This episode is sponsored by Foam Armor Club.
How to thrive at your first convention.
If there’s such a thing as being an expert nerd, Rachel Parker is that. Not only is Rachel one of the founders of Geek Girl Brunch, she’s also a wonderful cosplayer, D&D enthusiast, Star Wars fanatic, podcast host extraordinaire, and knows everything you could ever want to know about enjoying conventions. We tapped into some of her knowledge of Comic-Con Tips to create this First Time Con-Goers Guide.
Rachel’s main piece of advice? Don’t try to do too much!
If you can, try to establish your priorities early.
There are three main focuses when attending conventions:
Socializing
Go where your friends go! Conventions are a great place to hang out. Find out which conventions your buddies are planning to attend, and go with them!
This can also be a great strategy for buying tickets for the cons that are a little crazier. Make a plan to buy a bunch of tickets together for your whole group!Cosplay
Cosplaying on your own is doable, but it’s way better with friends. You can find other cosplayer groups and meetups by searching Facebook or asking around. That’s also a great way to find group photo ops!
Having a friend to help you carry things (like a cosplay first aid kit), help you move around in your cosplay, and help you do trickier tasks like eating and going to the bathroom, can be a big help. (Related: if you’re a cosplay handler, our sponsor FoamArmorClub has some things you’ll love.)
Panels & Autographs
If your main goal is stalking all of your favorite celebrities, the best piece of advice is to realize that you probably won’t be able to see everyone. Lines for panels can be very long; sometimes people even camp out overnight.
Give yourself a backup plan, especially because the thing you really want to do may cap out our change (which can happen a lot when celebrities are involved). Look at your convention app or schedule to check times and locations. Scope out the rooms ahead of time because they might not be where you expected or be sort of far away. Read all the fine print and know where to check for potential changes. And most importantly, only plan to do 3-5 things.
With conventions, sometimes what you don’t bring is as important as what you bring.
Don’t overpack, because you have to carry everything you have with you all day. Big bags will be annoying in a crowd. If you want to buy something heavy or fragile, consider leaving that purchase until the end of the day.
Packing List
- Cosplay first aid kit (safety pins, thread, tape, super glue, etc.)
- Band-aids
- Pain killers
- Water bottle
- Granola bars
- Battery packs
We also have a cosplay-specific packing list
And tips for eating well, even at cons.
In addition to all of this, we put together a list of important tips for first timers:
- Wear good shoes and buy shoe inserts (unless your cosplay won’t allow it)
- When buying tickets, know that some conventions increase in price as the con approaches
- Look up weapons and cosplay policies
- Check if your convention has lockers or charging stations
- Realize that lines for bathroom and food might be very very long, so don’t wait
- Know that there might not be cell service. Make a plan with your friends ahead of time, take screenshots of photo op tickets, and make sure you have your schedule written down or in offline mode.
And most of all, respect con culture:
- Be polite
- Ask permission to take photos of cosplayers
- The same rules apply as when you go to a music festival or Disney World
We really hope you enjoy your first con! Please come find me or Rachel when you do!
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Stay nerdy.
Special thanks to our editor + music composer Dan Ison
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