Con Etiquette: Make the Best of Your Convention

Ahh, conventions! Where cosplayers roam and superfans unite in a geek collective, free to be their awesome, geeky selves. With the beginning of E3, summer convention season is now officially in full swing and I’ve got a few pro tips from my many years of con adventuring that will make your con-going experience a little more easy-going and fun.

• Go in with a good attitude. Ignore your friends’ drama, leave your job woes at the office and be realistic about your expectations for the weekend. There will be lines, there will be folks who might be rude and there will be snafus. Life happens, but if you stay positive (and don’t expect miracles in crowd control) then you’ll be better off for it. Make friends with your linemates, give the hotel staff a break and most importantly: Don’t get caught up in someone else’s drama. Cons are supposed to be FUN!

• Don’t forget to eat and drink.  Because those things keep you alive, and if you die, you can’t enjoy the con. In all seriousness, be sure to drink plenty of water (not energy drinks and soda) and eat at least two meals a day. Ramen noodles have no nutritional value, FYI, so they don’t count.

• Read the schedule in advance and come up with a plan. If you can arrive already knowing which events and panels you’d like to attend, you’ll have a better idea for the flow of your weekend. Not interested in panels or just here to cosplay? Make sure you know when and where your favorite series’ photoshoots are, so you can participate. If you can’t access a Program Guide or schedule in advance, set aside time when you arrive to come up with your plan.

• Cosplay is not consent, so don’t be a creep. Keep your hands (and hugs) to yourself unless the person you’re targeting gives you permission to do otherwise. The same goes for cameras: always ask someone, cosplayer or not, if you can take their picture before doing so. A little respect goes a long way! Also, if you’re trying to chat someone up and they’re uncomfortable, not interested, or ask you to leave them alone, then stop talking to them. Respect people’s boundaries, because you never know what their story is. The saying goes, “Creepers gonna creep”, but in today’s convention scene, unsolicited flirting, touching and harassment is not tolerated, and could lead to you being expelled from the convention, permanently.

• Shower and wear deodorant. I know, I shouldn’t HAVE to say it, but even after 17 years of going to cons, I still find that people at conventions can be stinky. I’m looking at you, kids. There’s enough of us old enough to be your parents (and some of us ARE your parents) that we will, in fact, yell at you to go back to your room and bathe before you come back to the convention floor.

• Fight off the dreaded Con Funk. Prepping your immune system with plenty of Vitamin C before the con, carrying hand sanitizer and regularly washing your hands will all help prevent your from returning home with the worst con souvenir: a nasty cold.

• Respect your fellow fans, even if you aren’t in their fandom. I won’t claim to be completely innocent — sorry, Homestuckers, I just don’t get it — but do your best to not insult anyone else’s fandom, even if you aren’t a fan of that particular thing yourself. In other words, don’t be a snob. At the end of the day, we’re all geeks at a convention and there’s no sense in throwing stones in glass houses. Besides, you’ll make someone cry, and then there will Tumblr war. Speaking of making people cry…

• …Be nice to the little geeklings. Even if you don’t care for children, or don’t know how to interact with them, typically all it takes is a smile to placate them. At the very least, be aware of what’s happening below eye level and try not to squash anyone’s kid. If you are cool with kids, then be friendly to them. Make their con memorable. If you’re in costume, play along with them and be in-character. Just take your cues from Mom and/or Dad and you’ll create lifelong memories for them.

• Don’t forget to charge your cell phone. If you’re worried all the photos you’ll take during the day will run down the ole battery, you might want to invest in a portable charging pack to save yourself a trip back to your hotel room. If you’re carrying a professional camera, make sure you carry an extra charged battery for that, as well. There’s no con tragedy quite like meeting your favorite actor or artist and you miss the perfect selfie opportunity because your phone’s dead.

• Know your limits when it comes to alcohol. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying a few drinks, but make sure it’s the right time and place. And hey, I’m not gonna judge if you wanna drink like a fish, but you might want to make sure you have a buddy to make sure you end up safely in your bed at the end of the night, or someone to call you an Uber. Never, ever drink and drive.

• Make sure you sleep, at least *some*. It’s easy to get caught up in the fun and frivolity at a con party, and before you know it, the sun is rising. Just make sure you get at least four hours of sleep each night of the con, lest you spend the last day wandering like a Zombie and end up going home with that con funk I warned you about.

• Budget before you buy. Especially if it’s your first convention. It’s difficult to imagine just how much cool stuff you can buy at a con until you see it firsthand. Once you’re face to face with all that sweet swag, though, it can be very easy to to tell yourself that you don’t need to eat the rest of the weekend, and that your car can magically drive home with no gas in it. Resist the temptation to blow your gas money, though. And your life savings. Set a certain spending limit for yourself and stick to it.

• Remember that guests are people, too. Be aware of their boundaries and be respectful, even if you are paying them for their autographs. They have a lot of fans to meet, so also be respectful of their time and recognize that they may not be able to stop in the hallway to hug you, kiss your baby or pose for a selfie. Most guests at conventions have contractual obligations to make a certain number of appearances, attend certain events or spend a certain amount of time signing autographs. They’re there to work, so let them do their jobs.

• The con staff wants you to have a good time! However, they also understand that life happens and things don’t always go perfectly. Talk to them. They are people, not robots. Most conventions have very attentive Facebook pages where staff can talk to you, and many still host Fireside Chats, where you can talk to the con staff directly at the end of the event. Don’t be afraid to show up and voice your concerns and ideas. Also, let them know what you loved! Oftentimes, con staff only hear about the negatives, but the positives remind them why they sacrifice hours, weeks, and months of their lives (and health and pocketbooks, trust me) to make the event happen. Show them a little love!

• Last but not least… Don’t be a jerk. Be kind and courteous, use good manners and just generally try to be a decent human being. Show some compassion and understanding for attendees with disabilities, stressed-out con staffers and overly excited fans. Tip the hotel staff appropriately, as well as delivery drivers that bring you emergency pizza at midnight and other restaurant staff. Don’t forget to carry a small amount of cash for tips!