Comic Convention Advice

So, you’re going to exhibit at a comic convention. Maybe this is your first one, or maybe you’re a veteran of 70 cons. In any case, you’re going to want to do things right, in order to impact your audience. Here are some of the things I’ve learned, from the events I’ve done since 2004.

Exhibiting at a convention is an exciting thing; it’s your chance to be on the other side of the table, making and meeting new fans, and perhaps getting to meet some of your own heroes as well. It’s too important for your success to leave things to chance. Here are some survival tips that should help ensure your success, and allow you to survive your next con.

0. Apply for your Convention MONTHS in advance.

Many conventions are totally booked out 10 months ahead of time. If you want to exhibit, you must apply months ahead of time. I know what conventions I’d like to do NEXT YEAR this year. I apply for them the moment that the registration forms become available. Why? It improves your chances to get in, AND often allows you the advantage of being able to choose your table position. If you straggle in in the last minute, you’ve got no choices at all. Bonus: Use an RSS reader to watch convention sites, so you know the moment the exhibitor application is available.

1. Plan Ahead

No surprise here, but planning ahead is probably the best thing that you can do. However, few people really take the time to work ahead, and do things right. Choose a date at least 8 weeks before the convention, and start getting ready then. Know what you’d like to achieve. If you’re trying to debut some new work, allow yourself a realistic time frame for design, production, and shipping (well beyond 8 weeks). Leave as little to chance as possible.

1a. Make a List

Figure out what you’d like to accomplish at the Con, and write it down. Order this from most important, to least important. Decide what has to happen, and what is optional. If necessary, make a shopping list as well, since many times you won’t have everything you need on hand. Keep a copy of this list in your pocket, stuck to your fridge, or on your bathroom mirror. Use it as a tool, and review it weekly. Mark off what you accomplish. I’m list crazy, and even make a list of things not to forget. It helps.

2. Arrange Your Travel and Lodging

This is really part of “planning ahead” but I’ll address it here. Don’t forget to book your flight and hotel if you’re traveling. If you’re pooling your transportation/stay with someone else, make sure that you choose reliable people to partner with. It helps to work with people who take things as seriously as you do. Also know that the price of flights can double if you wait until the last minute.

3. Plan Your Display

How are you going to display your books? Do you have a table cloth? Do you need signs?  Banners? You can’t wait until the last minute to get this stuff ready, so think ahead. Think about how you’re going to stand out in the sea of people trying to stand out. How are you going to feature your work in a way that will interest the public. Your display is the best way to get people’s attention, but think different. If everyone is doing shiny red displays with loud video screens, do something else.

Some other things to consider with your display:

• Go vertical – People will notice things that are flat on your table, last. Go vertical, and get them standing up. Get your display banner as high as they’ll let you.
• Stack your books tall and high – Big piles of books attracts people more than having just a couple available. This took me a couple of years to learn. Stack your books as high and tall as you can.
• Less is more – Don’t try to put every bit of contact information on your business card or banner. Make it clear who you are, what you do, and your website address. Nothing more. Make it easy.
• Price things – Make sure that you make prices obvious. Sometimes people don’t want to ask the price, and will walk away before trying to find out. Make it easy for them.

4. Review Your Plans

As the Convention approaches, (and it will approach quickly), review your plans and lists, and make sure that you’re on track. If you’re falling behind, it may be time to adjust your video game habits. Mark off what you’ve gotten done, and review to see if there are some things that just can’t be accomplished on your time line. Don’t worry, I do this all of the time. There were things that sounded like they’d be really amazing to do, but I simply didn’t have the time/budget to get them done this time around. Save them on a “Future To-Do” sort of list.

5. Rest Up

If you’ve been planning ahead and knocking things off of your list, you may actually have time to get rested and charged up for the Con. This is super important, but magically difficult to achieve. Do your best to get sleep the week before the Con, so you’re not a frazzled freak that nobody wants to talk to. Plus, resting up ensures that you don’t fall ill during the Con, or immediately after.

6. Make a Tool Kit

Between everything else, make sure that you create some sort of emergency tool kit. I swear by these things, and it helps make our Con lives less stressful. Fill it full of the things that you might need for your set up. My kit is a shoe box sized tupperware type of box; small, light, and fairly durable.

Right now my Tool Kit is filled with:

- Band-aids
- String
- Duct tape
- Sharpie markers
- Pens
- Aspirin
- Antacid
- Extra stash of business cards
- A Leatherman tool
- Mints
- A tube of super-glue inside of a ziplock bag
- A pair of extra badge covers and lanyards (from some other Con)
- Pipe-and-drape hooks. (Snagged from other Cons)
- Napkins
- Glasses mini tool kit. (Yeah, I’m a four eye)
- A utility knife
- Some paper towels
- Sun screen (Hey, we live in freaking Phoenix)
- Wet wipes (To wash the peanut butter off of your hands)
- Screw driver
- Cell phone charger
- Thumb tacks
- Mints

Laugh if you want, but I’m the guy that the other Con people ask if they need something.

7. Pack Snacks

I hate to spend $8.80 for a plain bagel, so don’t do it. Pack yourself some fairly nutritious food snacks, so that you can stay fueled up. Cons are such a high-energy affair that it’s easy to completely forget about eating and drinking, and before you know it, you’re completely burnt out. Also, I believe that this also makes you more susceptible to getting sick the day after the Con.

Here are some things that Dawna and I like to pack:

- Bottled water (At least one bottle. If you’re on a tight budget, you can refill your bottle at the drinking fountains.)
- Dried and fresh fruit
- Trail mix
- Little tuna and crackers snack packs
- Extra crackers
- Pudding snacks
- Nuts
- Jerky
- Mints (After the tuna, you’ll need it.)

Choose things that you like to eat that pack well, and are easy to eat in front of other people. Bonus for food that won’t stain the front of your shirt in case you spill. Also, if you’re attempting to pull a profit (which you should be), going out to eat for every meal is very expensive.

8. Dress Well

If your Con is in Southern California, you don’t have too much to worry about. However, sometimes you might travel to conventions beyond your own homeland. Research the local weather so that you know what to expect. We spent one February freezing to death in San Francisco, because we didn’t fully anticipate the temperature combined with high humidity. We were COLD!

- Dress in layers. You don’t know what might go wrong in the big hall. You might be set up opposite a frequently opened door, in the draft of a gigantic air conditioner, or in the mega sun.
- Wear the most comfortable shoes you have. This is a biggie. You will walk and stand and walk some more. Unless you walk for a living, your feet will probably be tired and sore. Bad shoes will just kill you.
- Bring a hat. Hey, I’m bald. You probably have more hair than me, but a hat could be useful to avoid the glare of the sun, or to keep your head warm. I bring one unless I forget.
- Above all, be comfortable. You’ve got to be at the top of your game, so you don’t need a blister to distract you from having a great time.
- Wear lots of deodorant, you’ll need it. Talking to strangers can be stressful, and stress makes you sweat. You don’t want to be remembered as “Mr. Sweating Guy”.

9. Pack Early

Pack at least the day before your big event. I usually start planning the week before a big convention, so that I don’t forget anything I really need. It takes time to pack, and it takes time to notice what you’ve forgotten. I pull out the luggage and leave it open in the living room, and drop off little things here and there as I remember them. Later, I arrange everything as efficiently as possible. Last minute packing means that you’re going to forget something vital. Plan for your success.

9a. Pack Light

If you happen to be flying to the convention, you’ll want to pack as light as possible. We paid an extra $300 in fees because each piece of luggage was 98 pounds. (Full of books.) Don’t do that. Weigh your luggage with a household scale ahead of time, and make them under 50 pounds (at the time of this writing). FAA rules seem to be changing quickly, so check out your airline first about what they allow.

If you’re not flying to the con, packing light will be easier on your back.

10. Set Up

I really enjoy setting up for Conventions. It’s fun to anticipate everything going on, and to see friends that you might only see a few times per year.

Arrive at the convention the moment that they allow you to set up. It’s usually the morning before a big convention, or the early morning of a smaller one. Don’t be late. I’ve seen lots of folks try to set up their tables AFTER the convention is open to the public. This isn’t just unprofessional, it’s sad to watch the public milling around their table, with nobody there. If this is a common problem for you, I’d re-evaluate what you’re hoping to get out of the con.

Deck out your table with your tablecloth, products and signage. Get outside your table, and see it from the point of view of your audience. See it how they see it. Make sure that your sign is straight. Make adjustments. Take photos, so you can remember what you did last time, and what you can improve.

Questions:

- Are prices easy to see?
- Is it clear who you are or what you’re selling?
- Do you have too much on the table?
- Are your business cards easy to get to? (You have proper cards, right?)

Bring an extra tablecloth so that once you’ve set everything up, you can cover your products and check out what other people are up to.

11. The Convention Begins

Before the doors open, make sure that you’re at your table. Most of the time, people sort of buzz around without much destination in mind, but occasionally one will land at your table. In these cases you’re the one setting up their expectations for the convention as a whole. Be nice to them. Welcome them to the Con. Ask them where they’re from. Tell them a little about what you’re up to. Often these people remember you more than anyone else, since you were the first person that they encountered. While most will say “I’m not buying anything until I see the whole Hall”, I tend to have most of them come back later and make a purchase. Be cool to them, and they’ll return the favor.

12. Keep Your Energy High

You’re here to talk to people; people are here to be entertained. Keep your energy high, so that you can make the most of your convention day.

Don’t be grim, unless that’s your brand position. I’ve seen so many exhibitors glare up at the public, and then hear them wonder aloud why nobody will check out their stuff. It’s tough sometimes, but it really does pay to be nice. Smile. Be upbeat. I know that it sounds cheesy, just don’t be fake. Sure, it might not work for everyone, but give it a try. Figure out what works for you.


12. Have a Good Meal

We try to have a good breakfast and a good dinner while we’re doing conventions. Again, it’s about staying healthy and happy, which leads to more fun and better sales. We avoid junk food, but sometimes it happens. Do what you’ve got to do to survive.

13. Get Rest

I know that it’s tempting to party all night, but try to get some rest too. I cannot imagine being in a loud and obnoxious convention hall all hung over. I can’t do it. Instead, get some rest for the next day. It’s simply exhausting standing and talking to people for 10 hours, so make sure that you get totally charged up for another day. A five day Con is like a marathon; by Saturday most of the exhibitors look like zombies.

14. Watch Your Cash Box

Make sure that throughout the entire convention, you know where your cash box (or bag) is at all times. This is your business, right? Make sure that it’s close to your body and that you can see it, and your customers cannot. You don’t want to get ripped off, but it can happen. Also, make your money as discreet as possible as you journey back and forth from the convention hall to your hotel room.

15. Pack Up

After the Con, everybody packs up like madmen. Some people even begin packing up a few hours before the convention ends, though I personally think that is lame. We make a lot of sales in the last couple hours of the last day, so we stay open for business.

- Did you forget anything?
- Pack up like you’re packing for your next con. Don’t mix everything up, or you’ll have to go through everything all over again when you go home.
- Leave crap behind. If it’s garbage, throw it away.
- Don’t leave your booth space a mess. Clean up, so that you’ll be invited to come back next year.

16. Count Your Take

After you’re safe and sound at home, count your earnings and see how you did. Document it for taxes, but also so that you’ll have a benchmark for next year’s con. It’s important to know how you really did, after deducting meals, travel, hotel, taxis, and so on. If you’re lucky, you’ll break even or even make some money.

17. Learning List

I like to make a “do better” list after each convention, while everything is fresh in my mind. Did I see a cool new product idea? Is there something that we realized could have been helpful in the tool kit? Are there people that we need to follow up with? These lists can ensure that you learn as much as possible from the experience.

Conclusion

In closing, I believe that it is important to treat conventions like a business opportunity. It’s my goal to make fans (and ultimately money), so I leave as little as possible to chance. Being prepared allows you to make the most of opportunities as they come up… with the least amount of pain and stress as possible. Treat people how you’d like to be treated, and realize that how you act impacts the convention as a whole. You’re part of a bigger symbiotic whole.

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Daniel m. Davis is the co-owner (with his wife Dawna) of Steam Crow LLC,  a Phoenix, Arizona studio that creates characters/stories/goods with a monster imagination.

He also creates the Monster Commute, a 5 day a week monsterpunk adventure comic.