Convention Fans

Let’s be honest: cosplay and summer heat do not mix very well. And yet, some of the most popular fandom conventions are scheduled for the summer months. Attending a summer con (especially if you’re in the Southern United States) can be brutal, especially if you’re in costume. If you’re not careful, it can also take a real toll on your health. I’ve put together a quick and easy list of ways to beat the summer heat at conventions. Below that, you’ll also find a list of symptoms for heat stroke and dehydration, which I’m sure are two conditions you’ll want to avoid.

Top 5 Ways to Beat the Heat at a Summer Convention

1. Drink plenty of water!

One of the aspects of Dragon*con (which occurs over Labor Day) that I have always appreciated is that water is always available and complimentary. The hotels have tables set up in the conference rooms and in the hallways with containers of water and plastic cups. It isn’t always convenient to be carrying around a water bottle if you’re in costume, so having freely accessible water throughout the con is a major plus. If the con you’re attending does not offer this, consider requesting it from the con organizers. Remind them how important it us for con goers to stay hydrated. I’m sure they don’t want anyone needing a hospital trip on their watch. If the con doesn’t offer free water, I highly recommend bringing your own, because those selling it will be price gouging.

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As you can probably imagine, I’ve seen hundreds of websites for conventions and various fandom events by now, and I think some of them could really benefit from a list of Dos and Don’ts. I’m not going to pick on any websites in particular, and call them out for bad design or navigation. I will, however, highlight some good ones as examples. But first, here is the Convention Fans list of “Dos and Don’ts for Convention Websites”.

Dos for Convention Websites:

1. DO make sure the city, state, (and maybe even country) of your convention are posted on the main page in a visible spot. You wouldn’t believe how many conventions don’t do this! Not only does it make it difficult for press like me to cover your event (trust me, others won’t spend too much time digging around looking for that info), but it also makes it difficult for potential attendees to find your event via a Google search. You want people to find your convention, right? That’s what I thought.

2. DO make registration price information easy to find and easy to understand. I know you want everyone to see your convention’s amazing guest list, but the costs involved in a convention are often the real determining factor in whether or not someone can attend. Make that information easy to find, and clear to understand. Don’t bury the information in a paragraph filled with options and caveats. Just tell us how much the darn ticket is, okay?

3. DO make press releases, logos, and/or photos from past years available for press. Having a little press packet, or a press section, for your convention website is only going to benefit you. It makes it easy for press outlets (like this blog) to put together some coverage for your event easily and quickly. If you’re going to make photos available, make sure you have some high resolution versions for print media (300 dpi is standard for print, 72 dpi is standard for the Internet).

4. DO test your site to make sure it’s compatible with multiple browsers (or at least put up a warning if it isn’t going to work with Firefox, Safari, etc.)  More than likely, you should have access to some basic web statistics for your convention’s website. Take a look at the browser stats. If your site is only Internet Explorer compatible, but half of your traffic is coming from Firefox or Safari users, maybe you should consider making a change. Internet Explorer is evil anyway. Make your site work on the other browsers too please.

5. DO offer as much additional information as you can. Information is a good thing! Do you have info on your convention’s website about nearby restaurants, parking, hotels, etc.? This is all extremely useful for potential attendees, especially if they have never attended your convention before. The more they know in advance, the more comfortable they might feel about traveling to your convention (especially if they are coming from far away).

 Don’ts for Convention Websites:

1. DON’T make potential attendees register to find out the price of your convention. I’ve come across more than a half dozen convention websites that do not post the prices for registration anywhere. The only way to find out the price is to use their “checkout” system and create an account. Essentially, you have to start the purchase process before even finding out how much you’ll have to spend. Do. Not. Do. This. It’s not very nice to potential attendees, and it doesn’t make good design sense.

2. DON’T make the site’s navigation difficult! Sometimes a convention’s website is so bogged down in cool effects and crazy drop down navigation menus that it is difficult to use. If your convention’s site is done in Flash, Java, etc., you may want to consider offering an HTML only version. Additionally, name your navigation menus clearly, so attendees can quickly locate what they need. Common headings may include: FAQ, Registration, Location, Guest List, Events, Contact Us, etc. Always give your navigation menus a good thorough testing before taking the site live.

3. DON’T make the website’s content difficult to read/hard on the eyes. This is not a 1996 Geocities page! This is a website where you are trying to promote an event and get people to turn over money to you for registration. No hot pink text on a purple background, Mmmmkay?

4. DON’T leave a forum/message board completely unmoderated or underused. Having a forum or a message board as part of your convention’s website can be great. It allows attendees to talk, make plans together, organize car pools, talk about events, and make suggestions. It can also be a cesspool for spam, trolls and haters. Have some moderators look out for these undesirable elements. On the flip side, don’t let your forums stand there empty and unused. That is a sign of unexcited attendees. Get your staffers and volunteers to post regularly. Use the forum as a tool, and as a way to get feedback and input to make your convention better.

Examples of some good convention websites:

Dragon*Con - MTAC Ninja - FX International - Anime Matsuri - Kawaii Kon

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It is one of the most commonly asked questions about any upcoming convention: “How much is this convention going to cost me?” Unfortunately, the answer is that “it depends.” It depends on a whole list of factors that you have to take into consideration. But, you’re in luck! I’m going to take two conventions with varying prices and options, and break down the costs for each. I’ll be taking into account hotel, travel, food, spending money, autographs, etc. so that you can get a good idea of how much (or how little) a convention can cost.

Cost Estimate: Dragon*con 2009

Dragon*con is a convention I have a lot of familiarity with, as 2009 will be my fifth year attending.  It is a convention that has the potential to cost a person thousands of dollars, or only a few hundred, which is why I generally consider it a “middle of the road” convention in terms of cost. It isn’t cheap, but you can do it for a decent price. For the purposes of this price breakdown, the assumption will be that you are attending the entire convention, Friday-Monday.  Obviously it will be a lot cheaper if you only attend for a day, but you’ll need to do your own math on that.

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One of the best parts of a convention can be sharing a hotel room with all of your friends. It can also be the worst possible decision you could make. I attend Dragon*con every year, which requires me to get a hotel room since I don’t live anywhere near Atlanta. I’ve gotten a room with my significant other, and I’ve split rooms with friends. Both options have their benefits and drawbacks. I’m here to share with you some ways to make sure that if you decide to share a hotel room, that it ends up being a positive experience for you.

Before You Even Suggest Sharing a Room to a Friend, Ask Yourself:

-  Do I trust this person with my personal belongings?

- Do I trust them to actually pay me for their share?

- Do they clean themselves regularly, and keep their area clean?

- Do they snore, or otherwise have habits that might prevent sleep?

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Let’s face it, some of the fandoms represented at conventions have an aging fan base, which means many attendees now have kids to consider when deciding whether or not to attend a con. Some parents proudly pack up their kids (who even have their own costumes), go together as a family, and have a blast. Others bring their kids, but bring along (or hire) a babysitter. Some parents leave the kids at home entirely (and who can blame them, given what kids might be exposed to? I’m looking at you Mr. Wonder Woman).

I recently spoke to some parents who attend Dragon*con, and asked them what factors they take into consideration when deciding to bring along their kids. Here is a sampling of what some of them said:

“I think parents should definitely consider what they do and don’t want their child exposed to, because there is the opportunity to see it all and then some at [a convention like] Dragon*Con. I decided that my son is old enough and mature enough that I chose to not censor him from anything in particular at D*C. He went wherever I went and saw and heard what I did. “

“My wife and I have been going to Dragon*Con for nearly a decade. We tend to ship our son, 7 years old now, to his grandparents every Dragon*Con. […] He doesn’t mind going to his grandparents and we like to be ourselves and have fun. We’ve talked about bringing him but in the end we like being on our own.”

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