Convention preparations information for anyone/everyone! - Semi Anthrocon Edition

~Helpful information for planning your budget~

Hotels- You can split a room cost evenly between people and yourself. Let's say if the hotel is $460 with taxes and you divide it by 4 you will each have to pay $115.00. That can be given to you before you go or when they arrive at the convention. All you have to do is to take the hotel cost and divide it with how many is staying in the room. Usually there are several different hotels around the convention area that you can check into. Sometimes its cheaper to stay at the main hotel, other times it isn't. If you have the convention's web page which you can find the convention website usually on Google Please do be aware MOST hotels will charge for that pretty bottle of water that they usually have sitting on the desk when you get there. Some hotels do offer free internet and free continental breakfast. While myself I've never eaten there it will save you some money if you choose to eat there. As per the internet, different hotels will charge different fee's to access it, so I'd advise you call and ask the fee so you can have the money ready or they can charge it to the room. If your paying cash for the room you need to see if you can pay it all on when you get there or not. Some hotels will charge a deposit fee in case you mess up their bathroom, take their TV or draw smiley faces on the walls. Not that anyone here will do that. You do not have to stay at the main hotel to get the discounts. The people who arrange hotel prices talk to several hotels bout renting blocks to cut down on the prices. You can save a lot of money in doing so. Using Animazement for example here; While one hotel maybe $119.00+ taxes a night others may run $99, $79 or Even $76 a Night plus taxes. The only thing about getting a cheaper rate is you might have to walk in the weather to get to the con. If you don't mind walking and the weather to get a room that is $43 cheaper than the main hotel, grab it that's extra money you have for buying things or less money to spend at the con. So it wouldn't hurt to shop around if you want so save a bit of cash. Do remember they do NOT include tax when giving you the quote for the stay. They will say like "1 room at 139.00 a night, Plus taxes....." if you go for three night add bout 50 bucks for taxes. It probably won't be that much but its safer to assume! Parking- If your driving to the convention be sure you have a good idea where you are going to park. Some conventions offer a "Special" parking rate for/during the convention time frame. Depending on what convention/hotel you are going to you can even get valet parking discounted, which surprised me when I found out about that last year at a convention! When planning/budgeting the parking just to be on the safe side find the maximum price and bring the money for all the nights you are staying.

Transportation/Gas- There are many ways to get to travel.Let is be car, bus, train, metro, or flying!. If you are driving to the hotel (if you are indeed staying at the hotel) and decide to Carpool you could have everyone chip in for gas for your vehicle. Just plan how many miles to the hotel and figure out your gas mileage then go from there. You can Also Divide parking with the other if you decide to carpool which can save you some extra money. Be sure that you check how big every ones bags/boxes are so you can have enough room to make them all fit! If you decide to fly in you would have to shop around for airfare where you are wanting to go. You can try Orbitz, Expedia, or Travelocity to name a few sites. You can get really good rates but I'd advise you to buy your ticket several months in advance. Be aware, some will require you to buy the ticket on the site the day you make your reservations or call the company to pay for it that way you can keep the discounted rate. If your traveling by air you need to check the baggage rate just in case your bag isn't covered in the ticket cost. Also be aware what you can and cannot bring onto the plane. The Transportation Security Administration Link has some ideas on what you can and cannot bring onto a plane Link If your traveling by metro/ local bus, you can usually check the rates online and get information by looking up the station you are using (usually online) and you should be able to see how long it will take you to get to that location. Also for all transportation be sure you budget your return as well!

Food- Planning for food is very important. You *cannot* survive off of Pocky, Ramune, or Ramen the entire weekend. It is VERY unhealthy to eat these at a con and you can get sick eating alot of it. I myself would budget between $100- $250 per person for a 4 day con (average stay for a person is to arrive Thursday and leave Sunday). Why that much? You don't want to get to a con and run out of money miles away from home. Some places it is expensive, Lets say you were at AnimeUSA in Arlington, VA and you decided to get 2 Pizza's and an order of bread sticks for everyone. We spent almost $50 for those items for one night with delivery. Make sure you have the time to call the hotel and ask what restaurants are available in the area so you have a good idea on what to budget. you can also call around a couple of days before the con and check to see what specials are going on! Remember the thing I mentioned about the pretty bottle of water? They can charge 3-8 dollars for that bottle. If possible go to the local Store/Marketplace and buy a 24 pack for around $5 before you head out to the convention. Remember to stay hydrated at the convention, especially raves. A friend once told me when she was explaining why you have to drink a lot of water at a rave that "There are a bunch of people in a small room that gets heated fast with the lights/ Body heat. Heat usually produces Sweat and Sweat is equal to losing water." We'll cover the rave part a bit more later on. The same thing said bout that bottle of water applies to the minibar that could be in your hotel room. I've never seen a Minibar in a room before, so I'm not quite sure what the charges for it would be, but I can promise you it'd be cheaper to buy the stuff at a store. If you do decide to partake in drinking please to be responsible and make sure you are legal when/if you drink. It wouldn't be a pretty thing for you to be arrested for underage drinking or supplying the drinks to underage people and it wouldn't be a pleasant call to the person who would have to bail you out.

Emergency Funds- Ever been driving and got a flat tire or found your Wallet/badge missing from your bag/waist? This is where it is nice to have extra funds to get replacements/help for any problems that may come up! I recommend 10% of your total cost for everything you are planning for and keep it in a separate place from your wallet in case if you wallet comes up missing. Also you need to check to see if a event the convention is holding would require a extra charge. Sometimes concerts and convention special events will charge a small extra fee. Badge/Badge replacement- Badges will allow you to attend the convention. Usually you can have it hanging off your bag, waist or around your neck. You need to show your badge when asked by a staff or volunteer. Some conventions charge a replacement fee depending on how you lost your badge. Sometimes they will replace it for free under special circumstances or they can charge up to the full badge price. This is so they can be sure your not giving it to another person so they can get in free. I'm not saying that you will do it but there have been people who have done it. When a person does this, the convention looses money. The money that the Convention gets pays for the Special Guest, Voice actors, Musicians, Equipment, Games, Hotel/Convention Center rental and everything else that is needed to run the Convention.

Spending money- Lets face it the Artist Alley and Dealers Room have to be one of the best places in the world for Otaku and convention attendees. You can buy the rest of that manga series you have been working on collecting for as low as $3 a book. Also you can find some more plushies of various sizes to add to your collection of teddy bears, other plushies. It is possible to find almost anything in the dealers room. from Swords and knives, to Tails, ears, paws, Commission Fursuits, even to Anime stuffs, CD's, or games. Some things you have to show your ID to look at, Like Doujinshi. If your not really interested in buying those things you can always wander over to the Artist Alley to look at the arts and crafts that talented artist took their time to crafts. If you don't see anything you like some even take up special request (sometimes with a commission fee). The Artist Alley will sell anything from beautiful art work, Key chains, Badges (No they will not be a con entrance badge sorry) to cute home made plushies. Come on, you know you want a wolf plushie! Care for your pets and plants- While your pets can't be a awesome addition to the cons you have to make sure you have someone reliable to take care of your beloved pets, and plants. Do NOT leave your pet in the house the entire time you are gone with a cup of kibble and a water bowl. Its a sure promise that there will be a mess when you get back. If you can't find anyone to take care of them, the shelter, kennel or even the vet office can care for them at a price. You just have to call them to let them know so they will have the room. If you do find someone to take care of "Buddy" slip them a bit of cash to show your gratitude and they may do it again when you want to go to another convention.

~What to bring to a convention~

Okay you've got your budget planned for the convention and it is in a few days. What do you pack? You pack what you need/ want to bring to the con. No sorry, the dog will probably not be allowed in the convention center so you'd have to leave the puppy home for this event. Be sure you write a list of what you need so you don't forget!

Medication- If your on medication, from heart medication to asthma medication, please do remember to pack them. You don't want to fall over having an attack with people swarming around and freaking out that something is wrong. Probably everyone in the convention will worry bout you afterward. While some do have a Mini Medical staff not everyone on that staff is able do everything. Hence why more than likely if you pass out you'll be taking a nice ride in the back of a ambulance and its usually at your cost. Pain killers for headaches are recommended to be brought as well.

Clothing/Fursuits/ Any other Cosplay - Fur suits would probably require alot of room probably would require their own suit case as we are finding out for a suit we are making. The last part is if you want and are cosplaying. You need clean pair of a full set of clothing for every day of the con and plus one extra! You never know if you make a tear in your clothing or get soaked by a freak rain storm. clean clothing fights Con funk which I'm pretty Sure everyone in the convention would be grateful for. If your cosplaying be sure to Lay out your outfits on your bed or floor and make sure you have everything you need for the costume/suit and pack it when you know you have everything this prevents you going to a convention and finding out that a article of your costume is still sitting on the bed at home. I would suggest starting packing about 2 weeks for the con and finish packing 2-3 days before you leave. Also bring comfortable shoes to change into, your feet will love you for that! Remember to check with the convention policy to see what is acceptable and what isn't. Some cons will post on what you can and cannot wear. Old saying goes "If you wouldn't wear it to your grandmothers, don't wear it wear it here." If you think/ and the staff says it shows too much skin you can modify your outfit by wear skin colored tights or nude full body. If the staff member still have a problem you can talk to Convention Ops or the higher ups at the con, but just remember, the convention higher ups "word" is "law". Basically If you need/want to talk to them be nice and the might say it'll be fine. If your plain out rude, there's a good chance that you aren't gonna get to wear that outfit anymore during that convention.

Bathing/Hygiene Items- Remember that con funk I told you about in the clothing section? Well bathing will help battles and makes it a better convention for everyone! Some of the recommended items that you bring are;
Shampoo
Soap/Body wash
Toothbrush/Toothpaste
Razor
Deodorant
Brush
Tampons, Pads and Pain killers for the cramps- For the ladies, I know it's embarrassing but not as embarrassing as wearing a cosplay when mother nature decides to be evil and strikes!

Wallet/purse/ Carrier bag- This would hold your cash, goodies, camera's and most important your ID. It is suggested that you keep your things very close to you. Some people are mean enough to steal peoples things at cons. One year at Animazement someone had all their luggage, laptop, and wallet stolen in the Marriott hotel hallway(If I've heard correctly). That isn't meant to scare you away from the Convention but it is a warning. If your posing for a picture, you can ask your friends to hold onto your things while you pose, or set them in front of the person snapping the photo.

Costume maintenance/repair- Okay Its going to happen sooner or later. You drop some sauce on your costume or a Button falls off your lovely jacket. Here are somethings to help you for any mishaps;
Glue for broken props/accessories- Lets say you are cosplaying Yachiru and you have your sword on wheels. your pulling it along when the wheel falls off. Glue would be nice to have to repair that wheel! So if your carrying props try and pick up some glue and bring it with you.
Safety pins- I've seen these in action with my friends Rainbow Brite cosplay. They can hide a support or help hold something up onto your cosplay. Some Vampire knight Cosplayer's will use them to hold the arm band to their arm.
Very minimal sewing kit- Is nice when you have a button fall off your costume or is you get a small rip in it as well. I know a lot of people who carry one in their luggage for a "Just in case" problem that may pop up.
Tide to-go pen- ARE LIVE SAVERS. You get a stain on your cosplay and want to get it off. Be sure when you buy one that it is safe on colors. I've used the bleach pen to try and get rid of some pen marks and it got most of it out. but its better safe than sorry.
Lint rollers- For any dust or fur that may get on clothing

Age requirements/ Parental consent slips- Certain Conventions you have to be 18+ to attend. Like Yaoi-Con to name one of them. You have to be 18 by the day that the convention starts. Sorry if you turn 18 on the Saturday of the convention and want to go all three days to a 18+ con, you can't get a badge until the day you turn 18. This is for the conventions safety and prevents them from being sued. If you are under 18 going to any other convention most will require you to have a Guardian slip signed so your parents know that the convention is not held liable for anything that may happen. Anyone else under a certain age (usually 12-13) Will be Required to have an Adult with them.

*Credit goes to Kayu-sama for the information about Dress Code and Costume maintenance/repair*

~Things to be aware of and information about conventions in general~

Okay, your now packed and ready. Your on your way there, singing the Caramell dance song,making all the plans for the con. You want to have fun and go wild! Hold on there pal there are a few more things to discuss. We'll start with some of the common rules of the convention.

-General hotel/convention rules-
Be respectful to the Hotel Staff- They've got hundreds of people staying in their hotel and will be happier to serve a nice person instead of someone cussing up a storm, being crude and plain rude to them. Remember they are the ones who have to take care of you. If your nice, they may slip in a few extra towels, or not say a word if they catch a few more people than what is allowed in your room (Pass experience talking here!)

Wear something on your feet wandering outside your room- Even if its stockings or socks wear something. The staff will say something is you aren't wearing anything. They say its for hygiene.

No smoking- If the room is a "No smoking room", don't smoke. They will charge a cleaning fee if you do smoke. This is a rule that protects people with breathing problems and allergies to the smoke.

Keep your Messes clean and do not destroy convention/hotel property- I'm sure everyone knows about the Otakon price hike? That was supposedly triggered when Someone decided to draw their "artwork" on the convention center walls. Guess who had to pay for it? Yup that's right the convention goers at the next Otakon. Admission prices went up $10 to help cover the cost of the sand blasting to get the "art" off the wall. If you have to draw, Draw on yourself, or bring/Use paper that belongs to you. They do have people working in the Hotel/Convention to help keep it clean. Please do your part and throw your trash in the trash bin not on the floor.

No live weapons- Term for personal weapon here. You can get in MAJOR trouble for having a live weapon for a prop. Let is be a blade, gun, nun chucks (yes they are illegal in some states), Lets use Izaya Orihara from Durarara. He carries a blade on him at all times and flicks it out when ever he wants. Your cosplaying the "lovable" character and flick a blade out for fun .... bad idea. Depending where you are you can be removed from the convention and possibly arrested for doing that. You may of not had any bad intentions but the other people around you wouldn't know that. This is wear props comes into play! They aren't sharp and you can make a prop from just about anything! If you have a prop gun be sure to have a bit of orange on the tip and make sure there are NO moving parts. If you Disassemble a Live gun to the point where it doesn't work, you can still get into a lot of trouble. I can't say anything about Squirt guns due to the fact each convention have different rules.

Ask before glomping or touching-
Fur suit version- Wearing a suit can be nice to wear and all but hugging a another fur suit you must be careful. You may accidently pull something off without meaning it and it could be heck to reattach and that can get you in major trouble if they spent their time or paid to have it done. If You are the one that the piece is pulled off of you will be rather upset with the person who did it. So ask before giving hugs.

Cosplayers version- You see someone decked out as your favorite character and you have the urge to jump and glomp them so you decide pounce them. "RIPPPPP" You freeze and part of their costume is laying on the floor and can't be reattached. Lets say your the one wearing that costume that you have spent hours upon hours, not to mention lots of money on. You wouldn't be very happy either and would want it fixed. This is where if you asked before you glomped you would be safe. People put a lot of money into their outfits and want to make sure it stays like they made it.

Also know that some people also do not like being touched by strangers they do not know. Please respect others space and you'll be fine!

-Things to be aware of-

Cellphones- Have a cellphone on you at all times while running around the convention and the convention areas. if helps with finding friends, emergency problems and your parents (if you live with them) can contact you to make sure your alive. Be sure to bring your charger as well. Also remember certain areas of some conventions do NOT have Signal. If you are leaving at a certain time, watch your clock like a hawk and be there on time or you might risk being left in a city with no help.

Do not travel in the dark alone- This can lead to a very dangerous situation. Travel in a group of people or with your friends.

Public Drinking- For the people 21+ who drink. Drinking is normally fine. If you do it modestly. It is my suggestion that you don't drink to the point were you can not speak, think or walk. I learned this rule years ago when Some random guy confessed his love to me with his girlfriend trying to get him back into his room. He fell and ended up having to be dragged into his Room. Public drunkenness is frowned upon by the police and the hotel/convention staff.

Stay Hydrated and Eat- I cannot stress this enough. Lack of food and water is bad for your body and can ruin your convention when you hit the floor. It can make you feel ill if you don't eat. When you are in a Rave most of the times you will sweat. You need water to make up for what your body lost. Which brings me to my next piece of information.

Raves- If you are sensitive to lights, especially flashing lights and loud noises, it is not a good idea to go into the rave. What I can think of off the top of my head right now is seizures. They are not fun and they WILL scare people. If your raving in a fur suit rememeber to Drink plenty of water as the costumes can get extremely hot fast especially if you are in a room with with multable suits in it. that being said you might be able to install a fan in your suit maybe in the nose? I know a person who did the lovable Invader Zim character Gir installed a fan on the top of his suit. its not that hard either!

Keep a Eye on your bank account- To make sure your not missing any funds that can prohibit you from paying for that hotel room you were staying in. Some hotels do take some of the money for the rooms to cover charges. Do not worry if you are in the hotel and notice you are missing money from your account call the front desk and ask if they charged anything. Most of the time your missing money they have taken the night for a room out. When you reserve the room you may have to put money down to reserve it. The cost is usually the first nights room plus taxes.

Forms of payment- Cash, Credit, Debit, Money order, Check, and Travelers Check- Not all places accept all of these payment. The most popular choice is cash which is easy to pay things on the spot. Some Venders will Accept Debit/Credit and few will accept checks. Be sure to check before you leave.

Be nice when asking for photos- There are photo shoots that are Usually Listed on Cosplay forums under the convention that your attending. If you see one you like mark it down and you can catch all your favorite characters and take neat photos. If you happen to stop someone in the hallway move them and yourself to the side away from travel or ask them to follow you to a Less populated area so you can take you photos. Most people are nice and will follow. If they are sitting down/have parts of their costumes/ head off and you want a photo, give them time to put on the parts that are off, stand up and let them get into the pose they want (or if you request a reasonable Pose) otherwise to take a photo of them putting their stuff on or trying to get up is rude.

Know your room mates- Okay, I've myself roomed with total strangers that I've just met. But I've talked to them for months and left their numbers with house hold in case something happened. If something sounds odd to you about that and you get the creeps, you can always find someone else to room with. If you post on Cosplay forums and the convention's forums looking for a room, you will probably get responses.

Do not camp out in the parking deck/ outside the con - Those are some of the MOST dangerous things you can do at a convention. You never know what can happen. You can be attacked, hurt, dragged off or even face being hit by a car, You can get into trouble at the Convention/Hotel for doing so.

No Teathers- This includes leashes, Chains, rope, ANYTHING that you can tug a person along with without being in contact with them. If your a handler you can lead them with your hands or lead the way.

Try and get a spotter- This is so you dont' fall down stares or run into people. Most suits limit your field of vision. Spotters will help you navigate around the convention or if you run into stairs.

Buying things in the dealers room/ artist alley- Okay your at the con and see a art book you've wanted for bout 6 month and you want to buy it but its a whooping $50! Hold on, don't buy it just yet. There are specials that you can get on Sundays where things sometimes will be discounted. It's mainly because its the last day of the convention and the want to get as much as they can sold to give them a profit. They only get a profit if they can cover the Dealers Room table cost, any other cost that applies for the convention and the whole sale of that item they are selling. What ever is left over is their profit. They also are trying to lighten the load for what they have to pack back into their vehicle. Its not east to unpack and pack hundreds upon hundreds of Items. So they will try to make a quick deal. While I can't promise that that art book will be there Sunday. you may have to gamble. A $50 art book on Friday MAY only cost $35 on Sunday. Again that is a gamble you'd have to take but it could save you some money. I can't promise that every single vendor will have the sale but if you talk to them long enough and are extremely nice they just might lower the price. My sister had this happen when she talked to a kimono dealer and hung out with him asking him a few questions about the item, telling a few jokes and he was willing to knock off a entire 50 bucks off a kimono for her. His reason? Because she was polite and entertaining from what he told her. Sometimes people in the Dealers Room will recruit people to help out with their sale, though it is rare to happen they do run short once in a while. A lot of times they will give you deep discounts for helping them out as a way of payment. Most of the things said applies to the Artist Alleys. But sometimes if your friendly enough and they are in a really good mood they will give you a art piece for free and sometimes sign it. This is how I have gotten several piece's of artwork.

House keeping- In certain hotels House keeping will be checking the rooms to make sure you are okay, to see if you need any towels, to clean or to check how many people are crashed in your room. There are some ways to get around this, If your Curious contact me and I will try to give you some advice ^_~

~ If you face problems that arise~
If you have a Problem with;
Person stalking/Harassment - Contact convention staff and volunteer and they will help you asap. The security people are there for a good reason. Making sure your convention is a safe one is their top reason.

Things are missing- If you lose something at the convention contact staff and ask them where the lost and found area it. A lot of people are honest and will turn in things that they found. Not all cases turn out like this but most of them do. If you are missing things from the hotel room and your rooming with people you do not know. Do NOT immediately blame the house keeper. Gather everyone in the room and talk to them. it may be misplaced or something. If you have laptops or expensive electronics/items most hotels have a safe you can store them in. Its is usually hidden in the desk or entertainment center. The safe is pretty easy to set up and really nice if you are a frequent worrier like myself.

Anything else- If you have any other sort of problem contact staff and let them know. If your upset over a sudden drop in a program, time change for a program or a guest. It happens there is nothing they can do about it.

Now that you know the basic stuff, enjoy your convention and be ready to rock when the doors open!

If your new to the whole convention thing i would Highly advise you read all of the information posted but I did make a TL;DR for everyone

~TL;DR~

1.Plan for anything and everything, The normal cost that go out for conventions are as followed;
Hotel
Parking
Transportation/Gas
Food
Badge
Emergency funds
Spending money
Care for your pets and plants- Animal lover here so I will repeat this.
Badge

2.Know the state laws that you may be traveling through to avoid unnecessary tickets/fines.

3.What to bring;
Medication
Clothing
Bathing Items
Wallet/purse
Sewing kit/Glue
Permission slip from your Guardians- if you are underage.

4.General rules for the cons-
Be respectful to the Hotel Staff
Wear something on your feet wandering outside your room
No smoking
Keep your messes clean and do not destroy convention/hotel property
No live weapons
Ask before glomping or touching

5.Things to be aware of;
Have a cellphones
Do not travel in the dark alone
Stay Hydrated and Eat
Keep a Eye on your bank account
Forms of payment- Cash, Credit, Debit, Money order, Check, and Travelers Check
Be nice when asking for photos
Know your room mates
Do not camp out in the parking deck/ outside the con
Do not attach your self to anyone via leash, chain, strap rope.
Try and get a spotter
House Keeping

6. Any problems that may pop up that has to do with the convention contact a staff member or volunteer immediately so they can help you.

So Basically, Use your Common Sense and you'll do fine ^_~

For Further Anthrocon information such as COC (Code of conduct) Visit; http://www.anthrocon.org/rules-conduct

With all this information said I hope you can forgive my grammar and Enjoy your Convention!

Happy Anthrocon!

Great post, with the exception of one detail:

DON'T take your head off infront of a child.

Nope. Obviously popping your top is something you want to avoid but "the magic" is far less important than "avoiding heatstroke." If you're in a situation where you're just too overheated and cannot find your way to a place to cool off (which happens sometimes! I wandered about five blocks from the hotel in suit and a couple hours later got a bit overwhelmed and couldn't make my way back) your safety and well-being ALWAYS trump the need for "magic."

Also, your section about weapons is inaccurate for this convention.

As is my understanding, there are no guns of any sort allowed, fake, clearly-marked or otherwise. Swords are allowed but only as long as they are approved by security, peace-bonded and signed off on by convention staff. No guns, period, orange tip or not.

Very informative!

I would recommend that anyone who reads this also read the links in our "Information" tab to the left of the main post, espeically the FAQ.  The "Information" tab links are Anthrocon specific, so if you're not sure what the rule is at Anthrocon, check those links!  If your question is still not covered, feel free to ask on the forums!

(And it's just the nitpicky spelling demon in me, but "your" is second person possessive and "you're" is a contraction for "you are".  Also, plurals (like fees and cameras) do not need an apostrophe, which indicates posessive tense.  The original post would be a hint more easily read if the spelling errors were corrected.)

Holy crap that was one serious post.  Nice work!

Proto- I was just told that it wasn't recommended that you take off the head infront of children. I really didn't think about the heat stroke since it was Pretty early when I was adding information and taking some out.>,< Weapons I'm still learning about since again Anthrocon is Different from the one's I'm used to going to This was originally written for cons in general so I will fix it within the next 5 hours after I eat and do some things. I will modify it each section as quickly as I can.

Tyrrlin- First I love your name. I am trying to learn proper grammar and puntuation which I've been getting better over the years with it. At least I didn't write 'ur' or 'u'!

Giza- Danke!

Actually some Conventions still do it this is how they can get the help that they need. One of them is AnimeUSA in Arlington VA. This year I believe you had to work 20 hours to get crash space which is 4 people per room that have a list of rules which I'll dig up from my email. If you worked the 20 hours you also got a Pin, T-shirt, Badge Reimbursement and Crash space. If you are not a volunteer you couldn't stay in the room. There are a couple of conventions that offer this but usually a first come first serve basis. I think this year they had 2 boy rooms and 1 girl rooms. I think its a wonderful idea.

Here were the rules from Ausa;

i have a qustion i am geting a registration form and printing them out so i just have to have the money form and the form filled out then send it to you and u will send back a badge right ?

okay thanks for clearing that up but how would they now that i set in the form and money i just dont want to mess any thing up.

When you send in the form plus your payment (don't use cash: it's not safe), the people responsible will enter your name, address and other demographic information into the Anthrocon computer system.  When you get to the con, you'll get in the pre-registered line and when you get to the desk, you'll show them some sort of state-issued photo ID.  This can be a driver's license, passport or something similar.  They'll look through their records, match you against the information they've already entered and Presto!  They'll hand you your convention badge and bag of goodies.

That's how it worked back in the ancient days before computer systems were cheap and portable... just without the computer assistance.

Its been a While

The reason Most conventions won't send a Badge out is since people could Loose or Forget them at home. Then you'd Probably have to pay to get a badge replacement. Also If they send Badges out Early People Can make copies of the Badges to give to Their Friends or to sell for a Lesser amount. I Believe Katsucon or AUSA a few years backHad a Person Who worked with the con,Sell badges for about 40 bucks (versus the 50 to get in the door) under the counter in a hotel room.(the person either made or Stole them I don't remember) This is to save people the grief they just keep the badges until the con

omg i read everything, and my eies are bleeding

I'm happy now

reading is fundemental

Exactly it helps you do wat Uncle Kage is doing on stage. If you read you form a vast vocabulary and so you know wat to say to make yoreself admirabel

Why thank you

Hmmm, it needs a If your shy, do this section....

There is one thing you forgot:

An umbrella or rain gear.

Seriously.  It is tradition for it to suddenly rain at Anthrocon.  Since 2007 it has always been the case.  Some times, you can miss it; but some times, you're in the downpour.

Stage prop weapons or non-working replicas are allowed with permission, such as captain jack sparrow's musket (his dull dagger and sword),

 gun bunny's fake decorative guns, a cyborg wolf I seen had a sci-fi type laser weapon or a ghostbuster with a replica proton pack

 which could technically be classified as a stage prop weapon, and pocki samurai's pole arm pvc foam staff..(you may know him by a different name)

those are just a few examples I seen implimented with costumes over the years.  Just use common sence,

 In other words leave things thet TSA wouldn't allow through airport security or mailed through the post office at home.

 If in doubt check with security and con ops if you have a prop that goes with your costume to make it complete and could be considered a "weapon or the likes of"