Gamescom, Comic Con, AnimeCon, etcetera, etcetera… We all love them. But they can also be pretty exhausting. So here are some tips on how to survive your favourite (game) event and convention! These are the tips that have proven succesful for us.
Stay hydrated!
Drinks kan be pretty expensive at a convention. And don’t even get me started about the waiting lines for the foodstands. So you better be prepared and bring a bottle of water. Not allowed to bring your own beverages? Then take an empty water bottle with you. Not just to be cheap. But filling your empty bottle with water in the bathroom can be a lot quicker than waiting in line to buy your favourite soda. Unless you are in an area where you can’t drink the tap water. Remember: Stay hydrated! You don’t want to walk around all day with a headache, do you?
Bring a folding chair
We just mentioned the long waiting lines. Let’s be real here. There is no event or convention without waiting lines. Waiting in line to play your favourite game, waiting in line to see your favourite actor, waiting in line just to make a picture and so on. We’ve all been there. Even though a possitive attitude and happy friends may give you energy, you don’t want to spend that energy on the wrong things. So if you don’t want to sit on the ground or stay on your feet all day, then you better bring a folding chair!
Bring your portable Charger
You know that you want to make a lot of pictures, live tweet all the things that you are doing or upload pictures to your social media. Or maybe you just brought along your phone so you call your friends when you lose them in the crowd. And more and more companies are bringing out their own apps where you can find information and schedules for activities during the event. Guess what? All these actions will drain the battery of your phone. And what will we do without our phone? Actually.. talk to other people? Uhm no… So be prepared and bring a portable charger for when you are waiting in line, drinking your water while you are sitting on your folding chair. And if you are lucky, like we were during GamesCom, there will be companies like Ubisoft that offer charging spots like the ‘Ubisockets’.
Travel ‘light’
Oké! Besides the folding chair, portable charger and your water bottle you should bring as little as possible! Unless you are willing to bring a trolley and leave this behind at the coat or bag check service. Which could be a good idea if you plan on buying things at the dealer rooms or go on a goodie hunt! So make sure you don’t have too much stuff with you when you are walking around at the event. You really don’t want to leave an event or convention with an aching back or sore shoulders. Because if you do, how will you manage to go to the next one?
Double check your travel schedule
Traveling by plane or train to your convention (abroad)? Then double check your travel schedule. You don’t want to miss your train or flight. And if it’s possible and affordable you should reserve a seat! Being comfortable is key when you are on your way to an event or when you are going back home.
Last but not least
Most importantly. Smile, enjoy and just have fun. You won’t be able to do all the things you want or meet up with everybody you know during a busy busy event. But with a little flexibility and a good preperation, you will survive!
