Ideally your planning will begin and end before you even leave for the convention, and the first step is to choose your absolute must-sees. Many conventions don’t solidify their schedule till days before, so it’s possible you might be in the dark before you even leave, but in that case just do your best to either plan while getting there if you have access to the convention website, or simply snap up a program as soon as you arrive. Whenever you do it, skim through the panels and mark what you’d like to see and what you absolutely have to see. After that, go through the list of events and autograph sessions and do the same. Hopefully none of your absolute musts conflict, but if they do, pick which one is a higher priority. It’s important to ensure that everything is secondary to your must-sees. If everything else fails, you’ll at least have caught the most important parts of the convention, and won’t feel like everything fell through.
Once your top choices are solidified, start calculating how long you’ll need to stay in line. Do this by gauging the type of panel, the room it’s in, and how popular the content is. Generally, anything that involves creative advice or popular franchises will be packed. Some panels, like anything in Hall H at Comic-Con, require hours of standing in line just to get in. If you’re not sure about waits in line, do a little research online because a notoriously busy room like Hall H will have a reputation, and people will explain what to expect. Most rooms will require thirty minutes to an hour of waiting, but some rooms need well over two or three hours. This may deter you from seeing the panel at all, and if that’s the case, you can use that time for other things. It’s important that you do not underestimate the amount of waiting in line that will be necessary, because it’s better to be the first one in and spend thirty minutes waiting in a chair for the rest of the audience to file in than spend hours in line only to be blocked at the very last second.
The next part of planning is to simply pick out your secondary choices and piece them together in between your top picks and their line waiting requirements. If your day is starting to look overly packed and can’t account for bathroom breaks, time in the dealers hall, and the general chaos of life, take a hard look at your schedule and look at what can be cut out. On paper you’ll be able to run from one panel to the next as long as you’ve planned for the wait in line, but you never know what will happen between points A and B to mess things up. It might be a hard choice, but you might want to consider foregoing one or two of your top picks due to the wait time. Ask yourself: do I really want to spend three hours in line just to see something that will be posted online? Those four hours could easily be spent on two or three smaller panels, and the variety and interest of those three might far outweigh one heavy hitter. Of course, don’t underestimate the experience of being in an enormous room with your favorite industry guests on stage cracking jokes and discussing their franchises.
There are no real tricks to planning convention events, and those that do exist are a grey area when it comes to what’s ethical and what’s not. One of the easiest and most commonly used techniques is to have one person wait in line and let the rest of the group catch up much later. This isn’t really an issue for smaller groups, but if you wave in a pack of ten or twenty people, you’re definitely crossing the line. Sometimes there will be two panels of interest in the same room, and in that case it’s perfectly acceptable to stay seated after the first to see the second. Even if there’s a panel you aren’t interested in between those two, there are usually not enough people doing this to be a nuisance, so feel free to settle in. Of course, if convention staff ever ask you to clear out, don’t cause problems for everyone else and simply follow instructions.
It goes without saying, but never cut. At every single convention there are always opportunists who will either outright jump in front of people or maneuver themselves while the line is moving to skip an entire band of people. Usually no one calls them out because people are uncomfortable putting someone on the spot and it seems like there’s not much harm done, but that doesn’t mean it’s okay. Don’t hesitate to say something to them or a con volunteer because there’s no reason why one person should be rewarded for being discourteous when you and scores of other people have parked your butts on an uncomfortable floor for a very long time.
Waiting in line for a panel or autograph session is actually a great time to rest up, relax, and catch up on some planning or entertainment. If there was ever a time where having water and food on hand was imperative to not becoming an ornery curmudgeon, waiting in line is. You don’t have nearly as much freedom of movement as when you’re roaming the halls, and it’s a bad idea to hope for a nearby water fountain or snack stand. Sometimes a kind line-mate will share a snack bar with you, but that’s a chance not worth taking. To prevent yourself from going crazy, bring a book, handheld, or some music to keep yourself occupied. It’s great if you’re with friends or end up starting conversations with fellow convention goers, but more often than not it’s better to simply be prepared.
When it comes to panel Q&A or autograph sessions, there are a few simple rules to follow to make everything easier on everyone. Firstly, if the convention staff explains any special rules such as not asking the guest a specific question, follow them. Time is precious, and breaking those rules wastes it needlessly. Secondly, don’t ask any personal or inappropriate questions. Even if it’s just for a laugh, the time it takes to troll the guests is time easily used for asking valid questions. If you simply want to compliment the guest, save it for the autograph sessions when you will have one on one time with them. Always keep your interactions short. Although it may be your dream to ask them a million questions, stick to just one and be as clear and concise as possible. Nothing earns a communal groan faster than taking too long to explain your question or simply ranting at the guest about nothing in particular.
Getting an autograph is your chance for short, personal interactions with guests, so don’t waste the opportunity! Be polite, follow any special rules, and be fast. Now is the time to gush, but only a little bit. If you really can’t figure out what to say, a simple, “Hi, it’s great to meet you, I’m a huge fan of your work,” is perfectly acceptable. Practicing lines like this may sound a bit stiff, but it’s better than rambling and feeling as if your one chance to say something incredibly important to your favorite industry expert has failed. Either follow the introduction up with a question or hand them your item to sign, say thank you, and move on. If there aren’t many people, it’s okay to have a little more depth in the conversation, but it’s rare to be able to outright chat with a guest for a long period of time. The general rule of thumb is to simply say hello and briefly mention that you’re a fan of them or what series in particular you love. Just treat the situation like you’re saying hello to an old friend in passing, and you’ll do fine.
Like many situations in a convention, being polite and relatively quick will go a long way. Panels and other events can be a huge source of frustration, but with a little forethought the whole experience will be as easy as it is rewarding. Prioritizing is the key to maximizing your enjoyment; it’s better to lock in a few events and spend the rest of your time wandering than to cram as many events together as possible. As always, the most important thing is to enjoy yourself! Don’t let anything get in the way of that.
Be sure to check out the other parts of our guide including:
Convention Survival Guide: What to Bring
Convention Survival Guide: How You're Getting There
Convention Survival Guide: Where to Stay
Convention Survival Guide: What to Eat
Convention Survival Guide: Showroom Floor and Artists Alley
Convention Survival Guide: Cosplayers
Convention Survivial Guide: Panels and Autographs
Convention Survival Guide: Parties
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