How To Prepare For Your First Convention

If you have decided that this year will be the year that you attend your first convention, you may be wondering what to expect and how you can prepare for such a momentous milestone. It may sound like a relatively straightforward process but by finding out everything there is to know ahead of time, you can leave your first convention confident that you have made the most of your time spent there. If you are in this position, continue reading to find out everything you need to know.

Do your research

If you have decided to attend a convention relating to a recent hobby or pastime that you have become interested in, you must do your research beforehand. It can allow you to arrive as prepared as you possibly can be and may even lead to you stumbling upon like-minded individuals that are also due to attend by browsing relevant online chatrooms, forums, and discussion boards. If you are due to travel to the venue, it may also benefit you to research nearby parking spaces or public transport routes in advance to ensure you arrive with plenty of time to find your bearings before the convention gets underway.

Plan your day

If you are set to attend your first convention, it may suit you better to go with the flow as opposed to plan your day but it can allow you to proceed with a basic structure of how your day will pan out ahead of time. It can also ensure you manage to squeeze in everything you want to see and do on the day without being pressed for time or rushing from one panel to another. If you are planning to visit a gaming convention in your local area but have only ever played slots at online casinos in the past, for example, it may be worth narrowing your search and focusing on panels that involve online gaming and sticking to what you know as opposed to in-person gaming for your first convention before branching out at future events.

Arrive on time

It may sound like an obvious point but in order to get the most out of your first convention, you must arrive on time. It can, as experienced convention-goers will attest to, get busy very quickly at conventions and especially at events that are busy, sold out, or expected to reach capacity. If there is a particular panel, attendee, or event that you are especially interested in, for example, it may be worth heading there first to increase your chances of being successful and having more free time to explore the venue as the day goes on.

Stay energised

It can be easy to get lost in the excitement of attending your first convention and inadvertently neglecting your body by forgetting to eat and drink enough throughout the day. To ensure this doesn’t happen, bring plenty of water and snacks along with you and keep them in an easy-to-reach location so you can replenish your energy levels at regular intervals throughout the day or during moments where you have a spare minute to sit down and catch your breath.

If you have decided to attend your first convention this year, there are a number of tips you must familiarise yourself with ahead of time to ensure you are as prepared as you possibly can be. It includes doing as much research as you can beforehand, planning your day as much as you can, arriving on time or even early, and staying energised by bringing plenty of water and snacks with you to prevent you from becoming too tired or hungry throughout the day.