Attending A Convention - Been To A Few And Have Some Ideas You May Find Helpful

Attending a Convention: Experience is the Best Teacher

I received an e-mail from a representative of a company that organizes and helps organizers run conventions, concerts, and other events and it was suggested that I write about how I prepare and survive at conventions. Considering that many of you have already attended an event or two, you probably know the ropes far better than I do. However there may be some of you reading this that have never attended an event, so I thought I might share a little of what I have learned.

Before The Event…

There are a lot of cons these days for almost everything that one can imagine. Comic Cons, Game Cons, Cons that deal with Science Fiction and/or Fantasy and so on. Before you decide on a con to attend, be sure that it is aimed at something that you are interested in. If you want to meet celebrities, a quilting con might not be something you are interested in. If you do not like standing in long lines waiting, be careful of going to the really big cons because that is one thing that you can rest assured you will be doing, standing in line.

Get your tickets early. Some of the larger cons might have adequate room for everyone and if you wait until you get to the door, you might get turned away.

Book your room early if you are staying away from home. If the motel you plan to stay at is offering a special rate for con attendance, BE SURE TO GET THE ARRANGEMENTS IN WRITING! Last year I had a very unpleasant experience when I had booked a room and did not get my reservation in writing and wound up in an argument with a clerk and the manager arguing over an almost $100 difference in what I was quoted and what they wanted to charge me. Also, when getting a place to stay, keep in mind that you do not need a luxury suite or a whole lot of amenities with your room; you are there to attend a convention and your room is nothing more than a place to crash after a long day of “conning” as I like to call it. However, complimentary breakfast is always a plus.

Plan What You Want To Do In Advance…

As far as I know, events at cons are usually planned out in advance. Check the con’s web page and see if they have posted a schedule of events, panels, photo ops, etc. and use a highlighter to figure out where you want to be at what time. In my experience, events at cons start pretty well on time unless circumstances change, and the people that are at the cons are usually on top of delays and will let you know if there is a problem.

If you are looking to get celebrity autographs, keep in mind that they do charge for them, and they can be very expensive depending on who it is and how much in demand they are. Be prepared to be disappointed because celebrities are human and things do come up that might call them away. There will most likely be another opportunity to meet them in the future.

When you get autographs, please make sure that you have them personalized to you, or to whomever you are getting them for. Unfortunately, a lot of unscrupulous individuals get autographs just to turn them around and sell them on eBay or some other clearing house. Celebrities know this and the prices are going up in part because of this practice.

Another thing you can use to get an autograph is something you already have, a DVD cover, a card from a game, or a favorite book in the case of an author is appropriate, and the author will most likely not charge to sign your book. If you are like me, most of your books are on an electronic device, authors always have copies of their books at their table and will be happy to sell you one with a personalized autograph and a thanks.

Packing For A Con…

Depending on the event, you will need clothes for three or four days, plus an extra change of clothes just in case of a mishap. If you are planning to meet a personality from a particular television show or movie, a t-shirt with the show title on it is always nice, and the celebrities notice it; it adds to the fun of the event. Keep in mind the climate and weather conditions so you can dress appropriately.

Comfortable shoes are a must! You will most likely be doing a lot of walking or standing in one place and there is nothing more miserable than having shoes that have not been properly broken in. You might also consider bringing along a second pair of comfortable shoes to change into half way through the day. I would not advise shoes without arch support; flip-flops are a very bad idea.

Take Care Of Yourself And Your Health…

The last thing you want to happen is to get sick while you are attending an event. The first con I attended a few years back, I hadn’t had anything to drink but coffee for two days. By the afternoon of the second day, I was feeling pretty miserable. I had become dehydrated. It cost me about two hours of the day to get myself together again before I could start moving around again. Remember to stay hydrated; just plain water is the best thing, avoid sugary drinks because they actually take more water from your system to process the syrup in the drink. Also be sure to carry a backpack stocked with snacks like cereal bars or crackers of some kind, personally I like Goldfish crackers. Another favorite is caramel flavored FiberOne bars. Nuts are also a good idea. If there are concession stands at the con, the food there can be very expensive for what you get, be sure to take time out for at least one good meal a day.

Oh, and this should go without saying, but please shower every day. Con-funk can be embarrassing for you and miserable for those around you.

Conduct At The Event…

You are going to see a lot of sights at a con that are interesting. Many of the attendees will be wearing costumes that are very elaborate, and some will be quite skimpy, revealing more than just a little skin. Please remember the cardinal rule “costumes are not permission.” Sexual harassment of someone is not looked upon lightly and could be severely punished. Think before you say something.

Most of the time, people in costume love to stop to allow others to take a photo of them. It is just a common courtesy to ask permission before you snap a picture, I doubt you will be turned down. Many of those that are in costume have invested a lot of money and hours of their personal time putting their outfit together and will be proud and flattered that you would want to capture their image.

Occasionally you might see a celebrity walking around taking in some of the sights. If you encounter this situation, be cool. By all means, say hello, but please don’t try to stop them and visit; give them some space. You may think you know them because of their role in your favorite television series or movie, but they really don’t know you.

If there is anything you feel I have forgotten or wish to share any of your con stories, please feel free to leave them in the comments section below.

Well, there it is…

Qaplah!

My Weekend At OSFest 8

"As One" by Arden Ellen Nixon

OSFest 8 - The Darkness Within - July 31-August 2, 2015

This past weekend was the eighth annual Omaha Science Fiction Education Society’s convention more commonly known as OSFest 8. Attending this convention is something I look forward to all year and this year, as in years past, I had a great time.  This year was especially fun because I was able to be involved more than I have in past years thanks to my friends of the IKV Raptor's Heart crew. My weekend was balanced between serving on panels and just being a spectator.  I was constantly busy and didn't have a minute to be bored.

Chrissy, Diane and I decided to head out a day early for a stop at the Strategic Air Command Museum in Ashland, Nebraska.  We had not been there is quite a few years and it was great to see how it has grown since I was last there, I think about seven years ago. They have added many new items and exhibits and I would recommend, especially if you are a military history buff, that you consider stopping there. Make sure that you have at least a few hours to spend to take everything in.

We stayed the night in Bellevue and headed into Omaha. The Klingons has asked for assistance with setting up for their very ambitious weekend, and I wanted to be involved, so I wanted to arrive early. I was not disappointed as I was put to work right away setting up displays.

One of the first panels on the program was the Dune Discussion panel hosted by John Shoberg, Pat Kennedy and me. We talked about the history and culture of the Fremen from that universe and the audience participation was very good.  As the discussion progressed, we talked about the Fremen in the books and films and the question came up about whether anyone would ever be able to make a really good film depicting Frank Herbert's creation. It was a great way to kick off the convention. If deemed worthy by my Dune Saga Podcast partners, the audio portion of this podcast will appear on our programming.

Even while the Dune panel was taking place, there was the first of the Klingon activities happening in another room. Trudy Myers was hosting a Klingon Pin Workshop, and thank goodness, it was a two hour event, so I was able to get in on it before it was over. The purpose was to take a blank pin and paint it to look authentic. I am no artist, so my effort fell a little short, but I did get to visit with Trudy for quite some time and that was even more fun than the painting.  As the panel was ending, Trudy gave me a few more blanks to go along with the ones that John had already given me and encouraged me to try again when time is not a factor.  I'm not giving up.

I also got to see a little bit of the Star Wars Match game taking place in the main gathering area. I have participated in this game before and it is quite fun.  It was nice to hear all of the creative answers to finish phrases that the host, Gene Ray Burn was throwing out. I wish I could have been more than one place at a time.

As always, the best part of attending a convention is visiting with friends and making new ones.  I had already had my dinner when Patrick Kennedy invited me to join his family, but I joined him anyway and had a cup of coffee while I visited with Pat and the Artist Guest Of Honor, Arden Ellen Nixon.

Following the opening ceremonies, I attended the Great Tribble Hunt, which turned out to be a game of Tribble dodge ball.  I had intended to participate, but when I saw that it was mostly kids playing, I decided to stand aside; they move way too fast for me.  A couple of the adults did get involved, and I managed to get my hands on a couple of tribbles that went astray, but my aim is not good anymore and I didn't hit anyone.  It was fun to watch the kids run around and expend some pent up energy at the end of the day.

By the end of the Tribble Hunt, it was time to visit with friends at the room parties. I wish to say congratulations to John Shoberg and Trudy Myers on the publication of their books, and thanks for the cake and conversation.

The next morning, I was up early, so I secured a large cup of coffee and sat down to read for a while and waited for things to get started. It wasn't long before my good friend Troy Rutter arrived and along with my family, we had a nice breakfast and visit together. Soon after breakfast, I helped Troy set up his display of a costume from the movie Ender's Game. He managed to acquire the exercise suit from the training scenes that was actually worn by the character Bean, as portrayed by Aramis Knight.

The first panel I attended and participated on was the Babylon 5 Fan Gathering. This was hosted by resident B5 expert Mitch Obrecht and along with myself, included Troy. Mitch kicked off the panel by trying to lead a talk about the possible Babylon 5 film that has been talked about on social media.  Somewhere along the line, the subject swerved off the topic and became a discussion about the economics of TV/movies and especially the recent Sharknado. I am not sure where the panel went off the rails, but there seems to be quite a lot of passion about the SyFy series depicting sharks being lifted into the air by tornadoes and subsequently dropped on our country's major cities.

At this point, I decided to take a walk through the vendor's room and visit with friends there.

Next up was lunch with the IKV Raptor's Heart crew. Their presentation, Dining On Qo'noS included some delicious culinary selections that while may have looked like normal Terran fare, were a very welcome change to the usual restaurant food. Everything was home made and prepared with great care to not only taste good, but looked good too. If you are reading this, thanks to you, Sharon and crew for a good meal and fellowship.

I really had to wolf down lunch quickly to attend Troy's Babylon 5 On The Web panel in the next room. Babylon 5 was one of the very first television series to have a presence on the internet thanks to the efforts of Troy Rutter.  Much of what he did has become an industry standard for promoting and maintaining a fan base for almost every genre television production available today. Troy explained that while in college in Iowa, he worked with others to create websites that gained the attention of the creator of Babylon 5, J. Michael Straczynski who invited Troy to visit the show's location in California. As he tells it, he didn't waste anytime getting a plane ticket the very next day.  He was soon offered a position on creating and running the web activities of the show. Even though I had heard a few of the stories before, I still had a lot of fun listening to the ones I had heard before, and to hear new ones.

With nothing happening that I was involved in, I decided to take a stroll through the dealer's room and art display. I picked up a couple of CD's and a book that will come in handy for the Babylon Project Podcast that I am a co-host on. I also put in my bid on some art for Chrissy and me.  She found two ink drawings from Star Wars and the price was right. I choose one of Patrick Kennedy's Dune prints.  I also visited with Bruce Schindler, a local author that I met at the Buffalo County Fair who writes science fiction with an interesting twist; post apocalyptic western stories. I stopped and visited with Robert Collins, another author of scifi and fantasy, and arranged an interview to discuss a collection of short stories I finished last week from the Frigate Victory series.

The restaurant at the venue closes between services, so while my family, Troy, and I waited to get in for the taco buffet they were offering, I was approached by John who opened our conversation with a question, "Do you think we can get you into (Klingon) uniform next year?", to which I replied in the affirmative.  John then proceeded to tell me that a couple would like to renew their wedding vows at next year's OSFest, and he told me that he would like me to participate as a member of the wedding party! I was floored, to say the least. I agreed, after recovering from mild shock. So, I guess I will be building a Klingon uniform. Thank goodness I have almost a year to worry about that and a wife that knows how to sew.

After dinner, I wandered around admiring the costumes and took a few pictures.

I attended another panel with Troy on collecting autographs, a hobby of his.  Unfortunately, there were only two of us that attended, but we got a lot of interesting information and ideas for those that collect autographs. Troy's specialty is collecting autographs through the mail. He talked about how to tell if that type of autograph is authentic or not. He further explained that there are those celebrities that do indeed sign their own, some that have a secretary sign them, and even some who have a machine that will do it for them.  I learned that I am an IP'er, or someone who prefers to collect autographs in person.

The next panel I served on was called Legends Lost where I joined John Shoberg, Matt McKeever, Dennis Lynch, and Author Guest Of Honor Matt Rotundo where we discussed our thoughts and memories of Leonard Nimoy and Christopher Lee. What I expected would be a tearful remembrance of two of our icons actually turned out to be a fun and light hearted discussion with some good audience participation, and for me, a learning experience.  I was sorry to admit that I didn't know a great deal about Mr. Lee beyond my exposure to him as Dracula and Count Dooku. As John pointed out to me later, a panelist should not only contribute to a conversation, but should also take something away.

After the panel, Troy and I hung out and visited about films, television, and I took a closer look at the autograph collection. It is extensive and distinguished and he personally knows many of the people he has signatures from. Troy is a truly interesting man and has many fun stories to share. Along with that, he mixes up a very good Jovian Sunspot.

On the last day of the con, I was all set to attend a session on the Klingon art of Mok'bara, which is really Tai Chi.  I have always been interested in learning more about it, and figured that this would be a great opportunity, when suddenly the facilities' fire alarm sounded! As if the convention weren't exciting enough. Apparently, while moving one of the retractable walls by the dealer's area, a fire sprinkler was bumped and a weakened pipe burst causing water to be sprayed from the ceiling! Immediately, a bunch of people rushed in and helped with the situation until the Omaha Fire Department arrived. Fortunately, the water sprayed on the floor and beyond that, there was no other property damage. Within a half an hour, the situation was resolved and I and a few others learned about Tai Chi and where to find further information.

From there, I was privileged to co-host a panel on Star Trek Philosophy. Along with Matt McKeever, a very intelligent and thoughtful man, we began discussing Gene Roddenberry's vision of a utopian future exploring the galaxy encountering other races and interacting with them. In a sort of "good cop/bad cop" way, I took a more pessimistic track than Matt did and I think I might have derailed the topic when I asked if we, as a species, would be able to transcend above our nature. From there, the discussion turned to more of an economic and the want/need for material goods as well as other topics.  It was a spirited conversation and most of the audience got involved.

The last event of the day that I participated in was Klingon Jeopardy.  I not only participated, I was permitted to be the MC. The motto was "come for the chocolate, stay for the pain."  So, as is done on the show, the MC presents the answer and the contestant has to provide the question. So I might say, "a very young Clint Howard guest starred on this Original Series episode."  The correct response would be, "what is The Corbomite Maneuver."  If the contestant gets it right, then they get a piece of chocolate, but if they get it wrong, they get poked with a pain stick (which consists of a hand-shake buzzer on the end of a broom handle).  This was a lot of fun and I really enjoyed presenting the questions and acting silly for an hour.

By the end of that, I was pretty well conned out and ready to hit the road for the three hour ride home.

There was so much to do and see this year at OSFest 8. With over 90 panels, workshops, author readings, and activities, not to mention the room parties there was definitely no lack of programming. The only problem with this was that I wished I could be in more than one place at a time.

One of the best things about being at most any convention is to meet up with people you only get to see once a year, and to meet and make new friends. I did manage to sit down and just visit with friends for a while a couple of times and share stories, information, and laughs. I again would like to compliment and show my appreciation to the officers of the IKV Raptor's Heart for making me feel very welcome and for the huge effort they made to make this event a success. They were everywhere doing whatever they could to provide everyone who chose to participate a great time.  I would also like to thank James "Hawk" Hawkswell and the rest of the staff for their courtesy and professionalism. Everyone was very friendly and accommodating and did their part to make this a fun experience for everyone.

So now I begin looking forward to OSFest 9. I better get started making that Klingon uniform.

Darth Vader Force Choking Hawk.

Hawk's Revenge

IKV Raptor's Heart Display

More Klingon Swag

Troy's Display Of The Exercise Suit Worn By Bean In Ender's Game

Batman & Starlord With Their Kids

Star Trek Philosophy Panel

John Stands By With The Pain, Sharon With The Chocolate, I Read The Questions

If You Answer Wrong, You Get The Pain Stick

Sharon Dealing With An Unruly Contestant

Well, there it is...

QaplaH!

My Day At BritishFest - Had A Great Time!

 BritishFest 2015

 Currently on social media, the buzz is about one of the biggest fandom events in the world is taking place in San Diego.  The SDCC is taking up terabytes of space on the net, and rightfully so.  In the meantime, there are also smaller cons also happening.  While it might be fun for some to go to the really huge cons, I prefer the smaller, more relaxed ones.  This past Saturday, I took a drive up to Council Bluffs, Iowa to attend this years BritishFest, and I had a great time and a very relaxed day.

While I cannot say that I know a great deal about British popular culture, I can also say that I am not without exposure to it.  I am an avid Monty Python fan, and always will be.  I have also enjoyed The Avengers, Space 1999, some of the Bond films, The Hitchhiker’s Guide, and of course, the music from “across the pond.” I was made aware of BritishFest thanks to a friend, Andew Schmidt who operates a small business called Andrew’s Clay Creations. I planned to go to check it out and when it was announced that Adrian Paul of Highlander fame would be in attendance, there was absolutely no question that I would.

One of the best parts of attending conventions is seeing friends that I have made in the past, and hopefully making new ones. As I arrived to the venue early, almost an hour before any of the programming got started, I grabbed a cup of coffee and sat at a table.  I was soon joined by a young woman whom I visited with for a little while.  It is always nice to enjoy the company of a like-minded intelligent person, and I was not disappointed.  I did give her one of my cards that point to this blog, but I unfortunately didn’t get her name (if you are reading this, please friend me on Facebook if you do that sort of thing).

When things got rolling, I immediately headed over to Adrian Paul’s table, but was told that he would not be in attendance for some time.  Which was okay because the first panel I attended was a Monty Python discussion. Apparently the scheduled panelist was not able to attend, two guys stepped in (with 15 minutes notice) and did a great job filling in.  One was a good friend, John Shoberg, whom I barely recognized because he was not in Klingon regalia as I usually see him, led the packed audience in a singalong as well as a discussion with a lot of audience participation. It was a great way to start the day!

Adrian Paul did arrive as I was told, so I got in line and awaited my turn to visit with the man who portrayed one of my idols, Duncan MacLeod of the Clan MacLeod.  I didn’t have to wait long and I was face with someone I have admired for many years. I didn’t take up too much of his time, but did get to explain what his portrayal as the Highlander meant to me. He thanked me for the sentiments and signed my pictures, one of him holding his katana and another shirtless beefcake shot for my wife, and then I was able to have a photo standing with him behind his table. He was a very pleasant guest, always smiling and visiting with the fans.

Next, I attended a reading by Melissa Ann Conroy, an author who has written two books in what she explains will be a seven book series centering on a character she created who commands an airship.  Her approach to writing in the Steampunk genre appeals to me because she centers her stories around actual historical events. I listened to her read passages from her two books and enjoyed her Q&A after. I have plans to interview her for the Scifi Diner Podcast soon.

I then wandered into the dealer room as Andrew was leaving and he asked me if I wanted to accompany him to a puppet show that was about to begin. I was not sure what to expect, but since I hadn’t had a chance to hang out with him, I decided to go. When I entered the room, I was a little apprehensive because I am not a Dr. Who fan. I am not against it, I just never got into it despite trying on a couple of occasions. I was very surprised at how much I enjoyed the show even though I am not very knowledgeable. I was also surprised at how much about the Who universe I actually know from exposure to those that do know.

I spent the next hour just visiting with friends that were around talking about the upcoming OSFest convention at the end of the month.

The final event of the day was a Q&A session with Adrian Paul who was both entertaining and funny.  He talked about Highlander as well as some of his other work and then took questions from the audience. I asked him to discuss how he got the part in Highlander and he told a very amusing story that started with walking into the first audition and telling the producers and casting people that their search for a star was over because he was the one they were looking for.

I had a great day at BritishFest and am hoping that I am able to attend again next year for at least the day. There was certainly no times that were boring and they have a jam packed program with panels that that cover a wide variety of subjects that would appeal to anyone with even the slightest interest in British popular culture.

I would like to extend my appreciation to the organizers for having things well organized and easy to find, as well as how friendly everyone was.

Here are some other pictures that I snapped while wandering around…

Jabba the Hut dominated the hallway.

"Tim" the Enchanter from Holy Grail. Fortunately I answered the question correctly!

Model of the Moonraker from the Bond film of the same name.

An eagle from Space 1999.

John Shoberg posing at the Tardis control panel.

Daleks of all sizes!  I didn't get exterminated.

Detail of the Highlander katana.

Tom Ulrick and his daughter snapping excellent pictures.

Kevin Carroll's Highlanders

Kevin Carroll, modeler exrorodinaire.

Star Wars helmet collection.

Kevin in battle gear.

Adrian Paul Q&A panel.

Monty Python Panel

There's always a Jedi around of you need one!

Well, there it is…

Qaplah!