- Drink lots of water. It's easy to get dehydrated when you're running between panels and parties, caught up in the excitement, especially with free booze around. Keep a bottle of water with you and keep refilling it.
- Don't be shy. One of my favorite moments from last year was when Wally Wingert, a voiceover actor from Invader Zim, among other things, struck up a conversation with me in line for an autograph from Trace Beaulieu. It's easy to get tunnel vision and be focused on your schedule or one particular goal or hanging with your particular friends, but try to be open to making new friends along the way. Plus, the guests of honor tend to be very nice and approachable - go up and say hi if you see them in the hallway.
- Go with the flow. The schedule, as always, is packed with awesome you won't want to miss. But my recommendation is to pick just a few can't-miss highlights and beyond that, leave your options open. If you try to see and do everything that looks good, you'll exhaust yourself before party time! And that would be bad.
- Don't judge a party by its premise. Some parties have awesome themes but turn out to be lackluster. Others sound lame and turn out to be awesome. Make a point to make the rounds - check them all out. You might find a hidden gem!
Don't miss the toast! House of Toast, while not exactly a party, is one of the best parts of party time at CON. It's decorated to look like the inside of a toaster, and you can walk in and get free toast - with a variety of wacky toppings. Oh, and to that end...have the toast BEFORE you start drinking. I've seen the combinations people come up with when they've had a few and, well...nobody wants to see what happens when you consume several drinks and then eat toast topped with sardines and Spaghetti-O's.
- Don't miss ConSuite. When you're too busy to eat, ConSuite is a magical place where you can get free rice and other snacks. It's got a low-key atmosphere that's perfect for meeting new people or chatting with friends. Plus, all that rice is good to snack on between drinks so you don't get sick.
- Always keep your badge on. Sounds obvious, but folks do watch to make sure everyone walking around has paid to be there. Badges aren't optional, though you can be creative with where you wear them (when I'm in costume, I like to clip it to a belt or boot instead of wear it around my neck, for example). Just make sure it's in plain sight.
Now, check out
Survival Tips Part 2: Electric Boogaloo!
13 comments:
1: Yes. Water is your friend. At some point in the night, it you might start to think of it as your only friend.
2: For the most part, yes, the guests are really cool. When Chewbacca was there years back, he was a bit stand offish I heard, but that's about all.
3: The grid is your friend. Always have the grid...
4: The Mad Cow party? How knew?
5: You know, I've never actually done the HoT that regularly, but I really need to start. How can I not dig free toast??
6: ConSuite is always your friend! Get there at the right times for free food of a more substantial variety as well. Not to mention all the soda you need to mix with your booze, err, I mean, can drink. Totally mean can drink... Regardless, ConSuite just seems to get better every year.
7: Yeah. You just always need to have the little bugger about. Except for like Cinema Rex.
A note on Chewbacca (actually actor Peter Mayhew). He is so very not standoffish. What he is, sadly, is kind of shy. But once you start talking to him, he's one of the kindest, funniest guys out there. SRSLY.
Wally Wingert is totally the new Michael Sheard though.
More tips:
Eat at least one real meal a day, with vegetables even. This usually can't be managed at con suite, but there are several food establishments just across the parking lot of the hotel where you can get a hot meal (Subway, BK, D@, and TGIFridays every day, and Eddingtons on Thursday and Friday).
Bring a checkbook, because you will want one to pay for your pre-reg for next year at the special at-con prices (cash is often all spent by the end of con).
Bring singles and fives, both to tip your bellman and the room staff, and to have available for parties. If you get a drink at a party, tip for it. Yes, the drink is 'free' but those parties put out an awful lot of money to entertain you and a tip is really not ethically optional.
Get a blue tooth headset, especially if you are going to want to keep in touch with other people at the convention. Being able to walk and talk is a huge plus, and it is likely that you will find yourself carrying things. However, if you need to keep in touch with people while you are in a panel or movie, please use text.
Take a nap if you find yourself with an hour or two where there's no panels you want to go to and parties haven't started yet. Taking a nap (or even getting away to a quiet place to unwind) will make you feel much less harried by Sunday, and less likely to miss something good by getting a headache or being wrung out later.
One other note...have comfortable shoes!!
This'll be my 5th year at Con, and here's some advice (basic and advanced):
-Comfy shoes are a must, as you'll be on your feet for a while
-Don't just poke your head into a party room, explore the space and say hello, sometimes the hosts are just shy
-Take the stairs, you can generally beat the elevator and the movement gives you time to sober up.
-Take a walk outside, the grounds are lovely when you're in an affected state.
-Cinema Rex usually gets a large donation of Pizzas from GreenMill, keep an eye out.
-Splurging on pastries is ok, it's Con.
-If you're done socializing, the dance-room is perfect for late night motions.
-The best bathrooms are located in the short tower, much less trafic.
-Make eyes at every cute person you see, there are plenty!
Short tower bathrooms are better, but! 22nd floor bathrooms are best. Seriously, if you can get up there, take a look. They are super luxe. However.. when staying in the short tower, I tend to go to my own bathroom. Quiet and has other things I might need.
Unless I am far wrong, those pizzas are not donated. They are paid for by the con. The con gets very little for free.
Just 7 tips?!?
I learned my first year - have a place to crash! It is nearly impossible, let alone hazardous to your health, to try to stay up the whole time!
Met Mayhew as well, and once past the initial shyness has some great stories to tell!
Wally is a great guy and after meeting him the one year, the next year he approached me for conversation!
Don't forget there's also fast food nearby, too, for a quick pick-up meal as necessary.
I'm getting the idea that you all are excited about this CONvergence...
We hide it well...
Additional tip:
Bring single-malt scotch to Melissa Kaercher. Bonus points if you bring it to her during a panel. It's good karma.
*hopeful grin*
One thing I don't see here yet: VOLUNTEER!
Sure, we pay the registration price to get in, but if it were not for the countless thankless hours worked by volunteers, that convention would not operate even if we had to pay $300 at the door. We should want to reciprocate, to thank those volunteers by doing some volunteering ourselves.
There are plenty of opportunities to volunteer. No matter your area of expertise or interest, no matter your amount of free time (hey, you want a place to hang out for an hour in a comfy chair? Then be a badger)! Check out http://www.convergence-con.org/faqs/FAQvolunteers.php for more info.
You get a natural high when you're doing something with no expectation of reward or praise. It's geeks helping geeks!
Wait, I guess volunteering isn't really a SURVIVAL tip...sorry! :oP
But it still is good advice to getting more out of your CONvergence experience, just not necessary to your survival.
Oh, but here is one tip for surviving CVG2009: have your cell phone on vibrate.
2 reasons:
1. If you are in a panel, it is rude and distracting to have a ring tone drowning out the speaker. And please don't answer the phone and have a conversation in the middle of the panel (unless you are GoH and then it's pretty hilarious).
2. If you are in a party room or even just walking the halls, chances are you won't even hear your phone ring. It would be a bummer to miss the call that told you there were egg rolls and cream cheese wontons at consuite!
Oh, and bring your cell phone charger. And a laptop to download all the photos you'll be taking on your digital camera.
*shrug* I saw him once, in passing, over the course of that CON. I will admit that what I heard about Mr. Mayhew was certainly second hand, but from several sources. I'm delighted to hear that what I heard was inaccurate.
Ahh, Michael Sheard. He is missed.
Survival tip for hungry people reluctant to leave: the Sheraton is going to be offering some food options at very reasonable prices this year. Like a buffet?
So, I want to echo an earlier commenter: play it smart, don't try to get a meal off the snacks in Consuite, parties, or other areas. Not because it's bad or something, it just doesn't satisfy.
Contrary to an earlier comment, you do need the badge for Cinema Rex. It's safest just to wear your badge all the time. Wear it until Monday, just to be sure! :-D
Actually volunteering is a survival tip! Volunteers are much loved and appreciated. You cannot live without love. Love is like oxygen. Love is a many splendored thing. All you need is love.
Also, there's a Volunteer Den, new this year.
Serious survival tip: Make time to hit the pool. Yes, there's all kinds of people there, yes, you will see people of size (like ME! spilling out of my suit a little) and you might not like that. Whatevs. Loosen up. In fact, the hot tub/pool combo are very good at loosening you up. Keep loose.
Consuite is always your friend, but F2E2 is your... mother? I guess? I guess that makes Space Lounge is your crazy artist cousin? Coffee (and tea!) made to order will wake you up in the morning and a cool dark place serving real fruit smoothies will keep you feeling refreshed, and even healthy!
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