pro tips?

Hrmmm...

Ask your significant sweetie what panels he'd especially like to attend, go with him, and enjoy watching him bounce with glee?

If you have a laptop, look for a dvd of some furry film you like, then invite your friends up to your room to watch a film together?

Invite your friends on a trip to the pittsburgh zoo?

Bring a sketchbook and try to snag a table in the artists' alley, just for the fun and the like-minded company?

Enjoy the dancing and music and spontaneous light shows at the dances?

Explore the city some afternoon, with a promise that you'll catch up with your boy again for dinner?

I wish i could offer more help, but it's hard for me to say, not knowing what sorts of things you do enjoy. Honestly, if it were me being asked to attend an event that really bored me to tears, i'd probably just be honest with my sweetie that i wasn't really interested, and that i'd come if he felt like he really needed me there, but otherwise i'd probably better stay home so that he could enjoy the trip without feeling like he had to entertain me.

There are comparatively few event tracks at AC that really strongly speak to me--i don't play video games or fursuit, i'm a terrible writer, and my art isn't often furry-oriented--but then i'm often helping out with the art show or some other such thing, which i do really enjoy.

very few of the panels were interesting to me

Well, then do you have any suggestions for panels you might like to see?

Are there any topics for which you might be up to hosting a panel on?

Also, are you into board games or card games? I recall that we have an "open gaming" room available at various points throughout the con, where people show up with various games that they brought to the con and try to get a spontaneous game going. Just a thought.

 
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What about the evenings? Did you go to the performance by 2 the Ranting Gryphon? Or to the Masquerade? Did you visit the art show or talk to Mr. Evanier or Mr. Paulsen or Ms. Kelly?

We do our best to provide a variety of things for folks to do. I'm sorry if you weren't able to find anything to your liking.

Hello and good day! Did you go to see Uncle Kages Show? OR like mentioned above, any of the dances? 2's show is really awesome too. I really guess it depends just what you are interested in doing...

SunShadow
Mrow-a-purr

It was my first time last year too, and the first day I thought it was pretty boring as well.

but, go out and look at the city! Walk around there is a lot of stuff near by the hotel so just enjoy the city. Going to eat at different places is really nice, talk to the people at the front desk- they are really nice about pointing you in the right direction for a good place to eat!
The dance was pretty fun, and room parties!
Really its just meeting new people (though you dont want to do that)

Hm, but really just go there with an open mind, dont THINK you are going to have a bad time- because it will ruin it for you.
Surround yourself with nice people- and dont be scared to be nice to other people

I should clarify a little. I did go see most of the major events like the parade, 2, uncle kage story time and such and those were really cool, but they take up just a small fraction of the time spent at the con. I think dester had some potentially really good ideas, and I will try out some of those. Also I brought some card games last year but I just sort of played them in the zoo with a couple friends, I didn't know there was a room for such things. As for the dances, I can't really go because the flashing light makes my boyfriend sick and he wouldn't like me to go alone

In summary, thanks everyone for the great suggestions. I will try some out and see how it goes, and if anyone has additional ideas please don't hesitate to post them

*oZy*

I think a huge, huge portion of it is getting to know people there/knowing people in advance. If you make an effort to meet people and talk to them while you're there, it'll be a lot more fun than sitting around. Meeting up with people you know and running across new people are the most fun things you can do at AC in my opinion, 'cause in the end it's about the community, not the con events.

Anthrocon... boring?!!??

BURNINATE THE HEATHEN!!! >:O

*summons Trogdor* >:3

Really the con is going to be what you make of it. The point is the staff provides an extremely wide array of activities for you, but it is up to you as an attendee to find something that coincides with your interests. And indeed, there is quite a lot to do at Anthrocon. For myself, I meet up with friends, hang out, and take just over a thousand pictures of fursuiters and random happenings (7 1-gig mem cards). And there's a few panels I like to go to, but even then I get an uneasy feeling that there's a fursuiter somewhere else in the con doing something absurdly cute that I'm not witnessing.

Some people like to attend the panels, or cooperatively draw with other artists in the zoo, or simply attend room parties. Others see the con as a business venture, as they purchase a table in the dealer's den and sell off their prints and spend their free time doing commissions.

And then of course there are the ever-infamous fursuiters themselves. The ones who expend a small fortune of resources to acquire a cute costume then spend countless hours perfecting how they want to play and bounce around with their newfound character; all of this just to entertain random people wandering around the convention.

There is a tremendous amount to do at a con. But it is up to the individual to find it. Plus you can't be of a negative mindset going into this, as that guarantees that you've committed yourself to not having fun. That being said, having fun isn't guaranteed either. Murphy's law can happen and ruin your weekend. And as much as there is going on, they can't have everything at their disposal (like an Air Show might be nice, but I certainly wouldn't be holding my breath). So there genuinely might not be anything going on that holds your interest. That's where "hanging out with friends" should fill in. But people can be shy, other people might not show up, etc.

I think the con scene in general is fun enough to warrant a second try. The choice is yours. Be sure it is a wise one; you might be missing out on a lot of fun.

-If someone walks up to you and says they are a pathological liar, would you believe them?

The amount of sheer effort and money that it takes to just set up Anthrocon is severely monumental in of itself.

Boredom is something that CAN be cured!

If you find that there is nothing for you to do, by all means, stop by Con Ops and ask for a volunteer form, and we will find you something to do.

I found volunteering to be a great use of my time as well as fun, and very sociable. Boredom should never be a problem at Anthrocon.

As others have stated, Anthrocon is what you make of it.