Convention Travel Kit

Here’s a basic list of what we try to bring in our convention travel kit.

What’s a travel kit? It’s everything that you need to bring, aside from your products. Tools, eats, the works. It’s what will help make you successful and sane, so you don’t forget the basics.

One tip, right off of the bat, is to build your convention setup for travel. That way, when you do have an out-of-town show, you’re already to go and haven’t already committed to heavy junk.

And away we go:

Tools:

- Duct tape and/or packing tape (Or, better yet Gaffer’s tape from Guitar Center)
- Zip ties
- Scissors
- Leatherman multi-tool (or equivalent)
- Easels for books, prints
- String
- Tacks/pins
- Extra paper
- Safety pins
- Sewing kit
- Extra business card stash
- Post-it notes (Emergency pricing and signage)
- Super glue often comes in handy.
- Luggage scale (For your return trip.)

Table:

- Tablecloth
- Signage and banners
- Product checklist (To keep track of what you sell)
- Table cover (To cover your table at the end of the night)
- Light plastic sheet (Can be your table cover, used for leaky halls. Yes, halls leak rain sometimes.)
- Garbage bag (Can be improvised there, or from a grocery bag.)
- Place to stash business cards (I use one of our little print boxes). You get a lot of cards when you table.
- Price tags (including some blank ones)
- Business cards
- Sales sheet/comic sample
- Cashbox with change (But not tons of cash… maybe $100 in change)
- Newsletter signup form
- Business card holder (Optional)
- Pens and sharpies (One for writing, one for signing)
- Credit card machine and receipt paper, if you have one.

Personal:

- Travel size deoderant, toothpaste, and folding toothbrush.
- Band aids (Learned that at our first con. Heel blisters from walking so far!)
- Paper towels or napkins
- Mints/gum
- Snacks (We like dried fruit, jerky, etc.)
- Water bottle (Refill at drinking fountain)
- Plastic utensils (Spoons at the bare minimum)
- Extra shirt (dress in layers for variable weather and possible accidents)
- Comfortable shoes.
- Hat (Sunburn sucks. And well, I’m a baldy.)
- Phone
- Phone recharge cord
- Map to convention and hotel
- Travel info (or Tripit app)
- Sketchbook (Both for sketches, ideas, and a “do better next time” list.)

Packing Tips:

- Made things as modular as possible. You’re trying to conserve both space and weight.
- Use the same size box where ever you can (This will save space and make packing easier)
- Get multiples of the same luggage (Makes packing a lot easier)
- Compress your stuff. Plan your table first, so you don’t bring stuff you don’t need.
- Find the lightest display stuff as possible. Avoid metal grid wall, unless you plan on driving to everything forever. $$$
- Folding easels are better than rigid ones.
- Reuse packing materials as display materials. (Little boxes hold up prints, etc.)
- Avoid acrylic display stuff. Mine ALWAYS breaks and lasts for 1 show.

Endplate

Truthfully, we’ll skimp on a few of these items, if weight is an issue for plane travel. We might just bring packing tape, and skip the duct. (Yes, we most often bring everything in luggage.)

Remember: Tweak this for YOU. Everyone’s setup is a little different. I’m a freak about this stuff, and often go overboard. YMMV. Try it out, and think about what you forgot. Make your own personal list after that.

If you forget something, IMPROVISE! It’s been a difficult lesson for me, as I tend to get furious with myself for forgetting something. Get over it, and take it as a challenge. Our latest convention booth design was invented because I forgot 18 very important pvc fittings at WonderCon ’09. I went ballistic and had a melt-down. Then, I improvised and solved the problem, and have a much better display because of the mistake.

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.