So earlier I was asked by a first time con-goer if I had any tips for attending a con. I’ve only been to Denver Comic Con twice, and I’ll be volunteering for the third year in a row this summer, but I’ve definitely accumulated some tips for first time attendees. I’ll include general con tips, safety tips, and cosplay tips. :)
General Con Tips
Drink water. I know you’ve heard this a million times before about drinking water at events or cons, but seriously, no one wants to faint in the middle of the con floor. It’s super easy to get dehydrated at cons because of all the people milling around and causing extra heat, and being on your feet all day, and I promise you’ll have a much better experience if you keep a water bottle handy and just sip some every so often. ChapStick or similar also helps with getting dehydrated.
Wear sneakers. Not sandals, not boots, and not flats. Unless you’re a really serious cosplayer and you’re wearing four inch combat foots or wedges (if you are that dedicated, I give you mad props and the knowledge that you are less likely to be picked off by natural selection than I), it’s generally a smart idea to wear sneakers of some kind, even if they don’t have super great arch support. You’ll most likely be standing all or most of the day, and good footwear helps you to stay comfortable and relaxed.
Shower. Please. Con funk is not attractive, and it’s certainly preventable. If you’ve ever attended a con before, you know the god awful smell of three-day-old sweat mixed with stale concessions food mixed with the occasional vomit. Don’t contribute to that. Please. Shower either the night before or the morning of, and wear deodorant. It’s a good idea to carry extra deodorant in your bag, but it’s not necessary. If you’re cosplaying and you feel that you absolutely HAVE to wear the same costume for multiple days, spray it with Febreeze, rinse it out, SOMETHING. Don’t contribute to con funk. You don’t want it to be you.
It’s okay to go and sit down if you need to. A lot of first time con-goers are so excited to be there that they will just go and go and go until they collapse (guilty as charged). If you need to sit down for five, fifteen, fifty minutes, that’s okay! Odds are you won’t miss too much, and it’s much nicer to sit down for a bit, eat a snack, and recharge as opposed to running around all day and crying in your hotel room that night because your feet feel like they were impaled repeatedly with railroad spikes. If you don’t want to just sit down and do nothing, almost every comic book convention will have panels with celebrities, celebrity artists, or guest speakers that talk about everything from MLP to WTNV to how to draw the cover for a comic book! These are always super fun, and tend to be much more relaxing than the big con floor. If you don’t know where these panels are or if your con even offers any, don’t be afraid to ask a volunteer! It’s our job as volunteers and staff members to give you the best con experience you can possibly have, and we would be more than happy to help you.
Do NOT spend all of your money as soon as you walk in the door. I know it’s tempting to buy those Finn and Jake action figures that you saw as soon as you walked in, but odds are at the end of the weekend you probably won’t want them anymore. Walk around the con floor at least once to get a general idea of everything that’s there, and THEN start spending your money. Don’t spend all of your money on the first day either, because after that you’ll be broke and you won’t be able to have much fun.
Don’t forget that there aren’t just vendors selling merchandise, there are also artists selling their art. I’ve gotten several really nice prints at Denver Comic Con, some of them for only $5. There is always a range of artwork that is being sold at cons, and most of it is very good quality. If you know that an artist you like will commission artwork for you, then go to them at the very beginning of the con and talk to them about commissions. If you wait too long, they’ll have a list of people waiting for artwork, and then they’ll get backed up and will stop taking commissions. If you do end up commissioning artwork, please be nice about it and be clear about what you want. Most artists would rather have a really good, specific idea about what you want rather than a really vague idea and an unsatisfied customer. If you just want a specific character or two, then great, they’ll have a lot of leeway to do what they want, but if it doesn’t turn out exactly as you had hoped, understand that they worked very hard on your artwork, and that they probably charged you less for it than they could have.
Safety/Cosplay Tips
Please respect cosplayers. If you’ve ever cosplayed before, you know it feels pretty badass to walk around as Wonder Woman or the Green Arrow. It’s empowering! Cosplaying takes a lot of courage, especially when you realize that a lot of cosplayers design and sew their own costumes. Cosplayers take their costumes very seriously, and a simple, “Love your costume!” can give them an amazing sense of accomplishment.
Remember that costume does NOT equal consent. Complimenting a costume is one thing; harassment is another. Do NOT harass any con-goers, but especially remember not to harass cosplayers. They are not sex objects. They are people. Even if they are wearing nothing but lingerie, that does not give you the excuse to get too handsy or to make lewd, unwanted comments.
If someone is harassing you in any way (even if you aren’t cosplaying), find security or a con volunteer. We want you to be safe at any and all cons you attend. If you or someone else is being harassed or abused in any way, please do not hesitate to find a con volunteer or security of some kind. Your safety is priority number one, and volunteers and security will treat you with respect and get you out of any harmful situation you might encounter.
Ask before taking pictures. Don’t tell them I said this but cosplayers are a little bit vain. If someone’s dressed in costume, there is a 99.9999% chance that they are begging for people to take pictures with them. However, you MUST ask permission before taking a picture with them. Most cosplayers will take pictures with you or just on their own, but seriously, don’t just take pictures without consent. That is harassment, and it is not acceptable.
Don’t use real weapons in your cosplay. As someone who’s not a cosplayer, I don’t know all of the ins and outs of prop weapons, but most cons will have a cosplay table towards the front where you can check in and make sure that your costume is appropriate for the con, and where you can also get your prop weapons checked in. You won’t be allowed to take in any metal swords or shields, real guns, real archery bows, real arrows, real axes, etc. etc. A lot of cosplay weapons look very realistic, which is great for those carrying them, but which can be difficult for con volunteers and staff if you forget to put the correct tags and stickers on them. I know that swords from the Game of Thrones don’t have lime green tags on them, but safety is the first priority, and your sword will honestly look amazing regardless of the tags on it.
This is all that I’ve experienced while attending cons, so if you have more tips feel free to add them!
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