As Convention season nears, we at Ganbatte would like to share some of our favourite Convention survival tips and tricks to get through the many action packed weekends ahead! The most important thing to consider as you prepare your cosplays, save up for the artist alleys and exhibitor halls, and practice your best selfie poses is the golden rule. Always take care of you FIRST.
What is an Anime Convention?
An anime convention is a gathering place for people with similar interests to meet and celebrate them together. At anime conventions or cons for short, you will get to meet lots of new people, make life long friendships, buy LOTS of merch, handmade goods and amazing art, and meet your favourite celebrities from the world of anime, video games, and much more.
How do you find these Conventions?
There are many ways to find conventions near you!
- Join an anime, manga or video game hobby club. Chances are you already have friends who are going to the cons nearby!
- Media – Listen to the news, read about local events in your area, keep your eyes peeled on social media pages!
- The Internet – Google and the internet are powerful tools in finding events and conventions near you. Our favourite websites to find out about events are AnimeCons.com and FanCons.com.
Preparing for Convention Weekend
Make a List!!
- ID, Wallet & money (cash and card are both recommended)
- Clothing
- Everyday outfits (don’t forget to bring extra socks and underwear!!)
- Comfortable travel clothing
- Pajamas
- Extra shoes (comfortable ones!)
- Bathing Suit if your hotel has a swimming pool
- Cosplay outfits and accessories
- Toiletries
- Toothbrush, toothpaste, dental floss
- DEODORANT
- Hairbrush, comb
- Cleansers, skincare
- Sunscreen
- Bug Spray (if you will be spending time outside)
- Shampoo, Conditioner, Body Wash (Make sure you take time to shower at least once!!)
- Cosmetics & Hair products (Don’t forget these especially for your cosplays!)
- Medications & Eye Care (you do not want to forget your contact lens solution or your meds and feel off when meeting your fave celebs!)
- Reusable Water Bottle (STAY HYDRATED)
- Food & Snacks
- Extra Bags (Backpacks, totes, purse, etc)
- Laptop Optional
Do Not Forget About Self Care
- Hydrate – Stay hydrated, drink lots of water to get you through the long convention days
- Eat – Make healthy meal choices, eat regularly and often
- Sleep – We cannot stress how important a good night’s rest is. The more rested you are at the start of the day, the more energy you will have to make it through that panel session you have been hyped up for weeks about!!
Remember the 6-2-1 Rule.
- 6 – Get at least 6 hours of sleep a night
- 2 – Eat a minimum of 2 meals a day
- 1 – Take at least one shower, you don’t want to smell in front of your favourite Voice Actors!!
Budgeting for a Convention
Always give yourself wiggle room and bring more cash than you think you need.
Breakdown your costs:
- Convention Pass
- Travel (Plane Ticket, Fuel, Bus Pass)
- Hotel Room
- Dinning & Eating Out
- Artist Alley & Vendor Hall Purchases
- Cosplay (What are you making vs what are you buying)
What Should I Keep in my Convention Bag?
Always Bring a Bag with You!
- Wallet with ID and money!
- Convention pass, wristband, lanyard, etc
- Reusable water bottle
- Snacks
- Deodorant
- Charging Cord & Block // Power Bank
- A fan
- Essentials Kit
- Lip balm, breath mints, pain killers, hand sanitizer
- Convention Guidebook
- Sewing Kit (for emergency Cosplay repairs!)
- Makeup Kit (for touchups throughout the day)
- Contact case, solution & eye drops
- Comfy Shoes
- Extra tote bag
What to do at a Convention?
- Make sure you check out all the local artists and vendors in the Exhibitor Hall (Vendor Hall / Artist Alley). There is lots of amazing artwork and hand crafted items for sale and often you can only get these items at conventions.
- Look over the convention panel schedule and make sure to attend as many of them as possible. Panels are a great way to learn interesting topics and meet like minded individuals.
- The Games Room is a great place to relax, make friends and just have fun. At Ganbatte we have video games, board games, puzzles, card games, Dungeons and Dragons and so much more, so be sure to take the time and stop into the Games room and have some fun!!
- Do not forget to take the time to meet the guests! These are amazingly talented celebrities and local talent! These folks love meeting everyone at conventions and taking the time to chat with you!
- Dance(s) – lots of conventions have dances and these are so much fun! Cut loose on the dance floor, grab some glow sticks, kick off your shoes and party!!
- Don’t be shy, meet people, make friends, and most importantly HAVE FUN!
The most important thing at the end of the weekend is to make sure that you had fun. Anime Conventions like Ganbatte Convention are amazing places to meet friends who have similar interests and a safe place to express your love of all fandoms! Have fun and be safe this convention season and we cannot wait to see you at Ganbatte Con 2024 August 24-25, 2024 in Saskatoon, SK!
Convention Survival 101 was adapted from Depressyy Cosplay!
