My family went to our first con recently, and within about twenty minutes we understood why people keep going back.
There were elaborate costumes, celebrity guests, artists, vendors, panels, collectibles, and thousands of people who were all perfectly happy to spend a day being enthusiastic about things they love.
We also learned a few things that would have been useful to know before walking through the doors.
So if your first con is coming up, here’s the advice we’d give you.
You Absolutely Do Not Have to Wear a Costume
Let’s get this out of the way first.
Some people will go ALLLLL out.
You’ll see costumes that clearly required months of work, actual engineering knowledge and possibly negotiations with a mythical creature.
They’re fantastic.
You are not required to compete.
Wear a full cosplay if that sounds fun. Wear a fandom T-shirt. Put together a subtle character-inspired outfit. Wear jeans and sneakers. The adults in our party settled for a couple coordinated Star Wars tees we have had for years. The kids wore capes they bought earlier this year from their current favorite anime. Easy, and not only did none of us feel out of place, but we got compliments on our tees and the kids had several people recognize their pieces as well—much to their delight.
But if you have always wanted to dress up but felt self-conscious about it, a con may actually be one of the best places to try, because you will be surrounded by people doing exactly the same thing at every conceivable level of commitment. We’re already planning actual costumes for next time!
But there’s no costume requirement for having fun.
Study the Schedule Before You Go
This was one of the biggest things we learned. We didn’t understand the scale of the event, so didn’t realize how much the featured guests move throughout the day(s)!
If there’s a particular actor, author, artist or other guest you really want to see, don’t assume they’ll simply be sitting at their autograph table all day.
They may have an autograph session, leave for scheduled photo ops, appear on a panel, take a break and return later. If you wander over at the wrong time, the person you came hoping to meet may be elsewhere for the next couple of hours. Many of these activites – like photo ops – may be available for pre-purchase. At larger cons pre-purchase may be *required* to ensure you get the activity you want.
So before you go, look through the event schedule and identify your must-dos, and reserve any can’t-miss opportunities if available. Screenshot or save the important times somewhere easy to find.
Then build the rest of your day around those—not the other way around.
But Don’t Schedule Every Minute
There is a temptation, particularly when you’ve paid for tickets and there are 47 things happening, to turn the day into a military operation.
Resist it.
Pick the things you would genuinely be disappointed to miss. Leave room around them. Half the fun is stumbling across something you didn’t know was happening.
Leave Plenty of Time for the Vendor Floor
We knew there would be vendors.
We did not fully appreciate how much time we would want to spend wandering among them.
Depending on the con, you may find artists, books, handmade jewelry, prints, collectibles, vintage items, costumes, props and wonderfully specific pieces of fandom merchandise you would never have thought to search for online.
Don’t treat the vendor hall as something to squeeze into the 23 minutes between scheduled events.
Wandering is an event.
And if you’re looking for that one perfect thing to bring home, make at least one complete pass before buying everything that catches your eye. There is always another aisle.
Expect Some Lines
Popular guests, photo ops and panels can mean waiting.
How much will vary enormously by event and guest, so don’t build a schedule that requires you to leave one thing at 1:55 and magically materialize somewhere else at 2:00.
Give yourself some cushion.
If there’s something you absolutely can’t miss, figure out where it is before you need to be there. Convention centers possess a remarkable ability to make a room called “Hall B” approximately seventeen miles from “Hall A.”
Wear Shoes You Can Actually Walk In
Yes, even if the other shoes look better with the costume.
You may spend hours walking and standing on convention-center floors, which were apparently designed by people with a longstanding grudge against human feet.
If your costume requires questionable footwear, consider bringing a backup pair.
Future You may consider this the best decision Past You has ever made.
Bring the Boring Stuff
You don’t need to pack for an expedition, but a few practical things can make the day considerably easier.
A portable charger is useful because you’ll probably use your phone for schedules, photos, and messages all day. Bring water and snacks if the venue permits them, and some kind of tote or bag if you expect to shop.
Check the convention’s rules beforehand, particularly for bags, outside food and drinks, and costume props. Rules vary by event and venue.
Ask Before Taking Someone’s Photo
You are going to see some extraordinary costumes.
If you’d like a photo of someone, ask.
Cosplayers are generally there because they’re excited about the character and the costume they’ve created, and many are delighted to pose. Every other attendee the kids asked was. Asking first takes approximately three seconds and is simply the courteous thing to do.
Also: if someone says no, that’s the end of it.
Don’t Worry About Doing the Con “Right”
You will miss things.
There will be a panel happening while you’re somewhere else. You’ll discover afterward that a vendor you would have loved was three aisles away. Someone will tell you about something amazing that happened fifteen minutes before you arrived.
That’s okay. Your first con isn’t a checklist.
Look at the costumes. Wander the vendor hall. Go to a panel about something weird. Meet someone you’re excited to meet. Buy the thing that makes you ridiculously happy. Sit down when your feet hurt.
Mostly, just enjoy being in a building full of people who have collectively decided that caring far too much about fictional worlds is a perfectly reasonable way to spend a Saturday.
We certainly did.
