Rae of Sunshine wrote:Zenkaikon 2008 will be my first con ever. I preregistered, but I didn't understand how it worked.
What was I confused about? Read what I posted in the Q%A section a few minutes a go.
Rae of Sunshine wrote:Ok so since this is my first con, I'm a little confused about preregistration. I've already preregistered, but I don't understand how it works.
"Badges are not mailed; will be available for pick up at the convention during the hours that the registration desk is open."
(That is all it said on the main site)
The badges are kinda like our ticket proving that we paid right? That what I've assumed.
What are the hours that the registration desk is open? I saw the con schedual but I didn't see it on there.
I only need to know the hours for saturday, since thats the only day I'm going.
We don't need to be there right away right? Because I doubt We'll be able to make it by 9 am. I'm definitly not a morning person, and one of my other friends thats coming with us it even worse. I'd rather try to wake up a dog with rabies, than her. Trust me, its scary.
I think that there should be more information on the site about preregistration for next year, such as the things I asked about. Not all of us have done this before, so we don't know how it works. There should be more information ahead of time, or even on the con schedual, to avoid confusing any more of us con-virgins. We don't all have friends that have been to cons before to tell us what to do.
Also it it would be nice to mention where the registration desk is.
It would be much appreciated. Thank you.
Not exactly a con veteran myself, but i have been to enough conventions and talked with people who know how they work on the inside.
Regarding your question about pre-registration:
Most conventions, to help guarantee attendance for the next year's event, will offer a discount price for registering for the event early. For example, Zenkaikon's pre-registrations for this year opened back in March or April. (I don't exactly remember when, but it was early in the year). For anyone who decided to register then, they got a nice discount on admission to the con. As an example, I was one of the first pre-registered attendees, if not the first. I paid my admisssion fee ($20 i think back then). From there, Zenkaikon put my name on a pre-registration list. It's the con's way of saying, "You're paid for the 2008 event." Following con guidelines, my badge is waiting for me to pick up at the door. I only need to provide a photo-ID and (if needed) a printout of my payment confirmation from when i pre-registered. As time moves on toward the event, pre-registration prices gradually increase as certain dates pass by, usually the first cut off is 6 months before the event, the last cutoff is 3 months before the event. Pre-registration usually closes about a month before an event. As each cutoff date passes, the price increases, but it is still cheaper than "At door" pricing. Even when the final cut-off date passes, you're still saving some money. (So it pays to pre-reg early).
In general, registration is open during all hours of operation for the event itself. There is no set time that you have to arrive, but it's sometimes best to arrive early for larger events. Line waiting here at Zenkaikon hasn't been a terrible issue, but with 300 pre-registrations this year, that alone is more than half the TOTAL attendance from last year. It may be inevitable that you have to wait in some sort of line here at zenkaikon, but that's a simple fact of convention life. >.<
Also, once you do pre-register, your badges are almost never mailed. You pick them up at the event. Usually you get to choose a badge you'd like from a small selection, so you can pick a favorite or just randomly grab one (like i usually do. with some interesting results... ^.^). To mail badges out, that would get expensive for cons, especially given what postage is these days.
On some other things that con virgins may want to be aware of:
Your badge should be kept visible at all times, so it can be shown to a staffer or security person when asked. If you lose your badge, go to registration where you can get help on getting a replacement. Most events will provide a pin up thingy, lanyard or what have you so you can attach your badge to yourself in some way. Also note that certain panels and such may require an age limit. When you pick up your badge, you may inquire about an age wristband, so you can enter any of the age-limited events (providing you are old enough to get a wristband to begin with.) If you find someone else's badge on the ground, please return it to registration, or give it to the nearest staff member, as there's likely a flustered con goer freaking out over losing his or her badge. If you return it, it can be re-united with it's lost owner.
