Con Survival Guide

[sydknee]

okay..... not only should you shower daily but bring and apply LOTS AND LOTS AND LOTS of deodarant! pretty please! kay GREAT! ^_^

[bugzeek]

Yeah, no trains....Definately sleep as much as possible, me and my friend Colin at Kumoricon were so tired we were delusional. Going to sleep at 1 AM and waking up at 7 AM or so for 3 days in a row is BAAAAAD. Don't think you'll be ok with just 3 hours of sleep or whatever you may think. You need sleep and if you rob yourself of that, you'll be delusional and think trains are semis and talk to yourself without realizing it. And the 2-liter thing is also bad. I think I almost became diabetic that weekend...

Haha if you can't survive on 6 hours of sleep a day you didn't procrastinate much in high school.

i got u both beaten i had less then 3 hr of sleep for the 4 days i was working at con

yeah sean i think he has us beat *sighs and hits another 2 liter*

yay i beten somebody woot. >_<

[Laydeneko]

Something my dad brought up tonight (he's a trucker):
Electric Skillets can be used in hotel rooms along with Geogre Foreman grills, and just about anything that plugs in. You just have to use extreme caution since most places aren't set up to handle hot grease or whatnot. So if you have some time between events you can make something different than raman or cold sandwiches.

[Electronaut]

Minors wear Kanji on their registration badges.

So if you're a dude talking to a cute girl and notice she has kanji on her badge... work on an exit strategy to get the heck out of there. If her mom is chaperoning and walks up to you while you're hitting on her daughter... pray to GOD she doesn't put you into a whole world of pain.

(I was lucky)

[SpicyNinjaCat]

Kanji? I thought badges for minors had specific colors? It would be easier to notice.

[Schottenjaeger]

Kanji? I thought badges for minors had specific colors? It would be easier to notice.

Nope, they have the kanji for "underage" - literally, it's "below" and "years" - written on them.

Although last year they used 下年 on the badges, I think 未成年 (Miseinen) is a bit more accurate. Anywho...

[EdwardDiego]

Minors wear Kanji on their registration badges.

So if you're a dude talking to a cute girl and notice she has kanji on her badge... work on an exit strategy to get the heck out of there. If her mom is chaperoning and walks up to you while you're hitting on her daughter... pray to GOD she doesn't put you into a whole world of pain.

(I was lucky)

I will keep that in mind if I decide to flirt with anyone. XDDD

The only advice I can really give (which I am sure I've given before): Sleep, drink water and eat decent food. You won't survive a weekend on only ramen and energy drinks. I tried before. XD

[The_Jolly_Glomper]

Kanji? I thought badges for minors had specific colors? It would be easier to notice.

Nope, they have the kanji for "underage" - literally, it's "below" and "years" - written on them.

Although last year they used 下年 on the badges, I think 未成年 (Miseinen) is a bit more accurate. Anywho...

True. And if you happen to be the barely-minor being flirted with, let him now ASAP--it'll hurt more if he finds out later >.<

[The_Jolly_Glomper]

AND SHOWER!!! This goes for you too, ladies--3 day old [REDACTED] is just as bad as 3-day old cheesy[REDACTED].

EDIT by MS - Let's not toss around any terms for any reproductive organs, shall we? =3

[Squishee69]

OK here's some more stuff:

1. Don't flirt, seriously it's pointless, when are you gonna see this person again? Unless they live in the same city just don't do it. Long distance relationships suck, bad.

2. I always keep all my money on me, but one thing i do is whenever I take it out, I do so in a way that nobody can see it. Rule of thumb is, "Don't let anyone see your wad." And I mean wad of cash. Definately carry small bills instead of tens and twenties. try to stick to fives and ones and the occasional ten.

3. Take into account all you Oregon residents that this con is in Washington, and Washington has sales tax. Some vendors may not charge Oregon residents sales tax, but many do. Try to take that into account.

4. If you are riding with someone, GIVE THEM GAS MONEY! Even if they say it's OK, do it anyways. It's called common courtesy and it makes the con more enjoyable if people are courteous to each other.

5. Carry a bag of some sort. Even if you have to go buy one in the dealers hall, seriously. It's just common sense to have a bag to put your crap in. Having friends who will hold stuff is cool, but they won't wanna be carrying your crap all the time. Carry it yourself if you can. If you need to take it back to your room. If you can't do that then try to limit what you buy.

6. For all you yaoi fans out there, (I am one myself so don't take this the wrong way) Don't ask two strangers to yaoi for you. It's just annoying. If you wanna see yaoi, the Yaoi Press people are here, so go there. If you're underage, then use the internet. If you must ask people to yaoi, ask people you know.

7. Please, please, PLEASE pay attention to your surroundings. Make sure you aren't in the way of someone's picture or video. Last year there was this annoying Naruto who got in the way of all our videos. Please be courteous and get out of the way. Also, if you're hanging out with some new people and they aren't paying much attention to you, then it's probably for a reason. Learn to take a hint, if people aren't talking to you then leave them alone. That same Naruto I mentioned earlier just followed us around and wouldn't leave. None of us was mean enough to tell them to go away, but I won't be so nice this time around. If I'm getting annoyed enough with someone, I'll tell you. If you do tell someone to go away, be as nice as possible about it, there are some really sensitive Otaku out there and you don't wanna ruin the whole con for someone. And finally,

8. If an SAS member tells you to do something, DO IT! Don't just blow them off thinking you won't get caught again, that's stupid. Be nice about it too. Even if it seems unreasonable, just do it and if you have a problem, take it up with one of the higher-ups. Don't argue with SAS about anything, they are always right, even if they aren't and they can kick you out at will (not saying they are that tyrannical, but don't take the chance) Basically, don't be a jerk. Just listen to the SAS and everything will be OK. Oh and be sure to read all the signs, there might be some pathways/staircases that aren't open so just pay attention.

[SoulReaperRukia]

OK here's some more stuff:

6. For all you yaoi fans out there, (I am one myself so don't take this the wrong way) Don't ask two strangers to yaoi for you. It's just annoying. If you wanna see yaoi, the Yaoi Press people are here, so go there. If you're underage, then use the internet. If you must ask people to yaoi, ask people you know.

.

On the same and more common note do NOT ask for yuri our panty shots. I know that as far as the majority of society is concerned its perfeclty acceptable, but it really isnt and girls who refuse are not man-hating- lesbians, femmenists, or 'pruds'.

I wanted to add something so I dont just sound all negative but.. i really think theyve hit everything.

[SpicyNinjaCat]

On the same and more common note do NOT ask for yuri our panty shots.

I thought that only happened in anime (maybe in Japan) but holy crap~!

[Squishee69]

Oh you'll be surprised what happens at con. I sometimes go hide in my room to get away....not really.

[Uchiha Kayami]

Okay, so...Sakura-con '08 will be my first convention ever, and I'm completely in the dark as to how it all works. I'm a silly little Montana girl, with virtually no big city experience...so my parents are making me plan every little detail, even though I am 18. Although to be honest, I'm kinda glad for once. Anyway, there is a bunch of stuff I need to know...I read the info on the website, but they STILL haven't got a schedule up yet, and it's driving me mad!

What times exactly does the convention begin and end? Where can I get a decent map of the place, complete with room numbers and all that jazz? Where do I go to buy my membership? What kind of stuff does my membership get me into? Do I have to pay extra to attend the cosplay contest, AMV contest, jrock concerts, opening/closing ceremonies, gaming/karaoke events, and various dances? What the heck am I doing?! GWRAH! *pulls hair out* Dx

[Dessa]

Numbering these so I can sort them better...

1) There is a schedule available on the website, actually. Check the last option under Programming

2) Opening Ceremonies starts at 10am Friday, and Closing Ceremonies ends at 5:30pm on Sunday. From what's shown on the current schedule, the earliest scheduled items are the theater rooms, which open at 8am on Friday, and the latest event (not shown on current schedule) is Assault and Flattery, which I believe currently is scheduled to end at 7pm on Sunday.

3) There is another thread, that I don't have handy at the moment (I've got other programs running, so I have horrible lag) that links to the Convention Center's maps, which do have room numbers on them. The room numbers are also on the schedule, so you can compare those to get the room numbers. Your Souvenir Guide you get at con will have maps more specific to our event in it.

4) Registration is located on 4F, if I'm reading the schedule correctly, which is across the sky bridge from the main convention center on the fourth floor.

5) Membership gets you into everything* (*see below).

6) The Guest Reception, which is held off-site, is a paid event, you can get more details in the Global Announcement at the top of each forum. It costs $50 for a catered buffet dinner with the Guests of Honor, and has a limited number of tickets available. All of the other events are a part of the convention, and there are not extra charges for any convention event (other than the Guest Reception).

7) You are getting ready to have fun... Now don't pull out your hair, it'll look weird.

[Comechatcha]

For money security in your hotel room, I'd suggest a lock. Most suitcases and bags with double zippers can be locked pretty easily. A little paddle lock, I'd suggest combination so there's no risk of losing your key. I got one when I went to England, and they're pretty useful.

[Eelie]

If you feel like putting on body spray/perfume/cologne after the shower you will be taking, only put on a little! Nobody wants to smell you coming from 20ft away, and trust me, that much body spray is not pleasant up close either.

[Uchiha Kayami]

1) There is a schedule available on the website, actually. Check the last option under Programming

2) Opening Ceremonies starts at 10am Friday, and Closing Ceremonies ends at 5:30pm on Sunday. From what's shown on the current schedule, the earliest scheduled items are the theater rooms, which open at 8am on Friday, and the latest event (not shown on current schedule) is Assault and Flattery, which I believe currently is scheduled to end at 7pm on Sunday.

3) There is another thread, that I don't have handy at the moment (I've got other programs running, so I have horrible lag) that links to the Convention Center's maps, which do have room numbers on them. The room numbers are also on the schedule, so you can compare those to get the room numbers. Your Souvenir Guide you get at con will have maps more specific to our event in it.

4) Registration is located on 4F, if I'm reading the schedule correctly, which is across the sky bridge from the main convention center on the fourth floor.

5) Membership gets you into everything* (*see below).

6) The Guest Reception, which is held off-site, is a paid event, you can get more details in the Global Announcement at the top of each forum. It costs $50 for a catered buffet dinner with the Guests of Honor, and has a limited number of tickets available. All of the other events are a part of the convention, and there are not extra charges for any convention event (other than the Guest Reception).

7) You are getting ready to have fun... Now don't pull out your hair, it'll look weird.

1) Oh, LOL. I had been checking just about every day to see if they'd got it up yet, and now they do. Goodie. xD

2) So basically, get there ASAP and hope they don't sell out of memberships? o_o;; By what time of day does that usually happen? Or does that happen often?

3) I shall investigate this. =]

4) Thanks. ^^

5) All riiiiight! That's good to hear. :3

7) Good advice. I'll try to avoid that. D;

[The_Jolly_Glomper]

1) There is a schedule available on the website, actually. Check the last option under Programming

2) Opening Ceremonies starts at 10am Friday, and Closing Ceremonies ends at 5:30pm on Sunday. From what's shown on the current schedule, the earliest scheduled items are the theater rooms, which open at 8am on Friday, and the latest event (not shown on current schedule) is Assault and Flattery, which I believe currently is scheduled to end at 7pm on Sunday.

3) There is another thread, that I don't have handy at the moment (I've got other programs running, so I have horrible lag) that links to the Convention Center's maps, which do have room numbers on them. The room numbers are also on the schedule, so you can compare those to get the room numbers. Your Souvenir Guide you get at con will have maps more specific to our event in it.

4) Registration is located on 4F, if I'm reading the schedule correctly, which is across the sky bridge from the main convention center on the fourth floor.

5) Membership gets you into everything* (*see below).

6) The Guest Reception, which is held off-site, is a paid event, you can get more details in the Global Announcement at the top of each forum. It costs $50 for a catered buffet dinner with the Guests of Honor, and has a limited number of tickets available. All of the other events are a part of the convention, and there are not extra charges for any convention event (other than the Guest Reception).

7) You are getting ready to have fun... Now don't pull out your hair, it'll look weird.

1) Oh, LOL. I had been checking just about every day to see if they'd got it up yet, and now they do. Goodie. xD

2) So basically, get there ASAP and hope they don't sell out of memberships? o_o;; By what time of day does that usually happen? Or does that happen often?

3) I shall investigate this. =]

4) Thanks. ^^

5) All riiiiight! That's good to hear. :3

7) Good advice. I'll try to avoid that. D;

It's not that they sell out of memberships (they don't anymore, not since we got moved to the Convention Center) but that the longer you wait to get in line to register, the longer the line gets--it can take hours sometimes. And if you get there too late, registration may close before you get your badge. If you can, always, always pre-register! The line for picking up pre-reg badges is always shorter than on-site registration.

^_^

[sheen16]

I believe thiers a book on this now, if not WHY THE HELL ISNT THIER!?
Anyone know the name or site or it?

[Zitatchi]

Last year was my first time at the con and I didn't do so good at haggling, any tips? I couldn't get anyone to lower any of their prices (I always seem to spot and want the most expensive things! ).

[Emi]

Here's one I've learned recently: playing Marco Polo in line or while waiting for an event to start GETS OLD REALLY FAST. If you must scream in line please try to be original and amusing instead of doing the same thing over and over.

[shdwcaster]

One new trick I learned mostly by accident this year (my third at the con), is that if you normally drink a lot of coffee or other caffeinated beverages, try to quit them completely, or reduce your consumption as much as possible a week or two before the con. That way, you get four benefits:
1. Save money on coffee/soda/energy drinks to spend on more anime/manga/toys.
2. Less time waiting in long lines at Tullys, or feeding money to vending machines.
3. No caffeine withdrawal headaches when you miss your usual 3 o'clock fix because you were running to get to another great panel and didn't have time to stop.
4. Most useful of all, that way, when you do have the Red Bull at 11pm Saturday night to keep you going until 3am, it kicks in like 3 or 4 times harder than usual.

[TProphet]

A couple of items that hopefully will make it into the guide for next year...

- Everyone knows to shower, knows that it's important, and I think the message actually gets through (to _most_ people, and if you're not one of them, you know who you are and I'm holding my nose). You'll still gag everyone with your stench if you forget to give your *costume* a shower, though. Have you worn your costume a total of more than two days, and yes, I am counting previous cons as well? If so, you need to clean it. Most hotels offer rush overnight dry cleaning services, and this is a very useful service for more elaborate costumes.

- Your parents told you not to stay up all weekend drinking Mountain Dew and eating nothing but ramen. They're probably worried about your health, and generally shouldn't be. Teenage bodies can take a lot of abuse and on the scale of bad things, staying up for a few days with a poor diet is pretty tame. However, they're right for an entirely different reason that they're probably too authoritarian to realize: you'll have a lot less fun when you're grouchy and sugar crashed. Try to eat one (or better yet, two) good meals a day, and be sure to drink enough water.

- Brush your teeth! It's good to fight the cavities all that pocky and Red Bull would otherwise give you, and it also chases away bad breath. Nobody wants to kiss someone who smells yucky!

- Accept before the con that you won't see all of it, and you won't be able to see everything you would like. You will have a lot more fun if you don't get bent out of shape over missing something you wanted to do, being unable to get into an event, or having to stand in line a long time to get your badge. Just plan that these things will happen, and you'll be a lot happier overall.

- And on that point, Sakura-Con brings together so many different artists, genres, panels and vendors that there is lots of opportunity for exploration of not only anime, but many other aspects of Japanese culture. Are you graduating from college and wondering what to do with your life? Talk to the JET program, and maybe in 6 months you'll find yourself in Chiba teaching English to Japanese students like my friend Frisco did! Ever wanted to know more about martial arts? There are dozens of sports represented. And the best part... want to try authentic Japanese food, imported directly from Tokyo? Visit the Uwajimaya booth and pick up some C.C. Lemon and Karl puffs, my favorite snack break!

- Finally... HAVE FUN! That's why you're at Sakura-Con, after all. If at any point something stops being fun, take a deep breath and step back. Life is too short, and Sakura-Con is *especially* too short, not to enjoy every moment of it.

-TProphet

[lethx10]

One new trick I learned mostly by accident this year (my third at the con), is that if you normally drink a lot of coffee or other caffeinated beverages, try to quit them completely, or reduce your consumption as much as possible a week or two before the con. That way, you get four benefits:
1. Save money on coffee/soda/energy drinks to spend on more anime/manga/toys.
2. Less time waiting in long lines at Tullys, or feeding money to vending machines.
3. No caffeine withdrawal headaches when you miss your usual 3 o'clock fix because you were running to get to another great panel and didn't have time to stop.
4. Most useful of all, that way, when you do have the Red Bull at 11pm Saturday night to keep you going until 3am, it kicks in like 3 or 4 times harder than usual.

5 Hour Energy shots are your friend!

I was chugging them.

[Solex]

1) Photographers. Luckily, people are really nice when you ask for their photo. I noticed some people who were on the phone and were asked for a picture would say "i'll call you back" and pose for the asking photographer.
NOTE: Do not make it a habit to get on one knee to take pictures. they will start hurting if you take a lot of pictures.

2) Stay hydrated ("Drink Water!") You've probably heard of this before, or saw it in an earlier post in this thread. However, things tend to stick to people when they know why.
For GLOMPers :Your skin will be smooth and soft when properly hydrated. Your body can regulate temperatures better, so you won't sweat // smell bad. So, you will be prepared for that hawty comin' for you.
You'll also have a lot better concentration.
Energy drinks increase body filtration, which increases body dehydration.

3) Know the Lost and Found Location. SAS was really good with the lost and found in '09, and I am hecka' thankful for that. Chances are when you pull out things from your pockets, other things will follow. Badges, cell phones, bus pass, or other small goodies you may have.

4) Note Cards. Stated earlier in this thread, it will be nice to have a small piece of paper or two with you. This is mainly for those who want to pick up someone, but can also be for other various purposes such as knowing how much X costs so you don't get in on a bad deal and remembering the location of such places in case you do not have your guide book// events you want to go to. In which case, you may also want to bring a pen/pencil, or use your phone instead.

5) Con Dealers, general pricing - Part A. Not worth waiting for the third day for these "last day deals". If you see something you like, buy it. booth price differences [between each other] were minimal from what I saw. Ask vendors if they have tax included in the price, some of them did not post that until the third day even though they factored it in since day 1.
I say the "last day deals" are bad because. 1) I hardly noticed any mark downs, 2) there are 16,000 other people that may show interest toward the same item you are. There was one booth that dropped wall scroll prices by $2/each that I saw as a last day deal.
In general as well, prices were about the same as places online, minus the shipping costs.
Keep note that the dealers hall closes early on Sunday. Go at 3:30PM at the latest, otherwise you risk the worst of the worst if you delay any longer.

6) Con Dealers, Grab Bags - Part B. Grab bags have been known to give good value for how much they were worth. However, they are not worth buying if you are not familiar with a large amount of anime series. If you are not a hardcore, then I suggest buying regular items instead.

7) Don't rely on snacks as a main course. don't rely on foods you may categorize as "snacks". If something fills you up, that's one of the pluses. The next part is to make sure the food is something with vitamins/benefits (I heard protien from beef jerky earlier, good pick.). Take for example: OJ (Sugar, vitamin C, hydration), and things with complex carbohydrates in them. I believe you are fine to eat the not-the-most-healthy-pick food (such as a burger) for con, as the carbs from the buns // calories/protien/some fat from the meat will be fine still, just don't expect to live off of those cereal bars and ramen.

8 ) Goodies you buy. Have fun carrying them all day long, plan around this (what you do is up to you). Back around after '09, there were posts about using the line room for the main concert hall/autographs as a partial storage room as well. This is not a guarantee currently, so do not mark me a creditable voice. I will be bringing this topic up again at the next general meeting for an update.

9) Perfume/Cologne. Please, do not douse yourself with perfume/cologne. Especially if you go to a concert.

[L2Phantom]

A vegetarian subway a day keeps the con flu away x)

Oh, and a bottle of cold orange juice of course!

[Disco Pete]

Ok, a few tips from me. I think most of these have been touched on by others in this thread, but I'll put them out there again.

• I've found that finding a place for all your con swag and Merch Room buys is easier if you park at the convention center. I just droke over in the morning, and back at night. Sure, I had to pay to park, and it was weird driving just a few blocks between the hotel and convention center, but it paid off in convenience.
• Also, take time to walk away from the con, find a place to eat. No, Pocky and ramen is no way to keep fed.
• Sleep is good
• While away at your place of sleepage, try to stop by the shower.
• Speaking of showers, water is also good for drinking.
• I've found that the best way to enjoy the con is to NOT have a plan (except for a few specific panels and events) and just wander into different panels as they start. Sometimes you can find something interesting, you never know! Then again, this might just be me...

[Kaname9820]

Ok, a few tips from me. I think most of these have been touched on by others in this thread, but I'll put them out there again.

...
• I've found that the best way to enjoy the con is to NOT have a plan (except for a few specific panels and events) and just wander into different panels as they start. Sometimes you can find something interesting, you never know! Then again, this might just be me...

Nope, not just you. I started out with a plan, but with so many things interrupting (i.e. friends, foodage, sleepage) I ended up scrapping it. I think i had more that way than if i had followed the plan. ^0^

[Solex]

Nope, not just you. I started out with a plan, but with so many things interrupting (i.e. friends, foodage, sleepage) I ended up scrapping it. I think i had more that way than if i had followed the plan. ^0^

Seconded. Though this thing kind of works itself out at the con, it's kind of hard to plan around making plans :p