Convention Etiquette: Discussion and Advice on Do's and Don'ts

[VLADMIRE]

Conventions are always fun! It's nice to see new people hopping on the bandwagon. I think there is probably a thread in the Fandom are of the board for the NJ con. You can always check in there and see who is going. I've met lots of really great people at the few conventions I've been to. Have fun and welcome! :-)

Thank you for the warm welcome. I have been a fan for years, but have never got into the message boards and conventions. Mostly because I didn't know they existed.

Anyway, I know it is August but I can't wait for Nov. It sounds like they are a lot of fun. I just hope I don't get to overwhelmed by the experience of it.

[ancientalliance]

wow! the vancouver 2007 con will be my first time as a con-goer and reading this thread has already helped.... thanks to all who have contributed!

[BruTak]

And the answer was....???

A lot...

[nunuu]

Conventions are always fun! It's nice to see new people hopping on the bandwagon. I think there is probably a thread in the Fandom are of the board for the NJ con. You can always check in there and see who is going. I've met lots of really great people at the few conventions I've been to. Have fun and welcome! :-)

Well, depends on the type of personality you are though. XD I've been to a few comic cons and anime cons (mostly in and around the Toronto area. I HAVE been down to the States for some though) and for the most part, when I go to conventions, I'm usually going with friends -- or going to meet friends -- as it's a means for us to get-together and have fun.

I guess I have a rather silly and embarassing confession to make in regards to my fandom in the Stargate universe -- I basically only joined this community to meet other fans. The fact is, I don't know anyone within my circle of friends (real life or on-line) that are into the show. Well, save the one guy that's saving up money to go to South Korea instead of attending a con (as I hinted to him). And I'm really not the out-going type of person that can just strike up a conversation with a stranger face to face. Heck, I can't even do small talk. I'm much more comfortable conversing with others on-line via message boards, instant messaging, or IRC (as evidenced by my unnecessarily long posts).

I guess I could be nerdy and bring my Nintendo DS Lite with me, sit in a corner, and fire up Pictochat and chat that way. (It's a damn shame you can't log Pictochat sessions.)

In all seriousness, my interest in the Stargate series is, for once, making me want to go to a con solely for the subject matter and not just for friends.

Got any advice for a introvert/hermit like me? Maybe like all SG hermits can form a group together to work on interpersonal skills? XD

[Matt G]

Speaking as a fellow introvert - it's not that hard to start up conversations with random Gaters, just start with "where are you from?" "what do you think of S10/S3 so far" etc.

[kelmah]

Exactly! At cons you know that there's a common interest, and you're guaranteed a topic of conversation. Even if you have ABSOLUTELY NOTHING in common with these people (and us stargate fans are a diverse bunch) you can probably have an interesting debate about the merits of a particular episode, or compare favorite guest stars.

[BruTak]

There are no strangers at a con - only friends you haven't met yet.

[Eruka]

I'm hoping to go to my first convention in November! (the Secaucus, NJ one) However, I have to get one of my friends to go with me and book somewhere to stay as well as find transportation soon or my mom won't let me go. I knew I should have gotten my license sooner...

Question: How late can you get tickets? I was thinking about getting the Preferred Weekend Package. Also, do you have to order them online, or can you get them another way?

Thanks for all the help this thread has given me!

[BruTak]

At the cons I've been to, you could pretty much wait until the last minute til you bought your ticket. But bear in mind that tickets do go up in price the longer you wait.

[tace]

I guess I could be nerdy and bring my Nintendo DS Lite with me, sit in a corner, and fire up Pictochat and chat that way. (It's a damn shame you can't log Pictochat sessions.)

Aw, that makes me wish I could go, too. I have an old school DS. It'd be really funny to see how many people had one

Too bad I've already got 2 big trips planned for the next year or so. Neither of which is Stargate related, unfortunately. I'd love to go to a con. Last one I went to was a Star Trek con in the Peabody when I was a kid--not many happen in Memphis.

[BruTak]

You should try and make it to a con in the UK, they're an absolute blast.

[ancientalliance]

At the cons I've been to, you could pretty much wait until the last minute til you bought your ticket. But bear in mind that tickets do go up in price the longer you wait.

or they could sell out...

[BruTak]

or they could sell out...

True, true... But I've recently become aware that some conventions list "Last few tickets" type notices when they still have plenty to go around.

Be warned it's a ploy to try an boost sales.

[doylefan22]

Some extras to add/enhance from my own experience:

- The bit in the original post about trying too hard to make yourself memorable is very sound advice. You don't want to be remembered for all the wrong reasons after all! The best way to make yourself memorable is to be pleasant and fun. My friend and I met Craig Paker (Haldir from LOTR) on a few occassions over the last couple of years at various cons. We asked him about his blonde hair and what he thought of it (he admitted he hated how he looked but had to pretend to like it since the wig ladies had put so much effort in!) and we chatted to him about his travels. The last time we saw him he remembered exactly who we were because, he said, he remembered the 'two really nice girls'. You don't have to be a total loon to be memorable!

- Don't be offended if a star is having a bad day. First time I met John Rhys Davies he seemed very grumpy. Turned out he had just that morning flown back from the US. The next con we met him at a more delightful and charming man you couldn't imagine! (After chatting for a bit, he signed my picture with "Indy loves intelligent women and so does Sallah. JRD" - it took me at least six months to wipe the grin off my face!)

- Try to think of something to say beforehand. If you don't like to go home kicking yourself thinking 'I wish I'd asked/said that!', it really doesn't hurt for you to think of something you might like to say the day before. It helps with any nerves you might have too. Once you become an old hand at these cons then you can pretty much roll up and chat to them, for a newbie though a bit of thinking can make you feel better.

- Be polite. Number one rule in my book. Be friendly towards the guests, thank them for their time and say how nice it was to meet them. Especially at signings. If they are there for hours upon hours signing autographs a little kindness goes a long way.

- Gifts. Personally, I wouldn't do them. If you feel the need to do something, your best bet is to say that as a 'gift' you would like to donate some money to a charity and ask which cause they would prefer it to go to. Remember, your clever idea for a gift may not be the memorable thing you think (see: Corin at Collectormania with an ever growing pile of bananas - although advising him that he should start telling people he's allergic to them or suggesting opening an ape sanctuary makes him laugh heartily )

- Hugs. I've seen a few rather awkward moments at cons in this country where a fan has asked for a hug and the guest in question wasn't very comfortable with it. Even worse, I've seen girls literally throw themselves at a guest without even asking! So, the first thing is always ask before engaging (). Secondly, don't be too upset if they don't want to. It entirely depends on the person - if they're seen being very huggy and clearly don't seem to mind *cough*CJ*cough* then by all means. If not, shaking their hand is always an alternative.

[qksilver99]

- Be polite. Number one rule in my book. Be friendly towards the guests, thank them for their time and say how nice it was to meet them. Especially at signings. If they are there for hours upon hours signing autographs a little kindness goes a long way.

I always found that by simply thanking the actors for their presentation and telling them that you enjoyed it (adding a comment about a comment that they had made), that they will immediately brighten up and be "up" for you, even after they've been signing for hours.