Convention Advice

[AceAurora]

I apologize if this is in the wrong place and fully accept the thread being moved or anything.


I want to go to Califur this year since it's super close to me and I would be able to get those days off. What I need advice on is, what should I do to prepare for going? Firstly, I don't have a suit yet to worry about. Secondly, I am more nervous about going alone since I don't have any friends who would be willing to go. Any advice in general would be appreciated greatly!

[White Wolf Guardian]

I've been to Califur before, it's a nice convention, not too big, but not too small either. If you are going alone, always be cautious of your surroundings of course!

You might want to bring a bit of money for the Artist Alley area, it's always nice to be able to bring home a drawing to remember the convention by. When I went, the theme was a "classical cartoon" reference, kind of like old Disney cartoons in monochromatic color schemes.

[AceAurora]

I've been to Califur before, it's a nice convention, not too big, but not too small either. If you are going alone, always be cautious of your surroundings of course!

You might want to bring a bit of money for the Artist Alley area, it's always nice to be able to bring home a drawing to remember the convention by. When I went, the theme was a "classical cartoon" reference, kind of like old Disney cartoons in monochromatic color schemes.

Awesome! I was kinda worried that it was going to be huge! I think this year's theme is wild west.

[MuttButt]

As a seasoned con vet (hah...vet) at this point I'd be happy to give you some advice, but first I'd like to ask you a question! What are your hopes and expectations going into it? The beauty of the con is that there's so many different people attending and potential activities to participate in, that you will most likely be getting the experience that you seek out. Depending on what your expectations are, I may have some helpful tips for you.

Reply here if you like, but I think everybody knows that there are plenty of goings on at furry conventions that are forbidden from being discussed here on the forums, so feel free to PM me on discord if you think that your response and my subsequent rebuttal would break the rules

[anoni]

Conventions can be really good or really anxious outings, here are some tips to improve your experience.

The main thing is conventions can get a little cliquey but people are also always willing to meet new people. Going alone is OK, you may end up meeting some awesome people, but if you want to maximize your chance of having a good time it'd be a reasonable idea to reach out to people who are already going and become friendly with them. One of the best ways to do this is to join the convention group, almost every convention has a facebook or telegram group, if you don't know where the group is you can always email the organizers (from the website) and see if they have any places they can direct you. Furries love meeting new people and making loads of friends, so you'll be good!

The general rules apply, get at least 6 hours of sleep (AT LEAST, BARE MINIMUM, I did not do this once and it turned the con into a terrible mess for me), have a shower once a day (common hygiene) and just have fun. Knowing some people really helps to get invited to those room parties, these are usually the best parts of the con!

[Michen_S]

Also keep in mind that you don't need to see EVERYTHING at the convention. There will be a lot going on, there will be a lot of people and it's impossible to do all of it and meet everyone. Once you arrive, first prepare your place to sleep. If you feel like you should get some rest just get some rest. There's usually also no need to rush things, so take your time to enjoy the events that are going on. Oh, and always ask if you can make photos beforehand.

[anoni]

fursuit etiquette is good to know even if you don't have a fursuit, interacting with fursuiters has a lot of considerations!

[AceAurora]

As a seasoned con vet (hah...vet) at this point I'd be happy to give you some advice, but first I'd like to ask you a question! What are your hopes and expectations going into it? The beauty of the con is that there's so many different people attending and potential activities to participate in, that you will most likely be getting the experience that you seek out. Depending on what your expectations are, I may have some helpful tips for you.

Reply here if you like, but I think everybody knows that there are plenty of goings on at furry conventions that are forbidden from being discussed here on the forums, so feel free to PM me on discord if you think that your response and my subsequent rebuttal would break the rules

In truth, I really just looking to make new friends and watch the dance comp. One of my goals is to become a dancer once I get a suit, so it would be nice to see a comp live instead of in snippets on youtube lol.

Conventions can be really good or really anxious outings, here are some tips to improve your experience.The main thing is conventions can get a little cliquey but people are also always willing to meet new people. Going alone is OK, you may end up meeting some awesome people, but if you want to maximize your chance of having a good time it'd be a reasonable idea to reach out to people who are already going and become friendly with them. One of the best ways to do this is to join the convention group, almost every convention has a facebook or telegram group, if you don't know where the group is you can always email the organizers (from the website) and see if they have any places they can direct you. Furries love meeting new people and making loads of friends, so you'll be good!The general rules apply, get at least 6 hours of sleep (AT LEAST, BARE MINIMUM, I did not do this once and it turned the con into a terrible mess for me), have a shower once a day (common hygiene) and just have fun. Knowing some people really helps to get invited to those room parties, these are usually the best parts of the con!

I didn't realize that they had groups for the public. I knew some did for the organizers but just assumed that the fans were on their own.  The suit etiquette is something I will definitely brush up on before, I had a friend who's suit got ruined cause of someone who didn't and I don't want to do that to someone.   

Also keep in mind that you don't need to see EVERYTHING at the convention. There will be a lot going on, there will be a lot of people and it's impossible to do all of it and meet everyone. Once you arrive, first prepare your place to sleep. If you feel like you should get some rest just get some rest. There's usually also no need to rush things, so take your time to enjoy the events that are going on. Oh, and always ask if you can make photos beforehand.

I will do both of those for sure!