Getting ready for your first pony convention!

So this is it! You've decided that you want to go to a "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic" convention. Well hold up a little, my friend. Let me give you a few ins and outs of the convention circuit so you can get the most enjoyment out of it.

First off, no convention is going to be 'perfect'. Things go wrong for both the attendees and the convention throwers. My first convention was BronyCon 2012; and anyone who was there can probably attest that the printing of badges was pretty.... well, slow. Rather than complain and moan for the two hours we waited in line, we sang and had a blast! Taking into consideration that this was the first time the staff ever threw a con this big, we all brushed it off. Why? Because things don't always go perfectly! Remember that and try to let it slide off your back if a schedule is swapped around or if you have to wait a little longer than expected in a line.

Next off, prepping for the convention. You've researched and found the one you're going to, but now you have to get prepped. Here are my little tips and tricks.

1) Don't overpack! Don't fill your suitcase or luggage to the brim! You're bringing stuff back, so plan for that! If you live quite a distance away, look into grabbing something to put artwork into if you plan on buying prints or anything of that nature.

2) Don't worry too much about forgetting toiletries. The last two conventions I went to I decided to only bring some body spray. "Ewwww.... gross Cliff, no deodorant or toothpaste?"  To be honest, no real need to buy and bring those. Most hotels provide razors, shaving cream, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and deodorant for free. Why? Because you're trying a 'trial size' version of a product you might've never used. But for the love of Celestia, do wear deodorant. You kinda forget how much you run around at a convention (especially if you're a member of staff!)

3) Pack additional clothing, just in case. Bad things happen. At "The Con That Shalt Not Be Named" people were stranded in Las Vegas with only what they brought. Now that was a really really really rare occurrence, but it's best to prepare and not need that little safety net than to not have it when you desperately need it.

4) If you bring food, THINK ABOUT THE SMELL! Don't bring anything to cook, but if you must try to find foods with the least amount of odor. If you must, look into a hotel that provides a kitchen (Extended Stay was superb).

5) When it comes to food.... EAT! I'm probably most guilty of this. It may be tempting to survive off of energy drinks and beef jerky, but you need the necessary calories to power you through 2-4 days of a convention. You don't want to be wiped out by the 2nd day, so go out with some friends and grab a real meal someplace.

So you're prepped! You have your money, you have your luggage, and you're ready to leave!

Hold up! There are a few rules when it comes to conventions that must be taken into account.

1) You're going to see some cute girls or guys there in cosplays. If you want a photo of or with them, ask politely. If they say no, which I've never encountered, just accept it and move on. BE RESPECTFUL! A joke you might find hilarious about their cosplay may be offensive to them. Remember as well that there's a big difference between a compliment and sexual harassment. If you wouldn't use the compliment on friend or family, don't use it on strangers at conventions.

2) "OH WOW! It's Peter Tockar! I gotta get his autograph!" Alright, my friend.... but where is he? Is he at his signing table? Then go right for it! Is he at a restaurant? Best to give him his space, he's been working all day signing autographs and taking photographs... right now should be his personal time. Basically, if the guest in attendance isn't at their table, it's probably a bad time to ask for an autograph. (Also, note that the money asked for an autograph doesn't go directly in the pockets of the guests. A big chunk goes to their agent, and rightfully so.)

3) What convention are you going to? A "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic" convention. As such, act as if the intended audience is around you at all times.... which is to say, don't say anything you wouldn't want a little kid to hear. That saucy joke can wait until you get back to the hotel room with your friends. Did something anger you? Take a deep breath and step away, don't resort to pounding on tables or hurling profanity at anyone. Be respectful of your surroundings, there are children there wanting to enjoy the experience even more than you!

4) This one is a personal suggestion. Every convention has a Q+A panel. Go on youtube really quick and search for one. Now, if you watched about four of them you'd notice something..... "How do I get into voice acting?", "Can you tell us anything about Season ____?", "Can you say something for my friend as I video it?", "I'm going to say something meme-y for no reason... doge!". Please don't say any of those things at a Q+A. If a fan of the show can answer them all (Demo tapes, Contractual obligations prevent that, VAs are nice and they probably will do that for you but you really should ask that 1-on-1 at the autograph tables, *throws tomato*) then it probably doesn't need to be asked again.

5) The VAs and writers are people (except for M.A. Larson, who is a -taken down due to Hasbro C&D order-). Sure, after the convention they may hire a limo or throw televisions out of hotel windows (Claire Corlett) or eat lobster stuffed with caviar unlike us filthy plebs.... but they're still people. Asking them VERY PERSONAL QUESTIONS is an absolute no-no. I wouldn't be putting this here if I hadn't witnessed it a few times. Don't mention anything about the 'seedier' side of the fandom, which goes back to #3 for me.

6) You can haggle for merch, but the best time to get merch is near the end of the convention. See something YOU MUST HAVE? Get is ASAP. See something you're debating on getting that the vendor has a ton of? Wait.... most merch peeps don't want to travel back home with a 50 lb box of printed art, so most tend to have sales near the end or decide to trade with other vendors. (I'm probably going to get beaten up for giving that trade secret out)

7) Priorities with money should be as follows:
a) Hotel costs
b) Food!
c) Merch.

8) Regardless of if you're cosplaying or not, there is a mistake a lot of first timers make at pony conventions..... which would be 'memes'. Spaghetti isn't funny. I don't think it ever was. Don't drop any on the ground as a 'joke'. Considering buying a horse-head mask? Don't. Every convention has half a dozen people wearing them. That and you'll be uncomfortable for quite some time while wearing it, and I think only a very select few people have never seen the horse-head mask before. Rather than that, do something creative! Props to the guy who dressed as a Youtube Copyright Takedown video of Friendship is Witchcraft. A fairly simple costume, sure.... but it was UNIQUE and hilarious!

9) Don't say "rutabaga" around Peter New.

So those are my suggestions on how to have the best first convention you're ever going to get. Be chill and mellow, relax when things go wrong, be respectful at all times, act as if children are around you at all times, make sure you have enough scratch, EAT, and have a blast! You're going to love it, I can pretty much guarantee that.