International Convention Planning (Part 2)

I hope everyone’s year is starting of nicely and that you are ready to plan for the new year! For me and many other cosplayers this means figuring out which conventions to attend and what cosplays to make. In order to help out the people who like me would like to attend some foreign conventions I decided to make some blogposts about it. This 2nd part is about things you will have to consider while at the convention itself. Do not forget to check out the first part about planning your trip if you have not read it yet!

Language Something that can be very useful at international conventions is having someone with you that speaks the country’s language, even if it is just the basics. I am from the Netherlands and most people here speak at least some English but in some other countries this is not as common. I have had people apologizing for their basic English, people going completely quiet the moment they realized I am not from around and people who just kept on talking in their language. Whereas others were more than happy to speak English and even help translate when needed (I swear I made some amazing friends). It is not completely necessary to learn the language or get to know some basics (a lot of finger pointing and gesturing can get you very far). But it is easier if you know basic sentences like: “can I take a picture?” “I would like to buy..” and “where is…?”. I feel like people tend to be more willing to help if you try and if they know English they might automatically switch for you.

Food Conventions usually have a variety of food stalls and places to buy drinks. But prices can be high and queues can be long. An advantage at foreign conventions is that it is usually allowed to bring your bag everywhere including your own food and drinks. So it is smart to make sure you bring some drinks and some snacks to get you through the day without spending time waiting in line and paying a lot. Unless of course you prefer buying food at the con (a bubble tea or some nice hot ramen can be tempting). The advantage of this is that you can eat whenever you are hungry or whenever you have time in your schedule and it might be easier to remember to eat. A lot of foreign conventions also tend to end earlier which means a lot of people will go out for dinner together at the end of the day. We usually decide where to eat at the end of the convention day with our group and other people that we are hanging out with at that moment. I usually really love these after convention meals. They mean you will have a good meal at the end of a long day (and you get to sit!) And you can talk about everything that happened that day and get to know the people that might have joined your group better.

How to stay connected International conventions can be huge and losing each other is simple so it is important to know how to stay in touch with each other. You might want to split up into smaller groups for a part of the day or someone might loose your group in the crowd. Make sure you exchange contact info so you can call or text each other and make sure you decide upon a meeting point. We usually decide upon a spot that is easy to find for everyone and that is not too crowded. This way even when phone service fails you you will be able to find everyone again.

©Kaleidoscopy

Security Not the most fun part of a convention but still very important, especially with the recent terrorist attacks. Because of these a lot of conventions have stricter rules and tighter security, most of which make sense so you will not be limited much because of them. But it is always smart to check before hand especially if you are a cosplayer. Not all of your props might be allowed and it might be smarter to leave them home. Not all rules will always be as strictly enforced by the convention (especially prop rules are sometimes overlooked) but it is better to be safe than sorry in this case. You do not want to have a problem at security when you do not know the language xD

Cosplay One of the best parts of a convention in my opinion! Cosplay! Dressing up as your favourite character can be a lot of fun and can really help with making friends. People will immediately know which series you like and might ask for pictures if they are fans as well. This way it is very easy to start a conversation and meet new people. One thing to keep in mind though is that certain conventions can be really warm. Japan Expo for example is in the middle of summer and is jam packed with people so we usually stick with sports cosplays and other outfits that are not too warm. Whereas at other conventions it is totally fine to wear a cosplay with some more layers. Make sure to check the weather and make sure you drink enough and maybe bring a change of clothes in case it is very hot inside!

I hope this will help you all with planning your first international convention! I definitely recommend giving it a try as it is an amazing experience and result in wonderful new friendships. Also do not forget to check out the city where the convention is held! If you have any questions feel free to ask and till the next post!

©Kaleidoscopy