It's the day before the three day annual Tampa Bay Comic Convention and like any geek I'm really excited and fortunate enough to have the opportunity to go. This will be the first year my wife and I have been to this particular one. We're not convention virgins. We popped out cherries a long time ago in a country far, far away; actually Great Britain. We attended a couple in the 90's that were held in Bristol and Birmingham. We've also been to several conventions in the USA like Mega Con, Spooky Empire's Screamfest, Hurricane Who and two Star Wars Celebration events (V and VI) that were all held in Orlando.
This particular convention has been in existence since 2000. Like most conventions of this nature it covers comic books, collectibles, science fiction, fantasy, horror movie and television show memorabilia. Cosplay is welcomed and celebrated with competitions. There are appearances from media celebrities who are available throughout the day for fans who may wish to purchase an autograph or have a photo taken with their favourite star. They are also scheduled to do panels where they discuss their iconic roles and recount their experiences. Towards the end of these panels they answer questions from the fans in the audience. There are a multitude of things to do from gaming rooms, film festivals, specialized debates, seminars and demonstrations on all manner of geeky subjects.
According to the Tampa Bay Comic Con website they are a family-friendly and fan owned comic book convention. I would say this looks like a small to medium sized event. I don't think this will be as huge as Mega Con, but I have the feeling it won't be as small as the Doctor Who ones we've been to in the Florida area.
Plan Ahead.
Having never been to this convention before we're bound to make a few mistakes that often plague first timer's who are unfamiliar with the destination and layout, but you can limit some of the problems you may encounter by researching the area thoroughly online. Make sure you are aware of all the parking areas near to the convention center because it's quite possible the parking space at the venue will be full when you get there. Type the sites co-ordinates into your car's GPS or mobile device the night before and it may prevent you from getting lost saving valuable time. If you're travelling to the convention, go early; there may be lots of traffic or road problems ahead. Plan for these issues. Be aware of which entrance to head to. A lot of these venues have multiple entrances, but usually only one that is officially open for ticket holders to enter. My wife and I didn't read the small print once and found ourselves walking around the entire length of the Orlando Orange Convention Center in the searing heat of Florida to find the right entry point. We could have saved ourselves all that discomfort and lost time (about an hour) by checking where to go first.
Remember to charge all the batteries on your cameras and camcorders before you go. Bring a back up camera, spare batteries and SD cards. The last thing you want to have happen to you is miss out on a unique photo opportunity because your camera broke down or you ran out of space on your cards memory or the battery ran out of juice.
We're not cosplayers so we won't be working up to the last minute to complete our costumes for the event, but we do have to decide what clothes to wear for such an occasion. Geek shirts are a must. They can sometimes become a great ice breaker and a useful talking point when you meet other convention goers. Comfort should be your main priority and we always look through our wardrobe with the environment in mind. Florida it's often hot and humid so bundling up with many layers would be bad in this instance. You may be expected to wait outside in a long line in the heat before the convention doors open so light clothes and a hat of some kind are a must.
Bringing a back pack with some bottles of water to keep you hydrated is also very important. An umbrella could also come in useful, but keep in mind whatever you carry in with you may be subject to security checks and you'll either be asked to put them in a storage area or put them back in your vehicle. Consequently you could be stuck with them all day as you walk around the convention halls.
During this time of year, Florida experiences a lot of storms so also bring a rain coat or a cheap fold up poncho. Lastly...shoes. Wear shoes that you can walk around and stand in for a whole day. Your feet will thank you later when you get back to your hotel room or when you get home. A back pack will certainly help you carry some items you buy at the convention, but inevitably you'll end up trying to carry merchandise that won't fit inside the bag or you won't want getting creased or damaged in any way. I suggest buying any exclusive con t-shirts first because they are light and can be easily rolled up into a bag and they are usually the first products that sell out. As for anything bigger, more valuable, heavy and cumbersome , I'd leave off buying those until the end of the day before the con closes.
Study the calender of events and make an itinerary of things to do and see, in the days leading up to the con. Be prepared to make changes as celebrity schedules get moved around and some events taking place at the convention may get cancelled altogether. You will not be able to get to all the events being held at the convention because there is always a large degree of overlap in the times that they start and end. Cherry pick the ones you want to see and accept the fact that some of the things on your list will be impossible to do. If a convention has a mobile/cell phone app download. They are very useful in providing you with news and up to date information on any changes that may occur. The websites and their accompanying Facebook and Twitter accounts don't always update as fast as the apps. If you buy your tickets online and you've opted for a receipt that can be scanned via a bar code or QR codes make sure you've also printed up a paper version of those tickets and the confirmation e-mail just in case there is a glitch with the tech.
Pace yourself throughout the day and make sure you rest your legs, back and feet whenever you can. Even those of you who are physically fit with youth on your side will eventually succumb to fatigue, especially if you're doing all three days and partying every night into the early hours of the morning. I've seen some very exhausted convention goers over the years. Remember to make time to eat and drink. An army marches on it's stomach and Jim Kirk said it was his first rule of survival. :) Most of all have fun. Expect it to be crowded and hard work at times, go with the flow. Everyone else feels the same way you do...tired, hot, uncomfortable and anxious to get to and from their next event. Be polite to the cosplayers too, there are human beings with feelings inside those costumes too. Oh yeah, get plenty of sleep and rest before you go because you probably won't get any once you're there. Too much to do with so very little time to fit it all in.
To Summarise.
1. Work out an itinerary of the events you want to see and do, include their times and the rooms they take place in. Do this a few days before you set off.
2. Familiarise yourselves with the convention hall layout. Print up the websites floor plans and take them with you.
3. Plan your route to and from the convention by typing the destinations address into a navigation device or app. Do this a few days in advance.
4. Charge your mobile/cell phones, tablets, cameras and camcorders the night before.
4. If you have two or more cameras take them in case one breaks down. The Florida humidity can do a number on electronic devices when you go from air conditioned rooms inside a building to the heat of the outdoors.
5. Take back up batteries, SD cards, memory sticks and even chargers. Most places have a wall socket you can re charge your ailing phone or recording device.
6. Bring food and drinks with you. Sometimes these venues don't check bags so you won't have to hand over huge sums of money for over priced food and drinks from the vending stalls.
7. Medication, if you have any kind of illness or condition make sure you bring the appropriate medicine with you for the day or if you're away at a hotel for the full three days bring enough to last you throughout that period.
8. Wear clothes that are loose, light and cool for the Florida heat and shoes that are comfortable enough to stand and walk in for more than 10 hours.
9. Bring pack away ponchos in case you get caught in a torrential down pour. It happens all the time in Florida.
10. Sunglasses, if you have to spend any amount of time out in the sun waiting to get into the event, protect your eyes with a good pair of sunglasses; there are so many cases of cataracts and macular eye degeneration caused by the strong harmful UV light of the sub tropical sun. Your eyes will thank you later in life for implementing this measure.
11. Take a hat and or an umbrella to shade you from the harsh sunlight.
12. Bring a decent sized back pack with you to carry some of the merchandise you will undoubtedly buy at the convention.
Here is the link to the Tampa Bay Comic Con official website.
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