Conventions have definitely been different since the pandemic hit. Not only is there a pandemic to deal with, but also most of us have been at home and secluded for longer than normal and we aren’t used to being around people.
Personal Changes
I get way more tired than I used to and I can’t handle as many games as I could in the past. I’m not used to the noise, talking as much as I needed to, or just being around that many people! Making sure to take breaks and also give myself a break definitely made the conventions easier to enjoy and to also get through.
One thing I definitely had to do was to lower my expectations. I’m still really out of practice being around people, so I couldn’t expect to be able to run a booth the entire day like I could in the past. Getting help and having friends made things infinitely better than they could have been.
Planning Ahead
I found out early on in the convention season that things are different in COVID times, as in the past, I could just wander around until I found a game room with people I knew, then I’d go have fun. However, a lot of the places that had previously been open late at night were closed due to the pandemic and there were simply a lot of people that weren’t at the conventions. There were also a good number of people that didn’t want to be around people they didn’t know, so they stayed mainly in their rooms. Making plans and figuring out who you know that is going to be at the convention you’re going to, when they’re getting in, and when they’re leaving made things a whole lot better, as I could make plans and have time to see people.
Food Delivery
I’ve never been a super fan of eating at restaurants during a convention, as there’s usually long wait times, but I especially didn’t feel like eating out much around strangers. Learning how to use a variety of food delivery systems made things so much easier and more convenient. Not only is there Door Dash to get food from restaurants delivered, but there’s also Whole Foods, Walmart, and Amazon delivery, among others. Using them can not only save you some money instead of ordering out, but you can also save some time and stay safe, too. Alternatively, finding someone with a car to take you to a grocery store one of the first days of the convention can help out a ton, too.
Mask and Accessories
Masks are required at most conventions and you should always have some extras just in case. I wasn’t used to wearing masks as I rarely left my house before going to conventions, so I’d forget the mask almost every time I left my hotel room. Making sure that I had a few in my backpack meant that I didn’t have to repeatedly go back to my room once I realized I’d forgotten my mask.
It’s also important to have a variety of masks for different occasions. I usually used my KN95 mask, but it’s definitely not great for all situations. Notably, wearing a KN95 mask while setting up a booth, running around carrying boxes, or just in general doing anything strenuous is hard, especially in the heat. While setting up my Gen Con booth, one of my booth helpers almost passed out, as the air conditioning wasn’t on yet and rushing to carry boxes with a mask isn’t the easiest thing to do. Having a mask that you can run in, then another one for regularly wearing is a good idea, just in case. Or just a mask to use when you’re in a safe place and you’ve used your KN95 too often. Those masks are great at keeping everyone safe, but they can also end up giving you a nosebleed if you use them all the time for several days in a row. You have to wear the mask a lot for that to happen, but it can!
You might also want to get ear protectors or a way to keep your mask on without putting the mask on your ears, as I know my ears got sore after a few days.
Running a Booth
Having a more open booth is definitely more welcoming. People aren’t used to being pushed together as much as they were, so having open spaces was more inviting.
Booth helpers also needed more breaks than they did in the past. Not only is everyone not as used to interacting with other people, but projecting your voice while wearing a mask can be really hard for hours on end. Plan for extra help and more frequent breaks so that no one gets overwhelmed or overworked.
Make sure to have more water bottles and hand sanitizer than you had in the past. People are a lot more health conscious now and everyone else with a booth might have forgotten to get water bottles and hand sanitizer, as well. At Pax Unplugged, I brought some water bottles and went to get more mid convention and ended up getting the last pack of water bottles from CVS. We had enough for the rest of the convention, but it was definitely a close call.
Overall
While I still really enjoy conventions, they’re definitely more work and stress than they were before. Be kind to yourself and to everyone you interact with, as I doubt anyone has really enjoyed the pandemic and all the stress that came with it.
Did you enjoy this entry? Have you learned anything from attending conventions since the pandemic started? Please let me know! I’d love to hear what you think and what kind of things you’d like to see from this blog. Feel free to send me an email or comment with your thoughts!
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