How to survive a convention

Conventions are a lot of fun. I started going to cons because of Dave Barry. The fans get together and tell jokes to each other every now and then. It is a lot of fun, and some really good food. This year I went to my first big convention, and then several others after that. It was a lot to learn, and I can’t say I did everything perfectly.

After a full year of cons, I have figured out some really important things. The first is to figure out parking, driving, and everything before you arrive. Get to your place the day before, and leave the day after. There is such thing as being overwhelmed, so you should be prepared to deal with it, and how to prevent it. Make sure to eat and stay hydrated. After the convention, expect about a week of being unable to think straight.

Most of the conventions I go to are in the same place. The convention center in Seattle is huge, and has all sorts of interesting nooks and crannies people don’t think about. It is about a mile away from my favorite place to park. The reason why I tell you these things, is that I messed up on every single one. The first con I parked in the most expensive spots, got lost a ton, and barely came out of it within budget.

I realized after the con that I needed better planning. Luckily I knew that there was a ton I didn’t know about for this con, so I saved up a bunch for it. I knew that driving would be awkward, so I used maps to find my spot. I explored as much as I could. It meant getting lost, but it also meant finding out that Seattle has a subway.

Basically put, I discovered that the best way to plan, is to know you will screw up. Check everything out, find the better answers, ask questions, and then on the last day things will be great. In one convention I figured out where the best restaurants were, where good parking could be found, and the quiet spots that appeared naturally within the building design.

If you do know the area pretty well, it is a really good idea to plan things out. Figure out the cheap parking spaces, and where you want to eat. You need to pack clothes for everyday, and try to bathe every day as well. No one wants to be interviewed by someone that stinks. The shower is a great time to plan out the day, and prepare jokes.

I also discovered that there is such thing as needing sleep. I had arrived the night before the convention set up. My mistake was thinking I could leave after take down.

The hardest part of a convention is actually something a visitor will not see. Every display, every camera, every machine has to be placed the day before the convention opens. This means setting up, testing, and fixing all sorts of machines. Mind you testing is a ton of fun when its videogames, but moving a 300-500 pound arcade machine is very tiring. Then, the day after the show, we clean it all up.

The convention itself is busy, and then set up and take down are physically demanding. It is simply easier to arrive the night before, hang out with friends and plan out the week. After taking down, just enjoying a nice bed and hot shower feels great. It also prepares you for the long drive home.

When working at the convention, be prepared for being overwhelmed. The best way to deal with it is to prevent it, but if that doesn’t work out, have plans for places to go to catch your thoughts. By overwhelmed I do not mean excited, I mean all of your adrenaline gives out and you are unable to think straight. I had this happen a few times. I wanted to work, but couldn’t think straight, or move easily.

It is incredibly embarrassing when doing an interview, and you can no longer think of a way to say your questions. It gets in the way of work, and also has a recovery time.

The best solution is to know your limits. If you did a great interview, take a moment to eat lunch. I specifically have places to go that no tourist would actively go into. They are quiet enough, and allow me to unwind a bit. That sounds a bit odd, but the entire point is to get away for a moment. Some of these places are a bit seedy, and others are sort of expensive. It depends on the flare, and whether or not I am with someone at the time.

Every morning eat enough food to last the day. Then make sure to drink a bunch of water, or milk. Every chance you get, eat and drink. The reason why is that the better nourished you are, the less chance of being overwhelmed.

If you are overwhelmed, there is preplanning needed as well. Know where the quiet places are. PAX had a specific spot for quiet time. I cannot praise these folks enough. I would blare horns, but that is probably the opposite of what they propose. As I said earlier, every convention floor has quiet spots. If you are feeling a little on edge, it is totally cool to go to those places.

If you are just a visitor, go to an open quiet spot. There is a garden behind the Convention Center with nice waterfalls. This is why preplanning is so useful. It is was easier to find a place you have already seen.

If you are running a booth, use your booth. Every booth at PAX, ECCC, and others had a room for quiet breaks. The floor may be banging loudly, so this small hidden area becomes incredibly useful. If your booth does not, take a break, or stay in the booth but try to relax. So long as you can centralize yourself a bit, relaxation can happen.

Volunteers actually have designated spots for breaks. There is food, and beverages to enjoy as you try to regroup your senses. I think some of my favorite interviews happened while taking breaks with others.

Making sure to relax every day helps with doing the job. Driving to the convention, or riding the train is a great time to relax, and deal with any stress. I actually loved the train rides to Portland because of all the interesting people I met. In fact, I hope to write some of those conversations soon.

After a convention, you drive home, and will feel a sort of adrenaline rush. This is to be expected. What you won’t notice is that you seem to be distracted at everything, and unable to do a great deal. The reason why is that you spent a lot of time working on having energy, and getting new ideas, but your mind and body were still getting hit. When your body realizes it can relax, it will. So, when you get home, the info will run through your mind, but your body will be wanting rest.

This happens during conventions. I actually felt myself drain out as I saw a friend walk in. I had been trying to keep my energy up all day, and when I saw my friend it felt safe to not be energetic. I actually forgot how to pay a bill at a restaurant I frequent.

When you return home, the full brunt of all of the work will kick in. I think I started emailing folks 2 weeks after the event. Every convention I tell myself I won’t do that, and then it happens.

Conventions are a lot of fun, they are also incredibly overwhelming. There are ways to take the edge out though. Food, parking, and a place to stay has to be planned out. Barring that, know that things will be tough, and preparing for them also helps. Arrive at your residence the night before the convention, and leave the day after clean up. Prepare for being overwhelmed by finding quiet spots, eating, and taking breaks. If you feel your energy draining, take a long break and eat food. Even after the convention, you will be somewhat out of it for the next week or two.

Before this year, the biggest convention I went to was a literary convention about humorist Dave Barry. I think my worst stories of my body giving up are from those small deals. Not a joke, I slept walked into a coffee table. Because of these stories, I knew going into the bigger conventions like PAX, NWAPS, ECCC, and PRGE that my health had its limits.

On the other hand, I doubt I could get the information needed without going to these cons. I have met some amazing people, many of whom are now friends. The friend who helped me out at PAX was someone I met at SRGE. Life is really awesome that way.

So, I wrote these instructions as a way to help you figure out things, and survive a convention. Actually I enjoyed this so much, I am going to write a few more. Also, I want to talk about those folks on the train. I just really enjoyed the conversation.