1. Big events like these obviously have tons of people, so please be safe and make sure you have people you can trust that will be there to spend time with you.

2. I’ll elaborate more on this below, but please don’t be creepy. No one appreciates an overtly-sexualized comment about them, and if they don’t know you well then trying to get super personal about someone can make them feel uncomfortable. If someone tells you something isn’t okay to say, then it isn’t okay to say. If someone says you’re making them uncomfortable, then you’re making them uncomfortable. It’s not more complicated than that.

3. Shower regularly. Yes, we can smell you. No, you don’t smell great. And no, “regularly” doesn’t mean once during the weekend.

4. Wear deodorant. Seriously, good hygiene is a thing.

5. Make sure you have enough saved up for the convention and aren’t struggling to afford it. They can run up to $1k when you factor in flights, hotel, registration and food/activities.

6. Conventions can be a good place to get to know more people in the gaming community, but it’s always a good idea to go to one with friends/roommates that you can rely on and spend time with.

7. To follow up on #6, don’t expect to go to a convention and spend time with your favorite streamers the whole time, or even for super long. They’re most likely busy and running around doing their own thing. Never be afraid to introduce yourself, but don’t force someone to be around you if you don’t know them very well in person.

8. Another follow up here. Don’t tag along with groups when you’re not invited. If a group of people go get food without you, it’s almost never personal. Food groups especially can get really big really fast, and it’s hard to get a table at a restaurant, let alone be able to actually talk to everyone you go with.

9. Please shower and stay clean. Don’t be that person.

10. If you make a ton of plans, expect very few of them to actually happen. Conventions are full of so much going on already that making time for everything gets really tough really fast, so going with the flow isn’t a bad idea sometimes.

11. Conventions are not a good place to learn what your drinking tolerance is. PLEASE don’t be that person that throws up in someone’s room, gets kicked out of parties or passes out in places that are not your bed. It makes the event a lot less fun for everyone.

12. When you’re meeting someone for the first time, make sure to introduce yourself by your twitch/online name and then your preferred name. Otherwise we have to do that awkward thing where we search for the name on your badge and then feel bad.

13. Also when you meet someone new, might be a good idea to ask before you go in for a hug. Not everyone likes to have their personal bubbles popped, and you never know if someone is getting sick.

14. Speaking of getting sick, it’s a good idea to bring vitamin C and hand sanitizer with you to stay healthy. If you’re feeling like poop, tea is never a bad option either. And sleep, while harder to get enough of at conventions, can be very helpful. Oh and PLEASE WASH YOUR HANDS. WITH SOAP.

15. Remember that time I mentioned taking showers? Yea, don’t forget to do that. Helps with the not getting sick thing.

16. Before or when arriving at a convention, make sure you go over any rules with your roommates for your room. Is your room a party room, or just a chill one? Do people tend to sleep at weird hours? Are there any couples that might need alone time?

17. Making a grocery run is a great way to save money, especially if you have a mini fridge in your room. I typically stock up on waters, cereal, milk, tea, and then any snacks that are good to grab when nothing is open and you need food.

18. Might be a good idea to check the weather before traveling so you can be prepared for any inclement weather! Don’t want to have to freeze when you could have brought a warm jacket! Also a swimsuit if there’s a pool near you!

19. If you can’t make it to a convention, you can still participate! Many streamers host events happening there on their channel or discord so there’s a chill place to chat with other members of the community.

20. So, I’ve mentioned this, but OMG SHOWER. If you think I’m overreacting about this, just notice how the overall smell changes over the course of the convention. Please, it makes the event easier for everyone. You’re not the exception to this rule.