Summer may be pretty much over in Northern Hemisphere, but there are some good vibes still. Why? Because I’m starting to see so many people attending Anime conventions recently!
I scroll though my Instagram feed and see so many of your convention photos. As I mentioned in a previous post, Anime conventions have returned in 2021. I predicted that cons would make a slow, cautious return as we learn to deal with life with the beer virus.
But it seems like not only have they returned, they’re coming back a lot faster than expected!
If we take a look, quite a few large conventions have already taken place, including:
- Colossalcon
- Anime Matsuri
- Anime Midwest
- Dragon Con
- Otakon
And there are more to come, including:
- Colossalcon East
- Fan Expo
- Youmacon
- Holiday Matsuri
- MAGFest
- Katsucon
Assuming all of the conventions are being held safely, this is all wonderful news to me. If we are able to hold conventions safely and get things back to normal, then it’s truly a blessing for everyone.
If you’re thinking of returning to a cosplay convention sometime soon, check out this post to help you prepare!
How you can prepare for your next convention back
For me personally, I haven’t been to a con since 2019. The last one I attended was Holiday Matsuri. So it’s been almost 2 years for me. If you’ve haven’t attended a con in a while, I know how you feel.
Here’s my advice from what I’m personally planning, as well as the tips I’ve received from cosplayers who’ve already attended cons this year:
Book the hotel, even if you’re not 100% sure you’re going
Even before the pandemic, I always advocate for people to book their con hotels in advance. But now it’s even more important to book early during these crazy times. Why?
There’s a thing called revenge travel, where we’re all craving to travel again because we’ve put our travel/convention plans on hold for so long. This means there will be a HUGE demand for hotel and accommodations as things get back to normal. And this definitely applies to Anime conventions as well.
Case in point, I recently booked a hotel for a large U.S. convention next year. Even though there’s no guarantee that the con will actually happen (it got cancelled 2 years in a row), the hotel bookings still sold out within hours of being released!
This is why I advise you to book a hotel room as soon as possible, even if you’re not sure if you’re going. Because if you do decide to go, there might not be any rooms available. And don’t worry about wasting money; most hotels have a generous cancellation policy. So if you decide not to go, you can cancel your booking without getting charged (as long as you cancel within a time period).
Check the rules and regulations of the con and region you’re attending
If you’re going to a con that’s out of your state/province/country, then be sure to read up on all the rules, regulations and restrictions. Some areas have lenient or even no rules, while other areas may have restrictions that you may or may not be comfortable with. Be sure to do your research first and see if it’s possible for you to attend a convention outside of your area.
For example, I live in Canada and as of September 2021, we Canadians cannot cross the land border over to the U.S. I believe that air travel is restricted to essential reasons only. So I probably wouldn’t be able to attend a U.S. convention right now. This is something you definitely need to consider when planning your return convention.
If you’re planning to attend a con in your area, then you probably already know the rules.
(Don’t you miss the good old days when there were no restrictions? :))
Take safety precautions if you decide to go
NOTE: I’m no doctor and this blog post should not be taken as medical advice or as any medical solution. You should follow health guidelines and advice by your local health authority. This is just what I do!
You don’t have to follow this, but this is what I do these days when I’m out of town. I carry some extra masks, hand sanitizer and disinfect wipes with me when I travel. It’s good to have extra masks in case the one you’re wearing gets soiled or used too often. I carry hand sanitizer when there’s nowhere to wash my hands. And I use disinfectant wipes to wipe down a bunch of things in the hotel room, as well my phone (you’d be surprised how often you touch your phone).
So if you’re going to a con outside of your area, I recommend bringing these things with you to help you be safer when out and about.
There are lots of medical websites out there that have useful information on staying safe and healthy in large gatherings.
Get your new cosplays ready!
This is the most important part; now is the perfect time to get your new cosplays ready! More than likely, you won’t be attending a new con for a few months at least. So you’ve got plenty of time to work on a new costume.
Maybe you’ve decided to hope on the cosplay hype and go for a Genshin Impact cosplay. Or you’ve got some cosplans with your partner. Or you want to give your Fire Emblem: Three Houses cosplay some love. With cons being postponed for almost 18 months, there are tons of characters you can cosplay! But this time, there are no excuses for con crunch. 🙂
Should I attend a con? Is it safe to do so?
Is now the right time to start attending Anime conventions again? That’s a question for you to decide and just know that whichever decision you choose, you’re not alone.
There are tons of people who are definitely eager to hit up cons again. I know a few who are already making cosplay plans for some of the cons that are happening later this year.
But there are also lots of you guys that are waiting it out until it’s completely safe to attend cons again.
If you don’t feel comfortable attending a con right now, then don’t force yourself to. If you do decide to go, then always be sure to take safety precautions when you’re at the convention.
Conclusion
I hope this post helps you decide to plan your return to cosplay conventions. And if you do, these tips will help you plan and figure out the logistics of navigating a convention during this crazy time! If you have any questions, leave them in the comments below.
My name is Roger Senpai. I’m a cosplayer that’s been in the community for well over a decade now. I’ve traveled all over the world to Anime and Comic conventions and hosted my own cosplay events. Now I’m writing articles for new and experienced cosplayers like you to help inspire, save you money and improve your cosplays!
