Anime Conventions, the central hub of all things Otaku,
mass gathering points for fans all across the globe. The prospect of going to one is always
exciting. I asked a friend once what the
key areas of the year are that one could consider “Convention Season.” She gave me a couple of time frames like
spring and fall but I also thought about summer. If you think about it, Convention Season is
kind of a year round thing. And no
matter when you go or where you go, one thing is certain…ok two things. One, you’re gonna have a good time. Two, you need a plan. Going into a convention blind is basically
going to wind you in five minutes and overwhelm your fragile mind. So, on todays Top 5 Wednesday, im going to
give you, Dear Reader, my Top 5 Prep Tips for Anime Conventions. I figured since ive been going to various
conventions (though mostly Otakon and Katsucon lol) I might have some wisdom to
share in this matter haha. Hope these
tips help, especially if you are planning on doing a bigger con like Katsucon
in February.
#5-Sleep When You
Can, Eat When You Can, Shower When You Can (even if you are having too good a
time)
Ive been here a few times. The euphoria of being in a massive convention
space with hundreds of people who all love the same thing you do is an amazing
feeling. But before you know it, it can
be 3am and you have a panel you want to attend at 9am the next day. Or you’re running low on energy after one
romp through the Dealers Room and don’t want to fall asleep during a screening
of Q&A with your favorite voice actor.
Sleep is a must at Cons. If you
think you can go three days straight with no sleep you are kidding
yourself. And it’s not a bad thing to
sleep either. It’s far better to rest up
here and there and be in the moment rather than crash when the moment is at its
best. Im not saying get a full 7-8 hours
but be sure to get as much sleep as you need to have the best time
possible. And don’t worry, no matter how
much sleep you get, everyone will still look like the Walking Dead by Sunday
anyway cause sleep schedules are destroyed by cons…that said, get some sleep
people. Also, be sure to have a snack
whenever you can, even if you cant get in a full meal. As for showering…that goes without saying, be
respectful and don’t let your BO ruin a small room panel…that’s just wrong.
#4-Get to Know the
Convention Space
By the time Otakon ended its run in Baltimore in 2016, I
had been going for seven years. I knew
the Baltimore Convention Center backwards and forwards and I know the same for
the Gaylord Hotel and Convention Center where Katsucon is held. This wasn’t always the case. Any new convention or new location is going
to require some research and a proper tour.
Where are the panels? Where are
some good photo op locations? Where can
you eat? What’s the fastest route to all
of these places and more? It helps if
you have a guide who’s been to these places before. But it doesn’t hurt to explore on your own
and find your own way. By the time you
get to the end of the weekend, you’ll be weaving your way through the
convention scene and if you commit it to memory and come back the next year,
you’ll be Barry freaking Allen (The Flash).
#3-Budget Hard
Conventions aren’t cheap.
Even if youre going to one for a day it’s still a pretty penny for a day
pass. So if you know you’re going well
in advance, start saving. You have to
consider the weekend pass, hotel room, food, Dealers Room and Artist Alley,
Parking, it’s a lot. It’s definitely
doable but remember you have other life priorities that require your hard
earned cash too. Trust me, the lure of
the magic of a con can blind you to forgetting you have rent to pay. If you can, get together with a crew of
friends to cut down on costs of hotel rooms and dinner and even driving if you
wanna carpool. If you’ve budgeted right
and smart, you’re gonna have an amazing weekend in that Dealers Room. If not, hey you made it to the con and your
friends and that should be reward enough (that and all the photos you take with
them).
#2-Make a
Convention Battle Plan
This kind of goes hand in hand with “Getting to Know the
Convention Space”. Once you get to the
con…well to quote Doctor Who (The 11th Doctor specifically), “All of
Time and Space, everything that ever was or ever will be…where do you want to
start?” Panels. Dealers Room.
Photoshoots. Lunch in the Food
Court. Anime Screenings. There are dozens of things to do every hour
of a con and nearly hundreds of events during an entire day. Sure you could go on the fly and see where
the wind takes you. But remember that
there are overlapping events that you might want to dedicate time to if you
wish to attend both (like a panel and a photoshoot happening at the same
time). You also want to coordinate with
friends for meetups. Got a photoshoot
you want to attend…or five? Find out
when they are, if there are encore photoshoots happening and see if you can hit
them all up. Plan, that’s the whole
point of this Top 5 people.
#1-Have Fun
I’ll level with you:
There have been times where ive gone to conventions in the foulest
moods. Life, work or some other random
factor might’ve been bothering me so badly it was hard to remember I was on my
way to an Anime Convention. BUT…once I
got to Otakon, Katsucon or any other con, those concerns and woes slowly
vanished before the mid point of Pre Reg Day.
We all have our various moods heading into a con. What you must remember is why youre going to
one in the first place: to have fun.
That can involve seeing an Anime on a big screen; seeing all of the
cosplayers bringing your favorite characters to life; seeing an amazing new
location you might want to check out outside of convention time; or my personal
favorite-reconnecting with friends you don’t get to see as often as you
want. Youre coming to a convention to
have fun…so have fun everyone.
Conventions are like Cheers if you think about it: it’s a place where
you can take a break from all your worries, everybody knows your name and your
troubles (or likes) are all the same.
And why wouldn’t you want to go where everybody loves the same thing you
love? Have fun everyone…it’s the best
reward you can take home from any con.
BTW, these are only a handful of helpful tips I can offer
and they definitely don’t cover every aspect of convention life. If you’re looking for other prep avenues to
explore, im gonna direct ya to a couple of vids from some fellow otaku friends Canary Cry Cosplay and Dejavudea. Both cover areas very different from this
list: Canary covers Cosplay Prep and Dejavudea covers the right supplies to
bring with you to a con (and both are incredibly cute and entertaining
videos). Give em a watch and be sure to
check out their pages for more otaku goodness.
Your Stomach and Anime Conventions (A Guide by Dejavudea)
AVOID THE CON CRUNCH!!! Tips for Balancing Cosplay and
Life in 2019 (by Canary Cry Cosplay
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