BlackJack's Advice for New Congoers.

Hello.
As someone who's attended many types of cons over the years, it seems to me that a
lot of advice for one is applicable to all. Then again, some of it only applies to
that particular con. With that in mind, here's what I would want people to tell me
before my first AnthroCon.

First, preparation.
If you're in charge of the hotel room, get it as soon as possible, and get your
confirmation#. Confirm it all a week or 2 weeks later. Confirm it again a month
before the convention. (The information age makes this SO much easier.)
Register for the con in advance as well. Rarely is the line to pick up badges
as long as the line for registering. (I once arrived when there was no line, which
was like winning the lottery.)
If you're rooming with someone, stay in touch and make sure you know when they're
arriving, and have worked out who pays who, when, and how much, and who's sleeping
in a bed, and who's sleeping on the rug.

Transportation.
You will either be getting to the con by car, bus, train or plane.
No matter what, you'll want ID handy.

If you're flying, get your tickets as soon as possible-which means as CHEAP as
possible. When looking at possible flights, when at all possible, get a non-stop
flight, and if you can't do that, get a flight with 1 or even 2 stops but where
you don't CHANGE PLANES. That way, once you're on the plane and your luggage is
on the plane, you are minimizing possible problems until you need to pick up your
luggage at the end. And if your plane is delayed, you don't need to worry about
arriving at your connection in time-there's nothing to connect to.
Make sure your luggage is as secure as possible, and clearly labelled and tagged
with your full name and address, with at least one tag. (2 tags is better, and
another copy IN the luggage is good, too.) Luggage that's been unusually-marked
is easy to spot at baggage claim, and is less likely to be accidentally picked up
by someone else. (How many brown garment bags have dayglow tape around the handle?)
Make sure your packing is completely completed the night before, and doublecheck
the security rules at the airport. If you can't carry contact-lens solution in
your carryon bag, make sure to put it in your checked bags. (Make sure that's
allowed, too.) Make sure you arrive at the airport with time to spare.
You may hit a traffic jam, you may get stuck on a long security line, and so on.
It's easier to just get a newspaper or something and some coffee, and pass time
waiting for your plane for an extra 2 hours (or hour) than it is to miss your
flight by 30 seconds.

If you're busing it or Amtrak'ing it, the advice is much the same.
Arrive early, make sure your luggage is clearly marked, and remember your baggage
limits. Unless you're bringing a fursuit, packing for summerwear is not bulky.
Remember to allow for space in your luggage for whatever you buy.
Remember to bring a book or other means of entertaining yourself on the trip.
The train travels smoother than the bus, but you might nap on either, and small
entertainments are good on either.
Pick up your tickets before the day you're travelling if possible.
That way, you can just head to the gate/platform and avoid waiting in line while
your bus or train leaves. There may be another bus in 30 minutes, but often
that's the only train today that you can take.

If you're going by car, either you're driving or riding.

If you're driving, make sure the car is in good repair for the trip
(even a rental can break down, he said from experience).
Make sure everyone's clear how much to chip in for gas, and get the
gas money when they get in. Make sure they know where and when to meet
you, and are clear to arrive early. Make sure you have a full tank before
you set out, and allow for people to want to make one initial stop to
grab fast food. Make sure you have at least one map.
Remember to allow for stops for gas, bathroom and food, depending on how
long the trip is. Make sure everyone's got each other's phone#s,
especially cell#s. Check them 24 hours before you all meet, to confirm
none of them has run off and joined a religious cult and will not be
attending.

If you're riding, make sure you're packed and ready early, and preferably
have your snacks worked out. Make sure you have everyone's phone#s,
especially cell#s. 24 hours before the trip, make sure you're confirmed
with the driver that everything's "on". (At least once a month before
that, you've checked, of course.) Have your gas money ready, and whatever
you're using for fun on the trip. Remember that not everyone will share
your interests, so if you plan on playing music all the way there,
bring headphones and remember to keep one ear able to hear instructions.
Also, and this is important-
figure out what you'll do if disaster strikes and the driver can't drive.
God forbid they should end up in the hospital, or have their car struck,
or something else, but have a Plan B in case. Will you grab a bus or a
train then? Will YOU drive? As a nice touch, should disaster strike,
you might pass along your route to the others, who are certainly unprepared
for it. They might want to catch the bus or train with you.

Ok, you reached the hotel alive and uninjured. Now what?
Well, first things first. You can get in line for registration for the con if
it's open, or you can proceed to the hotel front desk. Since you've already
registered, you have no reason not to do the front desk and check in.
You've had a trip getting there, and will want to put down your luggage, unpack a
little, freshen up or shower and change, and THEN figure out your next step.
That will either be to find some food, or go to registration, in all likelihood.

What should you have packed?
Enough clothes for the entire con. I add extra underwear, and take an extra shower
and a catnap each day. That way, I am fresh and clean a LOT longer, and that makes
me feel better. Clean body, clean clothes, they help no matter who you are.

Vitamins, medicines and toiletries....(subject to airline restrictions if necessary)..
Bring enough for 2x the length of the trip and con, just in case.
You don't want to go hunting for a pharmacy around the con, and hotel stores
invariably jack up the price.

You'll want to bring con-specific stuff. Figure out what will fit in your luggage,
then make sure you have at least 15% empty space when you're done. Why? Repacking
is never as compact, plus you'll have constuff on the way back.

Personally, I find that a dog-tag chain is a very handy thing to have.
Why? It's cheap, nearly indestructible, and you can hang badges and buttons off
of it. This means you can spend 5 minutes each day at least once poking holes
in a shirt to put them all on, or clipping them to your shirt and hoping they hold,
or you can clip them all ONCE to the chain and take the chain on and off whenever
you're done.

Food?
Get to know all the places nearby-there's a number within a block or so of the
Westin, and those walking over from the Omni will pass a number.
If you want to pack food, it's more practical to eat it on the trip to the con.
If you want to have a little at the con, make sure it's either something that
requires no cooking and won't spoil (tuna pouches, beef jerky), or requires
no preparation other than "add hot water to the container" (Cup O'Noodles.)
The KWIK-E-MART is across from the Westin, seconds away, and that's good for
beverages. Then again, there's 24-hour vending machines in the hotel, and
the Westin really wants and food IN your room to have come FROM the Westin.
(So if it's not, try not to be obnoxious about it and make them inspect
your room.)

General notice:
GOOD MANNERS.
No matter who you're dealing with, BE POLITE.
If it's the hotel or constaff, they WANT to help, and being impolite inspires
them to only do what they are legally required to do, not go the extra mile
to be helpful. If it's local businesses, you WANT them to have a good impression
of the con. Some of them may be offering DISCOUNTS to attendees- but not if they
think the attendees are rude and obnoxious.
You will never benefit from NOT being polite at AC.

OK, the calendar.
Look over the activity list, the stuff to do.
Figure out what you want to attend, and mark it.
If there's multiple things you want, mark them ALL.
That way, you know your second choice if something changes your plans.
Remember to budget in time for food, the dealer's room, and trips back
to your room. From your room at the Westin to the Dealer's Room is actually
something like 20 minutes, due to elevator waits, and the pleasant walk.
It takes time. It's something like 10 minutes from your room to the
hotel's event rooms. So, if you want to go to the Dealer's Room, shop,
and drop off the items in your room, that's something like 40 minutes
to get to and from the Dealer's Room, and 20 minutes to shop (which is
pretty fast), and you've filled an HOUR. If you carry your purchases
around instead, they get heavy and bulky. That's a tradeoff.

Sometime, you'll want to hang out with others, whether at a restaurant
or in a room. Remember not to cause a racket or a scene, and remember
to keep it down after midnite, and remember to know what you're getting
into if you go into someone else's room. (Check it out from the door
first, of course.)

There is NO WAY you will attend EVERYTHING you WANT to attend.
You can attend SOME things.
Enjoy attending, and relax part of the time.

The recommended minimum (as in "you should do more")
is 2 meals
1 shower (I recommend a second shower and a catnap during the day)
and 7 hours of sleep (which you'll pay for if you skip....)

If you try to skip steps, you'll either go around hungry,
dirty and smelly, or fatigued. Any of that will make you enjoy the con less,
and may make you less enjoyable for others. Who wants to hang out with someone
who's grouchy because they're hungry or tired, or who smells and looks greasy?

Above all, remember, this is for FUN.
Don't stress or hassle.
Be nice, and others will be nice to you.
If they're not, call for Security, who will quickly address any problems
with people.

And stay away from the media when possible-let the old-timers and spokespeople
deal with them.