New here, never been to a con

Hi! Welcome! I remember when I used to be just like you, being wary of attending cons and such. Don't worry about "fitting in," just relax, hang around in The Zoo, talk to others, attend panels, etc. You'll make friends, trust me! Attend one of those "first con" panels, it will show you the ropes when it comes to cons, like the "6-2-1 rule" is covered guaranteed.

Yes, plan early and accordingly. Please, tell your parents where you're going.

BTW, I like your avatar. Keep up the good work and hope I can catch you at AC next year!

If you don't want to jump right in to a dealer table, you might try Artists' Alley. It's a spot just for artists to hang out, draw stuff, sell prints or CD's of their work, or what-have-you. There's no cost for it, but demand is high so we have to offer seats each day by lottery. We're adding more seats in '09, however, so that may cease to be a concern.

Damn right you want to get to one of the dances!

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=37444283

Look how awesome. Shyt.

Welcome! You might find this page helpful:

https://www.anthrocon.org/new-to-anthrocon

If you want to talk privately, I've got AIM, MSN, and other TLAs, as well as email: anthrocon-2009 AT anthrocon dot org.

 
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My LiveJournal - My Website - See what I'm doing on Twitter

Hmmmmm...I hereby swear that I am up to No Good...

Welcome, Greg. I hope that you come to enjoy Furry Fandom as well as we do. I would like to point out a minor distinction, here, though - one can be a "fan", without actually being in "Fandom" - though by posting here and getting responses from other fans, it is too late for you, you are now one of us.

"Fandom" is a very broad stretch of folks who share - and by that, I mean actively participate in some manner - their interest and creative talent in celebrating the eclectic and (to us) fascinating parts of our culture, in this particular case, Anthropomorphic Animals. That pretty much defines "Furry Fandom" - but there is a greater, more generalised "Fandom" of which we are a part, for folks who take an interest in one "fannish" activity often are attracted to other such outlets. There is a good chance that a Science Fiction Fan will appreciate a Tee-shirt which says, "Have Fun Storming the Castle!" or "Dread Pirate Roberts #3,712 - Franchises Available", and instantly recognise the reference to the movie, "The Princess Bride" - even though it isn't Science Fiction. I bet there is a good chance that I could describe a cozy, second-story flat, with two chairs by the fire, a mantle with a pen-knife spearing various correspondence, a persian slipper full of pipe tobacco, newspapers scattered about, a table full of laboratory apparatus, a gasogene, and a violin propped in a corner - and you would think of 221-B, Baker Street, London, and the Doctor and the Consulting Detective residing there. You may know what a "Dalek" is, or instantly grok to this emoticon:

In short, there is a lot of cross-over and cross-pollination in the greater "Fandom", and you can participate as much as or as little as you wish - perhaps Furry is your main bag, but you can aspire to be a true SMOF, like our esteemed chairman.

And that is a nicely-rendered avatar, By the way; particularly the muzzle and relationship of the eyes.

Well - do you wish to be a Dealer, or would you rather be an Artist? You can be both if you like, but I would recommend that you not try to be a Dealer, or engage in sales at the Artists' Alley, for your first convention. Come to AnthroCon or any other regional convention first, and see how other folks are going about doing the dealer thing. For one thing, Dealers are tied down to a table for most of the day, and don't have any real opportunity to see any of the programming. You handle money, you have a LOT of prospective customers (and at this point, that is what you must see them as, to be successful), but relatively few buyers; you have to have wares of some sort to sell, and for artists, this usually means color prints of your work, which means stockpiling prints and having a binder or other means to display them; you have to keep a record of your purchases, and obtain a license from the state, so that you can collect sales tax and turn it in. If you want to take a break or get a bite to eat, you have to leave your table - and everything which you brought to sell - and arrange for someone else to man it, or watch over it. And by the way, you are PAYING for that table. Over in Artists' Alley, your small table is free, but the primary reason for the Alley is to create, to make badges or sketches in sketchbooks, rather than selling finished merchandise; you don't pay for the table, and your sales are actually managed by AnthroCon, who collect your money and handle the taxes - you keep a receipt book - but again, you spend your time tied down, people have to come to you, you miss some of the convention's best features.

For your first convention, consider creating some original artwork, prepare it for display by mounting and matting it, and enter it in the Art Show! You need to contact the Art Show Director and see if there are any panels still available, and then pay a fee to rent a panel (or two); it may be necessary to go on a waiting-list, if all panel space is already sold out, but PeterCat (that's the Art Show Director) can help and advise you on that. I believe that you can reach him at . There is paperwork to fill out, but this is perhaps the BEST option to see if there is a market for your artwork, and to make some sales. It also makes you officially a Professional Artist - particularly if someone bids on and buys your art - but it also frees you up to explore the rest of the AnthroCon world, and observe how dealers do what they do, without being committed to having to do it yourself.

Going to a convention and trusting to find room-mates whom you have only known "on-line" is always an Adventure - but sometimes, it can lead to Misadventure. I would advise meeting these friends In Real Life sometime, first - people who make awfully good friends and pals can turn out to be totally incompatible as room-mates, and it is best to get a feel for that sort of situation BEFORE the convention, so that you either have a fall-back, or can reserve a room under different circumstances.

There are all sorts of tips, tricks, and traditions in staying at a host hotel for a convention, but if you read all the FAQs on this website, and look at the 'First Time to AnthroCon' threads, both in this and the other forums, you will have a basic grounding in essential survival technique; others here will offer advice, some of it better than mine.

I hope to see you at a future AnthroCon, or even at another Furry Convention - or even a SciFi/Fantasy convention, for that matter, and that you enjoy the experience. Good Luck!

.......

Mischief Managed!

Lux........

Well this will be my first con ever too x3 glad to know I'm not alone. And your avatar is nice, it has really great paportions. If you'd set up a table or something, I'd definately ask for a sketch :3

And don't worry about being nervous, just have lots of fun XD I mean, heck I thought about it at first and got kinda nervous, even joining this and posting made me nervous. *feels dumb* xD but yeah no need to worry, just focus on being random and having fun. That's what I do naturally, so it's not very hard for me.. So if you see some random person rolling around on the floor or sliding down a staircase, chances are, it's me x3

Awesome! You won't be let down I suspect. Keep an eye on the website or LJ community in the coming weeks for the DJ line-up anouncements!

Steve Hopps aka "Simba Lion"
Director of Audio & Video
http://www.anthrocon.org/
E-Mail: smblion@anthrocon.org