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How to Convention: Your Con Day Trip Kit
In-person conventions are officially back this year. If your local one is coming up and you’re planning not to stay at a nearby hotel, now is a good time to refresh your checklist of essential supplies, or start one if you’ve never been to a con in person before. You’ll want things such as:
Comfortable footwear. Convention centers are huge, and you can rack up a surprising number of steps even at a small hotel-based convention, going back and forth between program rooms and bathrooms and the con suite and all around the dealers’ room.
Mobility device, if you use one at all. See above about the amount of walking involved. If it’s a sometimes thing, this is likely to be one of those times.
Reusable water bottle. Fight dry hotel or convention center air and plastic waste simultaneously, while also reducing the chance of confusing the bottle you’ve been drinking from with someone else’s.
Personal medications. Sure, you plan to be back home in time for your evening dose, but you may get stuck in an unexpectedly long line, discover a last-minute schedule addition you absolutely have to attend, or bump into a long-lost friend and lose track of the time while chatting. Take the pressure off yourself and be prepared for anything.
Snacks. Especially if you have any kind of food intolerances. Just because the convention center claims to have 11 different kinds of cuisine available doesn’t mean all of those stands will be open at con time. (Note that some cons will have restrictions on where food, or particularly outside food, can be eaten.)
A jacket or sweater. Even if it’s hot and muggy outside, indoor convention spaces may have the climate control set to a painfully low temperature.
A good book or portable game. Have a way to entertain yourself in line or during slow times that doesn’t drain your phone battery.
A comfortable backpack with lots of extra room. Because you never know what you’re going to spot in the dealers’ room that you absolutely have to have.
Your kindness and patience. Everyone’s had a rough few years. Convention budgets and volunteers are stretched thin in places. Be as nice as you can to your fellow humans.
Event Calendar
Weekend of January 6-8
Shadowcon (relaxacon), Memphis, Tennessee, USA
GAFilk 2023 (music), Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Anthro Northwest 5 (anthropomorphic), Seattle, Washington, USA
CanthroFur (anthropomorphic), Auvergne, France
Spartacon XXXII (gaming), DeWitt, Michigan, USA
Super MAGFest (gaming/videogame music), National Harbor, Maryland, USA
OrcaCon 2023 (gaming), Bellevue, Washington, USA
Animé Los Angeles 18, Long Beach, California, USA
SacAnime, Sacramento, California, USA
Columbia Anime & Video Game Expo, Columbia, South Carolina, USA
Taiyou Con (anime), Mesa, Arizona, USA
Anime-ZAP!, East Peoria, Illinois, USA
Fan Expo New Orleans (media), New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
St. Pete Comic Con 2023, St. Petersburg, Florida, USA
Weekend of January 13-15
Chattacon XLVIII, Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA
Na Meji Nevidnega, Ljubljana, Slovenia
GenghisCon, Wembley, Australia
MarsCon 2023, Norfolk, Virginia, USA
Further Confusion 2023: Millennium Edition (anthropomorphic), San Jose, California, USA
MidWinterFrolic 2023 (anthropomorphic), Altura, Minnesota, USA
SnowCon: Lucky 13 (gaming), Orono, Maine, USA
HexaCon (gaming), Broomfield, Colorado, USA
Midwinter Gaming Convention, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
Geekway Mini: League of Meeples (gaming), St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Congress of Gamers Winter Session, Rockville, Maryland, USA
SCARAB 2023 (gaming), Columbia, South Carolina, USA
Siege of Augusta XXXI (miniatures gaming), Augusta, Georgia, USA
SaltCON Bryce (boardgames), Bryce Canyon, Utah, USA
Ichibancon 13 (anime), Concord, North Carolina, USA
Anime Impulse, Pomona, California, USA
OtakuFest (anime), Miami, Florida, USA
Setsucon (anime), Altoona, Pennsylvania, USA
Wildwood Comic Con, Wildwood, New Jersey, USA
Weekend of January 20-22
Avatar: The Legend of ConFusion, Novi, Michigan, USA
Arisia 2023, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
COSine 2023, Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA
Anthro New England 2023: Trains!, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
KapCon 31 (gaming), Wellington, New Zealand
Ice & Dice (gaming), Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
ATG Expo (gaming), Waco, Texas, USA
Evercon 23 (gaming), Rothschild, Wisconsin, USA
Contingency 2023 (gaming), Hunstanton, UK
Cancon 2023 (gaming), Canberra, Australia
Niagara Boardgaming Weekend, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada
Ohayocon 23 (anime), Columbus, Ohio, USA
Ikkicon (anime), Round Rock, Texas, USA
Orlando Anime Day, Orlando, Florida, USA
Central Florida Comic Con, Lakeland, Florida, USA
CONsole Room: 10 Years in the TARDIS (Doctor Who), Bloomington, Minnesota, USA
House of Mouse Expo (Disney-owned media), Kissimmee, Florida, USA
Weekend of January 27-29
Conflikt (music), online (usually Seattle, Washington, USA)
AnthroExpo: Furry Scene (anthropomorphic), Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
Game-iToba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Cascade Games Convention, Bellingham, Washington, USA
Chattanooga Railgaming Challenge, Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA
G-Anime Winter Edition, Gatineau, Québec, Canada
UChi-Con 2023 (anime), Chicago, Illinois, USA
Anime Town: Greenville 2023, Greenville, South Carolina, USA
Mouse-Con Bakersfield (Disney), Bakersfield, California, USA
The Vampire Diaries/The Originals Original Reunion Convention, Allen, Texas, USA
Weekend of February 3-5
Capricon 43: Eternity Awaits..., Wheeling, Illinois, USA
ScotiaCon (anthropomorphic), Glasgow, UK
Running GAGG 27 (gaming), Geneseo, New York, USA
CaptainCon (gaming), Warwick, Rhode Island, USA
Rocket City Gamefest, Huntsville, Alabama, USA
Winter War 2023 (gaming), Champaign, Illinois, USA
WeebCon Year 3 (anime), Allen, Texas, USA
SSA+S Toracon (anime), Sarasota, Florida, USA
Anime Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
East Bay Comic Con, Concord, California, USA
Geek Days Rennes (media), Rennes, France
Creation Dallas (media), Plano, Texas, USA
My Hero Convention: Texas (My Hero Academia), Irving, Texas, USA
Coda
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