So you have decided to cosplay at a convention, that's fantastic! There are quite a few articles out there explaining generally what you need to know about going to a convention (i.e. shower every day, get your tickets early, plan out your panels before hand, etc). So for this advice post, I figured I would focus on tips specifically for cosplaying at a convention. Let's dive in!
1. Make a packing list
This is every cosplayers worst nightmare. You are so excited to go to the convention that you forget a piece or pieces of your cosplay. Make sure all that hard work you put in gets to be displayed and actually make a packing list of the entire cosplay. I like to do this immediately after I do my full cosplay run test, because everything you need is currently on you! When I get out of my cosplay, I lay everything out and write down all of the pieces including accessories. Then I will pack it all away in my travel tote or suitcase and print the packing list and place inside. This way when I am leaving the hotel to head home, I can be confident that I have everything.
2. Bring an emergency repair kit
An emergency repair kit can be a life saver when you are trying to repair something in your hotel room at the last second. I have had to ship cosplays to my hotel before since they were too big for the airline and had pieces completely snapped off! Luckily at most of the conventions in the US that I've been to, there have been "cosplay repair station" booths somewhere at the convention itself. They will have some items to help out but it's best to have your own as well. Here's a list of stuff I will bring to with me to my hotel room: hot glue gun, hot glue sticks, super glue, duct tape, safety pins in various sizes, extra batteries (if cosplay has lights), needle, matching thread, small pair of scissors, and a tide pen. Since my husband is usually with me as my honorable cosplay handler, we will carry the batteries, safety pins, extra bobby pins, tide pen, and snacks in a backpack. I usually carry a lot more bobby pins/safety pins than I personally need. I've given quite a few bobby pins/safety pins to some cosplayers in distress and it really helps them out. Also, please DON'T bring your glue gun to the convention floor...just go back to your room to fix anything that would require some major repairs like that.
3. Make sure your hotel room has enough space
Back in the day, I would split the cost of the hotel room with other cosplayers, usually friends. DO NOT overload your hotel room to capacity to make it cheaper. It is not a good experience to have 8 people in a room meant for 4. Also, cosplay takes up quite a bit of room, so if you are with other cosplayers, make sure there is more than enough room to have your cosplays in your room and still be able to move around easily. No one should have to step over your precious chest plate to get to their bed. This is how accidents happen. Another quick word about "enough space", this includes mirror space! Have you ever tried to get ready in the morning with another person in the bathroom also trying to use the sink/mirror? You will need mirror space to do your makeup so if there is not a mirror for each cosplayer, either bring your own mirror or work out a schedule for who gets to use the bathroom and when. Save yourself from having to do all your cosplay make up in the tiny mirror of a makeup compact.
4. Iron your cosplay (please)
Do this every single time. Even if you aren't competing, it makes your cosplay look so much better! Take the time either the night before or morning of, to iron your cosplay. I've seen otherwise beautiful gowns look terrible on the convention floor since they weren't ironed. If you are competing, you will get points removed for presentation. Now, the hotel irons I've experienced are more often than not, terrible and/or dirty. So I bring my home iron just to be on the safe side. The last thing you want to do is try to steam your white Princess Zelda silk dress and have rust from the iron leave a stain on your work!
5. Plan out meal breaks
Ok, so this one is the one I still have some issues with. I generally get so excited being at the convention that I will actually forget to eat, which doesn't normally happen. I also recommend a real meal, not just granola bars and fruit snacks. You will feel so much better for the rest of the day if you get in a proper meal. For where to get a meal, it depends on the convention but just know that all food within the convention center itself will be much, much more expensive. There normally be food places outside the convention within walking distance but know that it will be busy as other convention goers will likely make the trip as well. To plan for this I will either pack a meal that I can eat in my hotel room or I will eat at "non-standard" times. Usually an early lunch ~ 10:00 AM or a super late lunch ~ 3:00 PM. Personally I prefer the hotel room option since I can take off parts of my cosplay, relax, and do cosplay touch ups when I'm ready to head back to the convention floor. It's up to you for where you eat, but you still need to eat!
6. Stay hydrated
I can not stress this point enough. I know it can be tough to go to the bathroom in cosplay. My Samus cosplay was bolted FROM THE BACK so I had to be unbolted to go to the restroom. However, I have seen way too many cosplayers completely pass out due to heat exhaustion and that is very dangerous! So please, stay hydrated throughout the day. Have a bottle of water in your con bag or get yourself some water (not soda) regularly.
7. Show up to pre-judging/role call early
This is really only if your are competing. Some competitions will have pre-judging where you will be given 5 minutes to show off your cosplay to the judges and they can ask some construction questions. When you show up to the convention, you may have to check-in so the cosplay masquerade staff knows that you are present. They will give you a time to show up to the pre-judging room...do not be late. As a matter of fact, be early! You don't need to line up an hour before or anything, but it looks really bad if you show up late and you may be disqualified. I normally show up around 15 minutes early, this way I'm not standing around forever and I get to chat with other cosplayers about their work. Make sure you have everything you need for pre-judging like your portfolio (more on this in a later post). Even if there is not pre-judging, you will be given a time to show up to the green room to be backstage before the big show. This is also where you should show up a little early. I've had the room completely change with no notice and have to get to the other side of the convention hall in full armor. If you miss the time to be in the green room, then you are (generally) out of the show. As my old ex-Marine band director used to say: "To be early is to be on time, to be on time is to be late, and to be late is unacceptable."
8. Get a good nights rest
A good nights rest is so important that this is another area a lot of people tend to neglect in the excitement of a convention. You should get a full 7-8 hours of sleep every day and this includes during a convention. If you attend the convention rave and don't get back to your hotel room until 1:00 AM, still make sure you get the full 8 hours of sleep. Getting a full nights rest helps boost your immune system and improves your mood. You may hear about "convention sickness" where people will get something like a cold after a con. This is not just because people didn't get enough sleep. This is what happens when you get a large group of people together and people touch their face without washing their hands enough. However, getting plenty of sleep will certainly help your body fight off the infection.
9. Don't feel pressured to cosplay every day
Many cosplayers like to cosplay every day at a convention. I normally will bring 1 or 2 cosplays to a convention, depending on the size, and wear them on Friday and Saturday only. Sunday is usually my "rest day" to just get to enjoy the convention. If you only want to cosplay one day, I would recommend Saturday, as it is usually the busiest day of the convention and when the cosplay competition is usually held. Remember, you are at the convention to have fun. If you find that there a lot of panels you want to go to, it may be best to do those out of cosplay (if you have anything that is cumbersome to wear or limits mobility).
10. Buy your swag on Sunday
This last one is a tip for everyone. The dealers room/artists alley is a wonderful money pit of all the cool anime/video game swag you could dream of. If you want to buy something, you can usually get it discounted on Sunday. The more dealers sell, the less they have to take back with them. You can score some really awesome deals if you are able to wait until Sunday. Just keep in mind, this is still a risk if the item you want is in high demand. If it is an item that I feel will be sold out by Sunday, then I will buy it before hand. You can score normally at 10-15% off pretty easily, but I've bought stuff for 50% off on Sunday. Just a nice little tip to help save you some cash.
Have suggestions on topics to cover? Email me
I'd love to hear from you
Want to help support the site?