- Home
- Fandom
- Conventions
- Going To A Con Without Going Broke
Going To A Con Without Going Broke
- By Linnea Dodson
- Published 05/31/2008
- Conventions
-
Rating:
Linnea Dodson
Nea has been a fan of Doctor Who since before the era of VCRs and personal computers. Now she's thrilled that there's an all-new show and all-new ways for fandom to keep up to date and spread.
View all articles by Linnea Dodson
In Alice Through the Looking Glass, the red queen ran as fast as she could to stay in place and even faster to get anywhere. Fandom's like that, only with money. If you sit at home, you need to pay for your computer and your online time. And if you want to go meet anyone in person, much less see the stars, it's going to cost even more.
There might not be such a thing as a free lunch or a free convention - but here are 30 years of proven ways of having your con and still eating the week afterwards too.
MEMBERSHIPS
The first and most obvious cost of a con is the money it takes to walk in the door. Depending on the convention, this can be up to three figures. It can be tempting to "crash" the con by either pretending you're a member when you aren't or borrowing someone else's badge, but these are dangerous ways of trying to save. First off, you're stealing, plain and simple. The people running that convention need the take at the door to pay the stars, the hotel, the dozens of bills you don't know exist until you're part of a convention committee, and lay the groundwork for next year. Second, if you're caught you (and whoever loaned you the badge) are out. Period. That convention will blackball you, and don't be surprised if the committee that runs it tells all the other committees around. A free day isn't worth never having the chance to go again!
There are three ways of reducing membership cost:
1) Buy early. Convention memberships are sold on a sliding scale, with the cheapest ones going to the people who bought next year's ticket at this year's con, and the most expensive going to the ones who walk in and buy at the door while the convention is running. The sooner you buy your ticket, the cheaper it will be.
2) Buy a "one day" pass. One day at a convention is far better than none; in one busy day you can sample everything a convention has to offer. Saturdays are the most comprehensive day to attend (and also the most expensive) but many of the convention's offerings (including guest star speeches) also happen on Friday or Sunday. The schedule will be up on the web just before the convention - check it and see if the panel or person you most want to see might be on a cheaper day. The added advantages of a one-day convention are that you can save money on hotel and food as well.
3) Volunteer. Somewhere on the convention website will be a call for volunteers. Look for it. Yes, you're giving up some of your convention time for boring, unskilled labor, but volunteers get a variety of perks that the regular convention goers don't. They get a discount or a reimbursement, for one thing. They also get behind the scenes, where they can see some of the backstage action, which can be fascinating. (Just don't promise to volunteer and then don't show up. Like stolen badges, conventions remember that kind of thing.)
TRANSPORTATION
You can't attend a convention if you can't get there in the first place. If it's possible to use public transportation, that is your cheapest (if sometimes also the longest) route. If you have to commute by car, see if there is anyone in the area who can come with you and split transportation costs.
If you're going into a big city for the convention, it may be worth your time to split the difference by parking somewhere inexpensive just outside the city and taking public transport downtown.
FOOD
Not optional. Convention people talk about the 5-2-1 rule: five hours of sleep, two meals, one shower, every single day. Nobody, including you, is going to have fun if you're starving and exhausted.
If you're attending for only one day, you can probably get away with bringing a packed lunch. Even if you're staying longer, bringing some food like nuts, cans of fish or chicken, peanut butter, applesauce, and other self-stable, healthy foods are going to help you keep going between meals. But full meals really are necessary. You are putting your body under a lot of stress and you're in close quarters with people who have brought new and unusual germs and allergins from all around the world. (So many people get ill after a convention that it has a name of its own, "con crud.") You need food to keep your body working.
In addition to bringing your own healthy choices, you can save money by researching the area around the convention hotel for cheaper eateries (the hotel restaurant will never be a budget-wise choice). Check the program book for coupons to local restaurants; they often advertise in hopes of getting a cut of the convention trade.
HOTEL
All conventions are based in one or more hotels. It's best to have a room in the con hotel because that's where all the action will be, and the convention will have negotiated a slightly discounted rate for their members. The classic way of saving money here is to stuff the room as full as you and your roommates can bear it, and split the room between you. Hotels are used to this, and can even calculate your fraction for you. (And by the way, I highly encourage you to pay the hotel bill as soon as possible... when you check in, if the line isn't too long. That way, you won't end up spending the hotel money elsewhere and be caught short at the end of the convention.)
Another classic money-saver is to stay in a nearby hotel. You'll have to research rates and neighborhoods - if you're walking back late at night, you want to be sure you'll be safe! - but the price of having to walk a little ways can often mean more money in your pocket.
The last route is to commute, although with the rising cost of gas I find it hard to call this budget-conscious anymore. I've driven up to an hour each way to go to a local convention on the basis that a tank of gas is cheaper than a hotel. These days, though, that's not always true.
DEALER'S ROOM
Yes, budget a little spending money, or you'll be miserable. Here, the key is to set aside all the money you need for food, lodging, and travel and then pace yourself. Take the money you need to get home and seal it in an envelope to make sure you don't spend it, and as I said above, pay for the hotel as soon as you can. That way, you're sure to only spend what you can afford.
Force yourself to go through the entire dealer's room once before you touch your wallet. It's no good blowing your budget on something shiny only to find something shinier two tables down. Also, take a notebook and pen. A lot of the bigger dealers have websites; write down their information and what you want and buy it over the Internet later. That way you still get what you want without going through all your money at once.
Even in a recession with a bad exchange rate it's possible to afford, attend, and enjoy a convention. May you have a wonderful time!
There might not be such a thing as a free lunch or a free convention - but here are 30 years of proven ways of having your con and still eating the week afterwards too.
MEMBERSHIPS
The first and most obvious cost of a con is the money it takes to walk in the door. Depending on the convention, this can be up to three figures. It can be tempting to "crash" the con by either pretending you're a member when you aren't or borrowing someone else's badge, but these are dangerous ways of trying to save. First off, you're stealing, plain and simple. The people running that convention need the take at the door to pay the stars, the hotel, the dozens of bills you don't know exist until you're part of a convention committee, and lay the groundwork for next year. Second, if you're caught you (and whoever loaned you the badge) are out. Period. That convention will blackball you, and don't be surprised if the committee that runs it tells all the other committees around. A free day isn't worth never having the chance to go again!
There are three ways of reducing membership cost:
1) Buy early. Convention memberships are sold on a sliding scale, with the cheapest ones going to the people who bought next year's ticket at this year's con, and the most expensive going to the ones who walk in and buy at the door while the convention is running. The sooner you buy your ticket, the cheaper it will be.
2) Buy a "one day" pass. One day at a convention is far better than none; in one busy day you can sample everything a convention has to offer. Saturdays are the most comprehensive day to attend (and also the most expensive) but many of the convention's offerings (including guest star speeches) also happen on Friday or Sunday. The schedule will be up on the web just before the convention - check it and see if the panel or person you most want to see might be on a cheaper day. The added advantages of a one-day convention are that you can save money on hotel and food as well.
3) Volunteer. Somewhere on the convention website will be a call for volunteers. Look for it. Yes, you're giving up some of your convention time for boring, unskilled labor, but volunteers get a variety of perks that the regular convention goers don't. They get a discount or a reimbursement, for one thing. They also get behind the scenes, where they can see some of the backstage action, which can be fascinating. (Just don't promise to volunteer and then don't show up. Like stolen badges, conventions remember that kind of thing.)
TRANSPORTATION
You can't attend a convention if you can't get there in the first place. If it's possible to use public transportation, that is your cheapest (if sometimes also the longest) route. If you have to commute by car, see if there is anyone in the area who can come with you and split transportation costs.
If you're going into a big city for the convention, it may be worth your time to split the difference by parking somewhere inexpensive just outside the city and taking public transport downtown.
FOOD
Not optional. Convention people talk about the 5-2-1 rule: five hours of sleep, two meals, one shower, every single day. Nobody, including you, is going to have fun if you're starving and exhausted.
If you're attending for only one day, you can probably get away with bringing a packed lunch. Even if you're staying longer, bringing some food like nuts, cans of fish or chicken, peanut butter, applesauce, and other self-stable, healthy foods are going to help you keep going between meals. But full meals really are necessary. You are putting your body under a lot of stress and you're in close quarters with people who have brought new and unusual germs and allergins from all around the world. (So many people get ill after a convention that it has a name of its own, "con crud.") You need food to keep your body working.
In addition to bringing your own healthy choices, you can save money by researching the area around the convention hotel for cheaper eateries (the hotel restaurant will never be a budget-wise choice). Check the program book for coupons to local restaurants; they often advertise in hopes of getting a cut of the convention trade.
HOTEL
All conventions are based in one or more hotels. It's best to have a room in the con hotel because that's where all the action will be, and the convention will have negotiated a slightly discounted rate for their members. The classic way of saving money here is to stuff the room as full as you and your roommates can bear it, and split the room between you. Hotels are used to this, and can even calculate your fraction for you. (And by the way, I highly encourage you to pay the hotel bill as soon as possible... when you check in, if the line isn't too long. That way, you won't end up spending the hotel money elsewhere and be caught short at the end of the convention.)
Another classic money-saver is to stay in a nearby hotel. You'll have to research rates and neighborhoods - if you're walking back late at night, you want to be sure you'll be safe! - but the price of having to walk a little ways can often mean more money in your pocket.
The last route is to commute, although with the rising cost of gas I find it hard to call this budget-conscious anymore. I've driven up to an hour each way to go to a local convention on the basis that a tank of gas is cheaper than a hotel. These days, though, that's not always true.
DEALER'S ROOM
Yes, budget a little spending money, or you'll be miserable. Here, the key is to set aside all the money you need for food, lodging, and travel and then pace yourself. Take the money you need to get home and seal it in an envelope to make sure you don't spend it, and as I said above, pay for the hotel as soon as you can. That way, you're sure to only spend what you can afford.
Force yourself to go through the entire dealer's room once before you touch your wallet. It's no good blowing your budget on something shiny only to find something shinier two tables down. Also, take a notebook and pen. A lot of the bigger dealers have websites; write down their information and what you want and buy it over the Internet later. That way you still get what you want without going through all your money at once.
Even in a recession with a bad exchange rate it's possible to afford, attend, and enjoy a convention. May you have a wonderful time!