A while ago I went to the DC Auto Show in… DC. The show took place in the (massive) DC convention center. That got me reflecting. It has been quite a while since I had been in a convention center. The last time I was in one was 2019, at the Baltimore Convention Center.

The last convention I went to was BronyCon. Over the years from 2013 to 2019 at a My Little Pony convention, I’v picked up a bunch of tips for going to convention.

Backpack

You will want a good backpack. One big enough to hold anything you might buy in a day. It also needs to be super comfortable, as you’ll be wearing it for 14 hours a day, for three to four days. Don’t skimp on your backpack.

Batteries

Your phone will not last the whole day. It just won’t. Bring a USB battery bank. Something around 10,000 mAH will serve you just fine.

Wet wipes

You’re going to be drinking a lot of Starbucks (either coffee or hot chocolate). I mean a lot. You’re going to be be taking a dump pretty much every days. Convention centers have a ton of restrooms. They also use the cheapest grade of toilet paper they can. Do yourself a favor, and get a pack of wet wipes.

Cash

Almost every vender with take card, but not all. You will find a few that only take cash (same with vending machines). Unless you are with a credit union that refunds ATM fees, skip the ATM, and get cash before you get there.

Keys / Wallet

Conventions tend to have a ton of people. A ton of people can mean a few pickpocket-ers. Your keys and wallet do not live on you, they live in your backpack. Simple as that.

Sleep

Sleep is super important, and you need it. And you need no less than six hours. No getting around it. Six hours, no less.

And lastly, shower. Shower every damn day.

Oh yeah, and have fun.