Your first anime convention will be loud, crowded and a little overwhelming, mostly in the good way. There’s a line for everything, a hallway full of people dressed as characters you love, and a dealers hall that can eat a whole afternoon. A bit of planning is the difference between a weekend you talk about for years and one you mostly spend standing in queues.
Start by choosing the right show. Our anime convention listings carry reviews from people who went, and they tell you things a con’s website won’t: how long the badge line really was, how packed the halls got, how staff handled problems.
Badges, pickup and the first morning
Your badge is your ticket, and most cons expect it on you at all times. Katsucon’s code of conduct, for example, asks attendees to wear the badge visibly above the waist. Badge checkers are posted throughout the space, and if you don’t have yours, you’ll be sent back for it.
Read your confirmation email closely, because pickup rules vary. Some cons mail badges and others hand them out only on site. For one recent show, Anime Expo’s help center said badges couldn’t be shipped and had to be collected at the registration booth with your registration confirmation and a valid government photo ID matching the buyer’s or registrant’s name. Anyone under 18 needed an adult with photo ID to collect theirs. Unless your con says otherwise, assume you’ll need ID.
If your con lets you pick up the evening before things start, take it. The first morning line tends to be the longest of the weekend, and getting it out of the way means you walk in fresh.
Planning the schedule without overplanning
Big cons usually post their schedule online or in an app before the show. Go through it once and sort what you find into three piles: things you’d be crushed to miss, things you’d like to see, and things you’ll do if you happen to be nearby.
Only the first pile needs a firm plan. Popular panels, premieres and guest autographs fill up, so get to those early. Leave everything else loose. Some of the best moments at a con are unplanned: a gathering you stumble into, a panel on a series you’d never heard of, a long chat with an artist about how they print their charms.
Schedule real breaks too. A two-hour gap with nothing in it isn’t wasted time. It’s when you eat, sit down and recover enough to enjoy the evening.
Artist alley and the dealers hall
These are two different places. The dealers hall, sometimes called the exhibit hall, is where companies and retailers sell licensed merch, figures, manga and imports. Artist alley is for independent creators selling their own work. Anime NYC describes its artist alley as a curated section of the exhibit floor where everything for sale must be the work of the creators at the table, and the creator has to attend. That con also bans AI-generated artwork and says adult-themed material can’t be accessed by or sold to anyone under 18.
A few manners go a long way in both rooms:
- Ask before photographing someone’s table or artwork. Their designs are their living.
- Artist alley isn’t a flea market. Pay the listed price or move on politely.
- Keep your bag in front of you and step to the side when you stop. Aisles are narrow and someone is always behind you.
- Carry a little cash as a backup in case a small table’s card reader acts up.
- If you love someone’s work but can’t buy today, take a card and follow them. That helps too.
The floor is also where you meet the people behind the things you love. Plenty of the cosplay makers and creators in our directory sell at shows, and buyer reviews will tell you who delivers on commissions.
Cosplay etiquette, photos and gatherings
Many conventions now spell out the consent rules. Naka-Kon’s cosplay etiquette page says it in four words: “Cosplay is not consent.” It asks attendees not to touch a cosplayer, their costume or their props without permission, not to photograph a cosplayer without asking and letting them pose first, and not to use the zoom to focus on parts of someone without their consent. Youmacon’s code of conduct says “Cosplay is not consent. Period. Ask for consent,” and lists not asking before taking pictures or video as a form of harassment.
The idea underneath is simple. A costume is not an invitation, and no means no. Dragon Con’s policies put it directly: once someone says no, contact must end, and continuing can get you removed. If you’re the one in costume, you can turn down photos, hugs or anything else. You don’t owe anyone a pose.
If you see harassment or it happens to you, go to staff. Anime NYC’s policies ask attendees to report it to security, or to the information desks near registration if no staff member is around, before taking matters into their own hands.
Gatherings, where people cosplaying from the same series meet at a set time and place, are some of the most fun hours of a con. They’re often on the official schedule or organized by fans online. Arrive a few minutes early, and if you’re photographing, wait for the organizer to call groups rather than pulling people aside. Anime NYC even has a code for meetup hosts that asks them to respect participants’ privacy and not require personal information.
Hallway photos take some care. Katsucon asks people to step off the main path for photos and marks photo areas with tape on the floor. Its photography policy allows only hand-held equipment in the hotel’s public spaces, bans lighting setups and free-standing equipment there, and says no one can block entrances, exits or hallways. Naka-Kon asks cosplayers who are stopped for a photo to move out of traffic, against a wall or to a quieter spot. For a planned shoot, look for cosplay photographers who work your con; many book sessions ahead.
What to pack, and how to stay on your feet
- Badge or confirmation email, plus photo ID
- Phone charger and a portable battery
- A refillable water bottle
- Snacks that survive a bag: granola bars, nuts, crackers
- Comfortable shoes, even if you change into costume shoes later
- A small repair kit if you’re in cosplay: safety pins, glue, double-sided tape, spare wig pins
- Some cash and a card
- A folder or stiff tote to keep prints flat
- Hand sanitizer and any medication you take
Food is the thing first-timers forget. Convention center lunch lines get long, and the choices can be thin and pricey. Eat a proper breakfast, keep snacks on you, and try eating at odd hours, say late morning or mid-afternoon, when the crowds thin out. Refill your bottle every time you pass a fountain; you’ll be walking and talking all day in warm, crowded rooms. If you’re in a heavy or hot costume, plan a few breaks out of it.
If you’re bringing a prop, read your con’s prop policy before you pack it, since rules on size, materials and replica weapons differ from show to show. And when it’s over, come back and leave a review of the con on our convention pages. The next first-timer will thank you.