School Anime Club First Visit. Help!

[PHillAnimeClub]

As suggested by the above title, the Pleasant Hill High School anime club (which was formed at the beginning of this year) plans to make their first trip to Kumoricon in 2006!

Speaking as the vice-president of the club, I figured it best to get con-goers feedback ahead of time. (Actually, way ahead of time.)
Our club includes around 10 people, so money isn't really going to be a huge issue when it comes to getting in.

We'd appreciate some common information on what to expect at Kumoricon. None of our members have been before, but it's definitely something we'd like to do.

Please! Anything you can share at all (tips for surviving the day on a good note, ideas of general prices, etc.) would be much appreciated!

Thanks!   :wink:

[PezCat]

Here are a few things to expect at Kumoricon:

• LOTS of cosplayers of all skill levels.  From people who simply find the pieces for their outfits to people who have them custom made, and all are definitely welcome.

• Panels, panels, and more panels.  We even had a guest speaker who did work on Inu Yasha this year.  Tack on the knowledge of dozens of volunteers, staff members, and even professors who show up to field questions on anything from cheap & fast costuming to cultural differences between Japan and the US, and you can fill up an entire day just running around taking classes you WANT to take for once.

• Did I mention cosplayers?  Well, I didn't mention the cosplay competition.  The backbone of any anime con is the congoers themselves acting out their characters in skits on stage that can make for some of the most bizarre situations anywhere.  We'll also be bringing back the "Mega-Cosplay" this year, allowing scads of characters from all sorts of different shows and games to interact.

• If we're lucky, the great cosplay troupe Bakazoku will be back again.  They've been with us for our first three years, and they're both some of the funniest and nicest guys you'll ever meet.  I didn't even know who Bakazoku Chris was when I drove him over to McDonald's the night before Kumoricon 2003, and that brief trip was one of my funnest memories from that weekend.

• Gaming!  There's a video game room open pretty much the whole con, and it's not so overcrowded that people won't get to play, either.  Console game tourneys abound.  And for the RPGer, tabletop sessions will go on as well, so dice throwing is encouraged.

• Dance!  The second night of the con holds a lovely dance which always gets quite the review.  Last year we had a screen playing many AMVs from the selected songs, which made it that much cooler.

• Dealer Room!  Buy stuff!  Lots of stuff!  Make our vendors happy so they come back with MORE stuff!  You can get stuff ranging from cute to quite racy, and everything in between.  And more Pocky than even I could eat is there!

Price this year was $35 before the con, and $40 at the door.  I expect that the prices will at least be comparable.  Hope that helps!

PezCat

[Negima]

Some survival tips I've come across:

The main joke at conventions is that people rarely eat for one reason or another.  If you do bring food, bring food that doesn't spoil, is small and compact, and takes little to no time to prepare.  I recommend foods with the instructions "Just add water."  Most hotels have coffee makers which you can use to heat water.  Also, if you do buy food that is perishable, most hotels also include an ice bucket which can be used as a small refrigerator (place food on bottom, take small plastic bag, fill bag with ice, and place ice on food).  And lastly, remember, even if you pack food, that doesn't mean you're going to leave with the same amount so you don't need to worry about space for swag.

Set some sort of budget.  Figure out how much would be the minimum amount you'll need (like hotel room, registration, transportation) and then add on for other stuff, figure out an estimate and round that up to give yourself a buffer space in case you buy something really expensive.

That's all the advice I can really think of to help you survive a little; other than to have fun.  ^_^

This is Mahou Sensei Negima, class dismissed.

[Kimiski]

I'm from a High School Anime Club too. We wanted to go to Sakura-con all as a group but it fell through.
Are you guys staying for all three days in a hotel room as a group?
How are you getting up there?
Is everyone overage or do you have some minors?
Is this everyones first convention or have some of you already gone?

Heres some tips:
*Make sure you all have a way to stay in contact with each other
*Make sure you all have watches!!!
*Oh, Minors all have to have a permission form signed by their parents allowing someone over eighteen to become their "guardian" After certain hours, minors who arent with someone over eigteen have to leave. Like theres a HUGE dance that lasts all night.
*Make sure you dont forget I.D that proves who you are and age. Permits or if you're to young for that then maybe an I.D from the DMV?
*Always have extra cash on you, dont expect to be eating fine dining, lol. These people live off of crackers and ketchup. I lived off of chips and bread the whole time I was their.
*Get sleep! You'll want to be wide awake and active! Especailly if you're going in a group, you dont want to start a fight and have everything be all high tensioned.
*JUST HAVE FUN!! EVERYONE is friendly. Everyone wants to hug you! Dont be scared to just randomly go up to someone and hug them!
*Make sure you know what you guys wanna do. (They pass out Schedules)I dont advise trying to stick together the whole time. People might wanna do differnt things. But if you guys say wanna all meet up and see the Cosplay show, which is one of the major events and really huge, then plan to meet somewhere so you can all go to wait in line togther! You'll want to get in line for the cosplay contest REALLY early. Like maybe 10-15 minutes min. Otherwise you'll be all the way in the back of the HUGE line and wont get a good seat near the stage. Same with the Anime Music Video Contest, which they play them on huge screen in a dark room. You DEFFINENTLY wanna see that!!!
*Come in Cosplay!! Dont be scared to get your pics taken or to ask someone, its normal! If you do come in Cosplay, a hotglue gun, thread, and a needle is your best friend. Always bring stuff to repair it if something happens.
*If splitting money on a hotel room with people, get your money up front. I was cheated $35 because I payed for my friend and then he never payed me back.

You can find all the info you need on this website. Look on the main pages and if you can't find it there try and find it in the forums. More Information will go up once September starts getting closer. Right now It's $25 Pre-Registration online. The Price gets higher as time runs out. You'll all want to pre-register. Paying at the door is more money and you might not get in due to a certain amount of people allowed in. I know they had that problem in 2004, but I'm not sure if they still do. Pre-Registration covers all three days. And you might want to check if parking cost anything and keep some non-perishable food in the car.


Kumoricon is just a really big wonderful convention full of people like you! I felt so at home the whole time I felt like I was among my own people, lol. Oh, for a better look into convention life have your anime club read the manga Dramacon!!!! Keep in mind its a story so dont mind the whole story with the characters, that necissarly wont happen at the convention. But the part of the story that focuses on the convention aspect is right on!!
I hope to see you guys there!!! I CANT WAIT TO BE THERE AGAIN!! ^__^

[Hige]

Don't Diss Someone's costume
 You may get hurt. . .
And warning when Dressed in costume it isn't a really good idea to
Walk away from the Hotel to far. . .Well It all depends on what your dressed as. . .
  For instance a Ninja Walking across the Road at night is begging to be run over. . .Make sure you keep in contact and have Friends who know were your going.
But all in all you should make sure you all Bathe Plenty Adleast shower once a day We like clenlyness
Warning also Against wearing heavy perfume and Cologne
Some people may get anoyed or Pass out in some cases.
It just gets anoying when someone is wearing over powering smellies of some sort.
  Deoderant would be smart. Carry it around with you. . .like get little ones you can buy at the store so you can put it on when needed or when the dance comes around.
Bottles of water***
 The con Usally Always has water around but sometimes the lines are
crazy. . .So a water bottle might be smart if you want it fast.
But it does get hot Really hot at Kumoricon with everyone around and all so expect warm temps in the hotel Con area and during shows and contests.
   I would warn you aout the food thing But Seems you already were.
It is true sometime you get so Crazy at the Con you forget to eat and Don't sleep I have personally whitnessed and gone through it at ever con I've ever been to. . . . .Sleep is so Improtant
 All in all  
Be yourselves have fun And talk to the Many Otakus that are there
(Myself included)
  lol Just have fun it's what it's about. . .
I will be a cosplayer
  so don't be afraid to Hug someone at Random, or glomp *Run, jump and Hug* It's all our language I love being hugged and Haveing my Picture taken

^_^
  Hope to See you there I would love to hang out with some of you!!!
 ----Hige
  If you want to talk to me or Hang out at the Con my E-mail as follows
fellowship9frodo@msn.com  <<<Recommended or SatoshiHiwatari@msn.com

[makichan]

Deodorant, showering regularly, spending money, and the will to glomp are all a must at any con..... as for food, you'll more than likely get so caught up in things that you nearly starve... it's a good thing they sell pocky there, otherwise I would've starved.... also, wear something that doesn't get too stuffy.. well, that is unless you're cosplaying, then you just have to learn to live with it..... that sums it up.

[The Evil Overlord!]

I think its great that you want to do this. It is an experience that no otaku should miss out on. I also think its great tha that you are choosing a generally small convention. I know what it feels like to transport a club to a convention, being the president of the Mountain View High School Cosplay Club, I have taken a group of around 20 kids to Sakuracon. That was not necesarily a fun trip, but that was do to an overload of kids and a large convention that is 6 hours away. (Cough, cough). Anywho, back to the main subject. At conventions, please shower and stay clean. Use febreez on clothes (I discovered this to be a great method). Don't completly waste money on anime stuff, make sure you can buy food. Make sure you know who is going with you. We have had kids come saying they didn't need us, then guess who shows up at the door, (obviously I couldn't leave him on the streets of Seattle). Oh, and make sure you know where everyone is. Since you will probably be responsible  for them, you don't want them going around   with the weirdo's (the bad kind) an getting in trouble, (or worse). Not that is something you want to majorly worry about. Almost everyone I have met at the conventions has been awsome. It's great to know that if you ever got into a tight spot that you would have 300 cat girls to back you up! But yeah. Just go and have fun , thats what it's all about, (and pocky).

[superjaz]

this just a tip that is true for just about anything you do, want to have fun if you want to have fun you will look for it dont wait for it to come to you, if you want to have a good trip you will if you dont you wont

[Darkerlight]

I recommend bringing all three.

Bananas are a high energy source food and if you eat them right before the start of a con day they'll really keep you going, Mt Dew, obvious reasons, cup o noodle good emergency food and most rooms have coffee makers to boil water in Above all enjoy yourselves!!

[leashy]

I have a question, do the video games cost extra to play them or is that included in the admission cost?

[Mushoku145]

the video game room doesn't cost anything extra

[kylite]

heh the video game room has a cost, its called EXAUSTION! lol remember NO sleeping in the game room *falls over laughing*

[bastett08]

Ok, this is NOT exactly an advertisment but something to concider: at the con there are artists who are more than willing to draw for other fans of the art style of anime/manga.  I am an artist and would love to draw your group portrait for your club.  You could all get one and have it for your room or something to mark the occassion.  That's a cool thing you guys could do.  I would love to support your club as I was a member of an anime club for all my high-school life and even in my college years.  I had issues with other schools but the anime club was a major breakthrough for me.  So come on by!  If you see a bunch of action figures on my table with some Bleach fanart everywhere and possibly a girl cosplayed as a shinigami or Allan Walker from D-Gray-Man then you've found me.

Also, enter the contests!  What a great way to get noticed.  They are fun, easy and they are for everyone.  The ball on Saturday night is a must.  It's casual or formal; whichever you prefer and is tons of fun!  I go every year and you meet a lot of people.  Ah!  So excited this year.

If you guys ever wanna hang out let me know.  My artist name is Bastett and my name is Kerry.  I'm 22 but 18 at heart.  Hahahah.  No, I'll try to act mature.