That’s right it is that time of year again! PAX East 2014 is just around the corner and as a regular PAX goer and Boston resident, I am here to bring you a PAX East survival guide, full of useful information for you and your upcoming PAX adventures. Let’s get to it! (also I would get a pillow or something this is going to be a long one)

Prperation

*Items will be in bold for convenience*

One of the most important things about not just PAX but any event is being prepared. One of the best tools of PAX East that you can get right now is the PAX East guide located in the Guidebook app. This guide has the full schedule, map, booth locations, general information, and a nice to-do list. It kept me organized and alive last year and I already have all of my booth and panel to-dos set up.

Next is what to bring with you. First off you definitely want to bring a bag of some sort. I recommend a backpack with plenty of room and pouches but a messenger bag will do. You also may way to bring a shopping bag or something for your free or not so free stuff you get but last year Nvidia was handing out giant bags to put all of your stuff in so you may not need it (a few other booths had these too). You definitely want to stay hydrated so bring WATER not energy drinks or soda, water. I know it sounds dumb but in a stuffy convention hall the most important thing is to stay hydrated and you don’t want to be buying a 5 dollar water bottle. That leads me to my next topic, money…which I will address in a little bit here. You may also want some granola bars or something to snack on. Hand sanitizer is essential for fighting off that yearly PAX Plague. Cameras are a must have at PAX because you want to be able to look back on the experience through the wonders of photographs. I would not recommend using your phone for a camera as that will deplete your battery pretty fast but if you don’t have a fancy camera it will do fine. You will definitely want to bring your phone charger as there are outlets all around the lounge areas. Of course obvious things I didn’t mention that you need are your smartphone, ticket, and a form of ID (only if you are 18 years or older and want to play rated M games, you don’t need it if not).

Some other honorable mention items that may not pertain to everyone or not absolutely necessary are Magic cards (for open tournaments and such), portable chargers, something for autographs whether it be a notebook or whatever for celebrities (see further in the guide for more info), I brought a 360 controller last year, and finally one of my most recommended items, handhelds! (I saw hundreds of 3DS and vita players in line)

I also recommend getting there early because the line is actually really fun. Last year we had about 30 beach balls flying around thanks to @PaxBeachBaller on twitter.

Money

This portion of the guide will vary from person to person. It really depends on what your plans are to buy at PAX, if any. There is TONS of merchandise to buy at PAX East and a lot of it is con-exclusive too. You can also find really killer deals and sales that are exclusive to PAX East. However there is also a metric ton of free stuff that is given away at the convention, especially sunday, so you will not leave empty handed even without money (be sure to pick up your PAX swag bag at the door too). All I can say is plan what you will do. I usually bring around one hundred dollars which is enough for most collectibles I see, food (I will get to that in a moment), and anything big I might come across for a good deal like computer parts. I would also take in to count the money you will need for transportation to and from the convention.

Food

*(Above) The Skyrim canteen truck parked just outside last year*

Convention food is something that is known for being over priced and not the best which is, sort of true. It will probably cost you over 10 dollars for lunch inside the convention center’s cafeteria but the food and atmosphere is worth it. It is actually relatively quite inside the cafe which is a big plus. The maintenance staff is working extra hard during the show so it is super clean in there as well. Not many people take these kind of things into consideration but after walking around on the floor for hours it is a nice place to sit down and relax. The food is actually very good as well. Personally I got a cheese burger and fries (totaled at I think 11 dollars) and it was restaurant quality not just a sloppy fast food burger. There is a ton of options too such as mexican, chinese, and seafood. There are also little snack carts in the cafe with chips and other snacks (be on the lookout for gamer grub). Keep in mind there are also mini-cafes on the main flow itself with pretzels, chips, drinks, etc.

If you don’t want to pay convention prices or just want to get out of the center for a little there are plenty of places to eat within walking distance. I don’t know them all off the top of my head but if you search “food places near Boston Convention Center” you will get a nice list of places with distances, price, and reviews.

Cosplay

Cosplay is one of the best parts of not just PAX East but for any convention. If you are cosplaying it is a blast to dress up as your favorite character and take pictures with random people. If you aren’t cosplaying you still get to enjoy seeing your favorite characters and taking pictures with them. It is a win-win when it comes to the cosplay aspect of PAX East. Don’t be afraid to go up to cosplayers and ask for a picture or just to say hi! If you are going sunday be on the look out for me dressed as Deadpool!

Celebrities

*(Above left) myself and Hutch (above right) myself again with Ivan from King of The Nerds*

I think these pictures show the two sides of celebrities at PAX. There are the ones that are at booths with schedules appearances (like Hutch at the Machinima booth) and then the ones just walking around casually (like Ivan). The scheduled celebrities are a bit tougher to get pictures and/or autographs from due to lines and such but it is worth the small wait. On the other side of the spectrum there are many celebrities just walking around like me and you. I ran into Ivan on my way to the bathroom 5 minutes before leaving for the day! Be on the lookout you would be surprised who is there. Also checking out your favorite youtuber or celebrities’ twitter would help you find out if they will be attending.

Things To Do

*(Above left) PC tournament area (above right) open-play card and table top game area*

There is so much to do at PAX East that it can be overwhelming. There are games, meet ups, shows, panels, table tops, and much more that you can do. All the advice I can give for this section of the guide is plan accordingly and there is never nothing to do. I would only plan on playing games and demos for big titles like Watchdogs if you have more than a one day pass. Last year’s wait to play Elder Scrolls Online was 5-7 hours! However there are tons of games and demos to play that have no lines. For instance I played against 4 other people in a Hawken LAN game (got a free Machinima hat for playing too) and other times I just walked up to computers and played games like Crysis or Counter Strike. There are raffles and fun scavenge games to play around PAX as well. For instance you can pick up buttons in the waiting line that have a number on them and if you find the person with the same number you get a prize. Something I completely overlooked last year was the open play table top and Magic The Gathering area. Its a really cool way to relax and meet new people. There is a ton more that I could mention but it would take way too long so I will save some for you to discover.

Conclusion

All-in-all PAX East is one of the best conventions out there and is rapidly growing with more than 80,000 attendees last year. You will have a ton of fun and plenty of stories to tell your friends. I hope you all have a great time and be sure to look for me dressed as Deadpool on sunday! I will be doing another picture/slideshow/montage thing on Youtube as well as a pickup video so stay tuned for that. (last year’s videos can be found below). I hope you all have a great time and be sure to tweet me @TheGeekIntel or comment below if you have any questions at all!

My PAX East 2013 montage video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bc8sVmBb8JU

My PAX East 2013 pickups video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjdBLk64dKw

Follow me on twitter for live updates, pictures, and more: @TheGeekIntel

Written by: Spencer