Reminder that I'm not a con veteran, I'm a teenager with a distant relative who runs a big ol con. I'm relaying information that I've heard before.

This convention guide is all about etiquette at conventions and a convention survival kit! Let's get into it!

Con Etiquette

There's a lot of unspoken rules to follow at a convention. A few of them center around cosplaying. So let's start with the most important rule.

Cosplay. Is. Not. Consent.

That is the most important thing to remember. Cosplayers are people, they have their insecurities, they have their boundaries, and just because they're in a wig and some fancy clothes doesn't change that. Don't take a photo of a cosplayer without their direct verbal or certain nonverbal consent. If you're in a crowd and there's a lot of people taking a photo of a cosplayer, all you have to do is get the cosplayer's attention, hold up your phone or camera, point to said phone or camera, and give them a thumbs up. If they return your thumbs up, or nod, or show any other direct consent, go ham! Take your photos! If not, don't take the photo. Simple as that. Don't try to sneak photos either. They see that shit.

Also regarding photos. If a cosplayer is sitting down, on their phone, eating, or has parts of their cosplay off, do NOT ask them for a photo. Walking around in a wig and three layers of clothing isn't comfortable, and cosplayers need to rest. And don't stalk the area waiting for them to be finished, then ask to take the photo. They see that shit. If you have to ask them anything, ask them "Hey, I like your cosplay and I was wondering if you'll still be wearing it later". That's it. If they say yes, cool! Try to find them when they aren't resting and get your photo. If they say no, oh well. You don't get a picture. Boo hoo.

Oh, and don't sit in popular photoshoot areas, all you'll be doing is taking up space. Find a bench or a staircase or something to sit on. Sit on the floor if you have to, just don't sit by the pretty backdrops.

Don't touch the wig. Don't touch the prop. Don't touch the costume. Don't touch the person. Some of these things can be very fragile, and you have no way of knowing that. Sure, you can ask. But your answer will probably be no.

Don't be loud and annoying. Nobody likes to be around you if you're loud and annoying. And, I don't know if this is still a thing, but when I went to my last con or two, there was at least 2 groups of My Hero Academia cosplayers (no hate to MHA, it's just the most popular source for this kind of thing) who would circle around people and link hands while chanting some weird cryptic shit. That can make people freak out big time, and it isn't funny at all. Don't do it.

If you see something in the vendor's hall or artist's alley that you don't like, for example, fanart for a ship you don't like, walk past the booth and move on. Don't say anything. Don't blow up in the artist's/vendor's face about how that ship is toxic, or how they drew that character with bigger hadonkadonks than they have canonically. Just move on and don't make a scene.

And most importantly.. mind your personal hygiene!!!! You don't wanna be that person that makes people gag when you walk by. Shower once a day, because con musk is real and it's bad. Pack deodorant and USE!! IT!!! Don't make other attendees have to pack air freshener for when you walk by. And remember. Axe Body Spray or any kind of body spray at all does not equal a shower. A shower equals a shower!

Now for some rapid fire smaller tips.

Don't wear big headpieces during panels, especially if you're close to the front. It can block other people from seeing what's going on. Take it off and set it on the floor or in your lap. Same with phones. Don't hold them in places that blocks other peoples' view.

Unless you're on a bench or chair, keep walking. Don't block the flow of con traffic.

Don't ask cosplayers for a hug, kiss, a date, their contact info (depends), or inappropriate photos. And ask specifically if you want to be in the photo with them, as some cosplayers don't like this.

If you're cosplaying and bringing a prop weapon, be sure to get it screened and checked first thing so the con organizers know it isn't a potential threat. If it doesn't meet the requirements, it will either have to be modified or you won't be able to take it into the con. Check the requirements of your con for weapon screening.

Try to get your badge the day before the convention actually starts. If you try to get it the first day, you'll be waiting in line for half the day and you might miss out on some real cool events.

See something, say something. Don't be afraid of looking like a jerk when someone is being creepy towards you or someone else, or otherwise making you or them uncomfortable. Report that creepy person's ass to security or employees/volunteers as soon as possible.

Convention Survival Kit

-Remember the 4-3-2-1 rule for con weekends. Four hours of sleep a night, three activities that involve sitting down a day, two meals a day, and one shower a day. These are bare minimums, and if you dip below these minimums, you're gonna have a bad time.

-Deodorant! Again!! Hygiene, people!

-2 litres of water, at least for the full weekend.

-A snack bag!

-A backpack to hold everything with. Make sure everyone in your group has one. If you're cosplaying, fuck it! Theme it to your character. Get a secure padlocked one if possible to prevent pickpockets.

-A cosplay repair kit. Even if you aren't cosplaying, it can help out a cosplayer in need. Pack a sewing kit with a few thread colours, safety pins, bobby pins, hairties, eyelash glue, some simple makeup, things of the like. Maybe a hot glue gun, but that's pushing it.

-A first aid kit with bandaids, hand sanitizer, Ibuprofen, and gauze. Feel free to pack more, as this is the bare minimum.

-Any other necessary medications or menstrual products for you or your party members.

-Shampoo and conditioner. These might be provided by the hotel, but better safe than sorry.

-Makeup wipes! Good ones. To wipe off any makeup you were wearing at the con.

-Always have one person in your group with the Essentials Bag. First aid kit, cosplay repair kit, portable phone charger, snacks, water, money, and anything else that might be needed.

-Leave extra room in one of your bags to put anything bought into, then divvy it up at the hotel room.

-Portable entertainment! Card games, books, dice, anything really. As long as it doesn't take up too much space, you're good.

-Notebook or sketchbook. You never know when you might need an autograph, or a sketch, or the name of a business because their cards ran out. Pack a pen and a Sharpie too. Sharpies can write on anything, even those laminated schedule sheets.

-COMFORTABLE shoes. You'll be walking around all the time and your feet will hate you if you're walking around in stilettos. Does not apply to cosplay, but carry a pair of comfortable shoes that you can switch in and out of throughout the day.

-Cash! Yes, everyone uses cards now, but it never hurts to have an extra 20 bucks on you. Keep this money separate from anything you plan on spending at the convention and only use it for emergencies, like a gas refill or over the counter medication.

-If you wear glasses, pack your cleaning cloth.

-Chapstick and lotion. Save your skin.

-An art storage tube. Cylinder things. You're gonna buy some prints and you don't want them bending.

Before we start though, I wanna make it clear that I'm not a con veteran, I'm a damn teenager who's been going to cons for 3 years tops (not counting 2020). But I do have some behind the scenes info since one of my dad's relatives runs a real successful con around where I live, so I've seen some of what goes on.

This is probably gonna be multiple parts, so I'll be marking these posts with #kingscontips so people can find them.

This post is about the basic parts of a con and some information about them. So without further ado, let's get into it!

Parts of a Convention

First we have the main hall, or just the hall. This is the biggest area of a convention by far, and it's where people talk and hang out and take pictures. This is where you'll usually see a bunch of those cosplayers with super elaborate cosplays. This area can be super populated, so take care to not bump into anybody, as parts of their cosplay or prop could break.

Next is the vendor's hall/artist's alley. These are sometimes separate, sometimes together. The umbrella term, from what I've heard, is the dealer's hall. The Vendor's Hall is a place where people sell official merchandise from a piece of media. Think figurines, movies, comic books, things like that. Meanwhile, the Artist's Alley is a place where artists can sell their own work that they themselves made. Think prints, stickers, keychains, that good stuff. This place is also called the Wallet Drainer.

Next are panels, arguably the most popular part of conventions. They're organized meetups at a certain place and time. There's usually a panel (ha) of speakers or hosts who talk about things. The topics of panels can range from shows to games to cosplay tips. They're super fun and I'd reccomend fitting as many of them into your schedule as possible so you can sit in a room with a bunch of sweaty nerds and listen to other sweaty nerds talk about their niche.

A subset of panels are celebrity meet-and-greets and autograph signings. These are usually people like famous cosplayers or voice actors. These panels are stupidly popular. If you wanna get a good spot, get there early. Not like, 4 days early, but a good 15-30 minutes early. Maybe even 45. Especially if you've got another panel to catch 15 minutes after.

Cosplay meetups! Incredibly fun. These are usually organized by attendees of the con through the convention organizers. It's where people who are cosplaying characters from one certain media (usually just one series or show, rarely broad categories like "anime" because that would be half the attendees or more) get together and talk about their cosplays and their media of choice. These are like panels, but without a host and you can talk to whoever you want. They're at a certain time and place, just like panels.

One of my favourite con events is the cosplay contest. Whether it's a big con or a small con, these are commonplace and are super fun to attend to see all the unique cosplays. You can even enter these contests yourself, although a lot of cons require you to make some parts of your cosplay. I hear the standard is 50-60% of your cosplay must be made by you. Excluding the obvious things like shoes and wigs. Some contests are organized by experience, others by age. Winners do receive awards and prizes. These contests are prejudged and, if you do enter, you'll have to meet with the judges to tell them about your cosplay. This could be an entire post in and of itself, but I'll make that later.

Concerts and raves! These events, along with the cosplay contest, may require an additional ticket to enter. Concerts are what you'd expect, and raves usually take place after all of the other events, like panels and the dealer's hall, have closed. Not all raves are 18+, but I'd check the rules of your con. The schedule should say if an event is 18+ or not.

Speaking of 18+ events, let's talk about those. If you are a minor, do NOT try to enter 18+ panels or events. You will have your ID checked at the door and if you're under 18 and you try to get into the panel, you won't be let in. If you get into the panel and you are under 18, you'll likely be kicked out or banned from the convention. Trust me, you can wait until you're 18 to go into these panels or events. It's not worth getting a lifetime ban. Seriously. Don't do it.

Another common sight at your average con is the gaming room! This place is gonna smell worse than the sewers, so be prepared. They usually have one or two virtual reality headsets, which are the most popular console there, so you'll have to wait in line. They'll also have a handful of consoles and your occasional arcade machine. There's also board games and tabletop roleplay games, though these may be in a different section than the video games.