This episode is sponsored by Foam Armor Club.

If there’s such a thing as being an expert nerd, Rachel Parker is that. Not only is Rachel one of the founders of Geek Girl Brunch, she’s also a wonderful cosplayer, D&D enthusiast, Star Wars fanatic, podcast host extraordinaire, and knows everything you could ever want to know about enjoying conventions. We tapped into some of her knowledge to create this First Time Con-Goers Guide.

Rachel’s main piece of advice? Don’t try to do too much!

If you can, try to establish your priorities early.

Give yourself a backup plan, especially because the thing you really want to do may cap out our change (which can happen a lot when celebrities are involved). Look at your convention app or schedule to check times and locations. Scope out the rooms ahead of time because they might not be where you expected or be sort of far away. Read all the fine print and know where to check for potential changes. And most importantly, only plan to do 3-5 things.

With conventions, sometimes what you don’t bring is as important as what you bring.

Don’t overpack, because you have to carry everything you have with you all day. Big bags will be annoying in a crowd. If you want to buy something heavy or fragile, consider leaving that purchase until the end of the day.

Packing List

• Cosplay first aid kit (safety pins, thread, tape, super glue, etc.)
• Band-aids
• Pain killers
• Water bottle
• Granola bars
• Battery packs

In addition to all of this, we put together a list of important tips for first timers:

• Wear good shoes and buy shoe inserts (unless your cosplay won’t allow it)
• When buying tickets, know that some conventions increase in price as the con approaches
• Look up weapons and cosplay policies
• Check if your convention has lockers or charging stations
• Realize that lines for bathroom and food might be very very long, so don’t wait
• Know that there might not be cell service. Make a plan with your friends ahead of time, take screenshots of photo op tickets, and make sure you have your schedule written down or in offline mode.

And most of all, respect con culture:

• Be polite
• Ask permission to take photos of cosplayers
• Same rules apply as when you go to a music festival or Disney World

We really hope you enjoy your first con! Please come find me or Rachel when you do!

Follow Rachel on Twitter, Instagram, and subscribe to her podcasts:

Twitter: @DarthRachel Instagram: @Darth_Rachel Fire & Lunch: http://fireandlunch.podbean.com Read This F**king Book: http://rtfbpodcast.podbean.com

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