Any Tips for an Amature Anime Con-goer?

[DaughterOfZion]

I'm going to my 1st con next month and I was wondering if I could get some tips.

So no one needs to ask, its a fairly small con and if I mention where it is, I'll give away my relative locations.

Anyways, any kind of tip is greatly appreciated.

[yukoxholic]

I'm going to my 1st con next month and I was wondering if I could get some tips.

So no one needs to ask, its a fairly small con and if I mention where it is, I'll give away my relative locations.

Anyways, any kind of tip is greatly appreciated.

Well, most importantly you should have fun! Be it a small or large convention. I love small conventions as they are not overly crowded and it feels like you can enjoy the experience more. I'd recommend mapping out what you want to do (i.e. panels, amv contests, masquerades, concerts, autographs, etc) because sometimes there is so much to do and so little time to do it in or two things you want to do are going on at once and you can't be in two places at once so you really need to prioritize! ^__^

Depending how many days you're going and how long you'll be in the convention make sure to hydrate and eat!

Also, there will be annoying fan boys/girls. I don't know if you're cosplaying or not but if you are you will get GLOMPed by some people and that is beyond annoying but expected. >__> There are some younger kids who will talk incessantly about one anime (though there are tons of adults that do as well) while you're waiting in long lines it's best to ignore it if it bothers you or if you disagree with what they're saying DO NOT engage because that ultimately ends in failure (rabid fans= horrific!)

Other than that, if this is your first con I'd recommend going with a friend or parent as its a little overwhelming at first even if it's a really small one. Plus, having someone with you makes it more fun!

Oh! and if you are planning to take pictures of cosplayers make sure to ask before you take the photo. Certain cosplayers do not wish to be photgraphed and that is understandable but most of the time they'll say "Ok!" and give ya a pose. In my experience with cosplaying and people wanting to take pictures I've had kids/adults even hop in the picture with me. I suppose cons are kind of like Disneyland you wanna pose with your favorite characters. XD

I hope this helps you! ^__^

[Etoh*the*Greato]

Bring your own food, including plenty of water,
stay on site in the con's hotel,
"hug me" "glomp me" "will kiss for pocky" and any signs of that sort break state prostitution laws,
cosplay is not necessary,
if you want good swag go to the dealer room as soon as it opens but if you want to be able to breathe and shop at your leisure go to the dealer room on sunday.

[avidrkfan]

Wear comfortable shoes, bring a water bottle and snacks, and a camera in case you see any really cool cosplay outfits and want a picture.

Take advantage of any free anime they might be showing - you might find a new series you like, just watch out for the ratings so you can avoid the really gory/scandalous ones.

If you can find a group of friends to go with, it's always more fun that way.

Good luck!

[Gypsy]

I've actually never gone to a con before, but this is what I'd harp on:

1. Have a budget in mind and stick to it. When you're looking at the merch tables there's gonna be a lot of shinies. Pick and choose carefully which shiny you want.

2. Study the schedule - there may be two events that you really want to go to that conflict in times. You may have to prioritize where you are at what time.

That's my advice, hope it helps.

[Roy Mustang]

This is a guide that was giving out at AWA and how to help from not getting sick at a con.

-If you're sick, stay home. Chills, fever, hacking cough? Stay home and get bed rest. There will be another con next year when you're not infectious. We promise.

-Wash your hands. Before eating, after going to the bathroom, any old time you think about it, wash your hands. While you're at it, keep them away from your face. Especially your mouth.

-Sunlight, fresh air, sleep, meals - you need all these things to ward off illness. Staying up for 48 hours straight while eating nothing but candy bars, that doesn't help your immune system one bit.

-Orange juice. Good for the immune system.

-Go wash your hands.

-Try and keep your to your normal routine as much as you can. (Normal for you, that is. I already know you're not normal.)

-Try to go to bed at your normal time. (Yeah, right.)

-Try to get up at your normal time. (Assuming you've been to bed yet.)

-Try to eat the foods you normally eat (Pocky. It's not what's for breakfast, lunch and dinner.)

-Wash your hands again. (Use soap this time.)

-Drink lots of water. (But not the water you used to wash your hands.)

-If you are on prescription medication, bring it and take it. (Preferably according to the directions on the bottle.)

-Put her down, you don't know where she's been. (No, you can't take her home with you.)

-Wash your hands again while you're at it. (Have you bathed today? That's a form of washing your hands too, you know.)

-Go outside and get some fresh air. (Put that cigarette down, I said _fresh_ air.)

-Don't stress too much. (It's a con. It's _supposed_ to be fun. People pay to do this.)

-Drink plenty of water.

-Eat regularly, and at least one healthy thing every day.

-Cover your coughs and sneezes with your hands. Then go wash your hands!

-Don't share food or drinks where there is a chance of backwash or exchange of fluids - especially with a stranger or someone who could be sick. Either cut it in pieces or pour it into a seperate glass before drinking out of the bottle.

-Remember to sleep and eat. You're not an immortal being, and your body does require both things in order to survive.

[font="Book Antiqua"][color="Red"]Col. Roy Mustang[/color] [/font]

[Doubleshadow]

Go with a good compadre if at all possible. Don't forget your deodorant.

[DaughterOfZion]

Thanks for all the input so far.
Also, any recomendations of events to attened? Are there any musts? Anything to avoid(and if this is even an issue. its supposed to be family friendly so I'm not too worried.)? Just in general since no one has any way of knowing what'll be going on.

[Kaligraphic]

Some random advice from Kaligraphic:


-- It's okay not to do everything. Don't worry about offending anyone by not being hardcore enough. There are enough Pikachu cosplayers in the world that you're unlikely to be the biggest target.

-- It's okay to leave a video room if you're not interested in what they're showing. Sometimes blind sampling shows you something you're not so interested in, and that's okay. You're not obligated to stay, just find something you like better.

-- Don't be so concerned about enjoying the con "correctly" that you forget to enjoy it at all. It's perfectly acceptable, if you want, to simply walk around and bask in the fact that you're the most normal person that you can see. (or maybe just not being the nerdiest to the degree you're used to, if you've spent $3000 on your ultra-realistic GUNDAM suit.)

-- Bring snacks, because food and drink tends to be expensive at cons. (At the LA Convention Center, this last AX, they were charging $3 for a can of Coke. It's ridiculous. Yours probably won't be that bad, but it's cheaper to just bring your own. After all, every dollar not spent on food can go to anime stuff!)

-- Do/wear something crazy. It'll be less embarassing at an anime con, because everybody there is likely to be crazy in some manner, and your craziness is likely to be dwarfed by that of the guy in the Optimus Prime costume made out of toilet paper boxes, or the huge dude dressed up as a schoolgirl.

-- On a related note, don't stand too close to big, middle-aged guys dressed up as schoolgirls. There's something wrong with that mindset, and I'm not sure I want to find out what...

-- Finally, don't just go alone, bring some friends. Anime is 100x more fun when shared with friends, and that's doubly true when attending a con. If you go with a group of friends, you can make a fun memory and have stuff to talk about for months. That's much better than simply telling them stories of the con. And after all, fun is the point of the con, right?


This has been your random advice from Kaligraphic.

[Etoh*the*Greato]

Thanks for all the input so far.
Also, any recomendations of events to attened? Are there any musts? Anything to avoid(and if this is even an issue. its supposed to be family friendly so I'm not too worried.)? Just in general since no one has any way of knowing what'll be going on.

Considering I headed up Karaoke at Anime Iowa for a couple of years, I may be a little biased in saying this but...

... karaoke is hecka fun!