What's up, my cool cats and kittens! So this is different from my usual content, but I'm bored and this entire blog is just a shitpost. So!! I'm gonna give everyone some convention advice and tips.
Before we start though, I wanna make it clear that I'm not a con veteran, I'm a damn teenager who's been going to cons for 3 years tops (not counting 2020). But I do have some behind the scenes info since one of my dad's relatives runs a real successful con around where I live, so I've seen some of what goes on.
This is probably gonna be multiple parts, so I'll be marking these posts with #kingscontips so people can find them.
This post is about the basic parts of a con and some information about them. So without further ado, let's get into it!
Parts of a Convention
First we have the main hall, or just the hall. This is the biggest area of a convention by far, and it's where people talk and hang out and take pictures. This is where you'll usually see a bunch of those cosplayers with super elaborate cosplays. This area can be super populated, so take care to not bump into anybody, as parts of their cosplay or prop could break.
Next is the vendor's hall/artist's alley. These are sometimes separate, sometimes together. The umbrella term, from what I've heard, is the dealer's hall. The Vendor's Hall is a place where people sell official merchandise from a piece of media. Think figurines, movies, comic books, things like that. Meanwhile, the Artist's Alley is a place where artists can sell their own work that they themselves made. Think prints, stickers, keychains, that good stuff. This place is also called the Wallet Drainer.
Next are panels, arguably the most popular part of conventions. They're organized meetups at a certain place and time. There's usually a panel (ha) of speakers or hosts who talk about things. The topics of panels can range from shows to games to cosplay tips. They're super fun and I'd reccomend fitting as many of them into your schedule as possible so you can sit in a room with a bunch of sweaty nerds and listen to other sweaty nerds talk about their niche.
A subset of panels are celebrity meet-and-greets and autograph signings. These are usually people like famous cosplayers or voice actors. These panels are stupidly popular. If you wanna get a good spot, get there early. Not like, 4 days early, but a good 15-30 minutes early. Maybe even 45. Especially if you've got another panel to catch 15 minutes after.
Cosplay meetups! Incredibly fun. These are usually organized by attendees of the con through the convention organizers. It's where people who are cosplaying characters from one certain media (usually just one series or show, rarely broad categories like "anime" because that would be half the attendees or more) get together and talk about their cosplays and their media of choice. These are like panels, but without a host and you can talk to whoever you want. They're at a certain time and place, just like panels.
One of my favourite con events is the cosplay contest. Whether it's a big con or a small con, these are commonplace and are super fun to attend to see all the unique cosplays. You can even enter these contests yourself, although a lot of cons require you to make some parts of your cosplay. I hear the standard is 50-60% of your cosplay must be made by you. Excluding the obvious things like shoes and wigs. Some contests are organized by experience, others by age. Winners do receive awards and prizes. These contests are prejudged and, if you do enter, you'll have to meet with the judges to tell them about your cosplay. This could be an entire post in and of itself, but I'll make that later.
Concerts and raves! These events, along with the cosplay contest, may require an additional ticket to enter. Concerts are what you'd expect, and raves usually take place after all of the other events, like panels and the dealer's hall, have closed. Not all raves are 18+, but I'd check the rules of your con. The schedule should say if an event is 18+ or not.
Speaking of 18+ events, let's talk about those. If you are a minor, do NOT try to enter 18+ panels or events. You will have your ID checked at the door and if you're under 18 and you try to get into the panel, you won't be let in. If you get into the panel and you are under 18, you'll likely be kicked out or banned from the convention. Trust me, you can wait until you're 18 to go into these panels or events. It's not worth getting a lifetime ban. Seriously. Don't do it.
Another common sight at your average con is the gaming room! This place is gonna smell worse than the sewers, so be prepared. They usually have one or two virtual reality headsets, which are the most popular console there, so you'll have to wait in line. They'll also have a handful of consoles and your occasional arcade machine. There's also board games and tabletop roleplay games, though these may be in a different section than the video games.
Depending on the size of your convention, they may have other amenities. For example, the con I went to most recently (in 2019 ;-;) had a manga library and a maid cafe. Make sure to look into what events your convention has so you can plan your schedule accordingly!
