.
• If you’re hot, please cosplay as Etna. If you’re not, please don’t cosplay as Rikku.
• Make sure somebody back home knows you’re going to the convention in case you’re stranded for some reason.
• Bring ID with you to the site, because occaisionally they’ll ask you for it if you pre-registered, plus some of the panels/showings require ID to prove you’re over 18.
• If you can’t find a particular room, ask the roaming convention staff who are often found at busy intersections.
• Make sure to get and check the schedule updates. The official programs are printed a few weeks in advance and don’t reflect changes that needed to be made at the last minute. That panel on the history of giant robots in anime may have been switched into something you really don’t want to see.

Sure, cons are better when you’ve got company, but really there’s so much going on that going by yourself isn’t too bad (though if you’re under 18, you probably shouldn’t). For many people out of school, anime tends to be a lonely hobby, so watching some anime at a con means that at least for a little while it doesn’t have to be. Half the cons I’ve been to I’ve gone by myself. V_V Actually, I’m a panel room junkie and kind of prefer the freedom of going to see what I want and not have to worry if the person I’m with is bored.

Oh and for the sake of humanity, if you are going to attend one of the voice actor panels, please do not ask how to get into voice acting. It gets asked at least five times every panel. Instead, think of a good question to ask. Trust me, the rest of the audience will appreciate it.

And have fun!