Dragon*Con Survival Guide
By Jim Quon and Christina Glen
August 26, 2007
Huge conventions like Dragon*Con or Comic-Con can be intimidating to the uninitiated. It's easy to be overwhelmed if you are not prepared. Here are some tips from veteran con-goers that may prove useful in your survival and fun. Thanks to everyone who have made useful suggestions.
1. Be prepared - It is better to be over-prepared than under-prepared. For Comic-Con, I had a list of every panel I wanted to go to as well as other panels I may want to go to if I changed my mind and wanted to do something else. Once you are at the con, things change based on how you are feeling, or what your friends may want to do, so it's nice to not have to spend time leafing through a thick con guide trying to find what you want to do all the time.
2. Don't Lose Your Badge - No matter what you do, do not lose your badge. It's going to be a complete pain in the ass if you do. If your badge comes loose or you drop it, leave it somewhere or whatever, you're pretty screwed.
3. You Are Here - Always make sure you're in the right place and the right line. At registration there will be separate lines for registered and pre-registered members. By the way, for some of the more popular events, the lines can wrap around the building so make sure you arrive early! Dragon*Con takes place in three hotels. It's nice to know the quickest way to get between them.
4. Prioritize - Know that you're not going to be able to see everything. Pick what you really need to go to and make sure that you get there! Consider having friends save you spots (if that's allowed) if you are stuck in another panel and can't get a good spot in line. Otherwise give yourself time to arrive early to make sure you get into a panel you really want to see.
5. Do your research - A lot of the panels may have stars you want to see but you may not realize they're there unless you do a little research and look through the list of events. That panel that seems really pointless may have that one actor that you really wanted to see. You can also check web boards and fan sites to get more information as well.
6. Know your vendors - Vendors may have special events like autographs, gifts, or limited edition promotional items. You can go to individual web sites if you want more information about each vendor.
7. Dress appropriately - You will do a lot of walking at these cons. At Comic-Con there I probably walked several miles for some of the days. That's even being well-prepared too. A lot of times there was a surprise announcement of something happening at a particular vendor booth which was on the other end of the con, the main halls were not located close to one another, or you're walking to meet someone for dinner, etc. There always ends up being some reason you have to walk a great distance. Wear good walking shoes, and if you dress in a Chewbacca outfit or something really hot, I'll even pray for you. If you're thinking about a costume, consider the amount of walking you'll have to do as well as the weather. Summertime cons can get really hot, and you're not always walking inside where it might be air-conditioned.
8. Bring water and snacks - Not only is con food expensive and often not that good for you or good tasting, it is also often inconveniently located. It's good to have a little food or water with you. My friends and I are going to the grocery store and stocking up before the con begins. Alcohol is optional. If you want to eat at a reasonable price there is a food court connected to the Hyatt and Marriott.
9. Prepare to be separated from your friends - This will invariably happen. If you don't have a cell phone with everyone's numbers in it, that really is going to suck. Also, not everyone is going to want to do the same thing, so it's good to have a way to stay in touch. Have a designated meeting place. Text messaging is your friend.
10. Bring extra camera batteries, film etc. - There is so much to see, don't run out of juice for our electronic equipment like cameras, cell phone etc. Bring extra memory cards for cameras because you're going to be there for several days and will probably be taking a lot of pictures.