The "Right" Way to Convention Prep (Part 1)

After showing a picture of my basic convention prepping setup, I was asked for a component explanation. So here is the way I prepare my convention schedule. Because I'm incredibly OCD about it.

Supplies:

-Highlighters in 3 or more colors

-A printer

-A notebook

-A plastic folder (for all materials, badges, etc.)

-A pen

-A computer

1.) Look over the schedule online, marking all of the panels that catch your eye.

2.) Search through the listed panels for friends' names. The same people tend to do roughly the same panels, so it gets easier to know where people will be, but the search function is definitely a big help.

3.) Look over the new list of panels, checking for conflicts and removing anything that doesn't look particularly important or conflicts with something friends are on.

4.) Print out or copy the schedule into a word processor.

5.) Color-code (with highlighters or on the computer) by "Friends," "Acquaintances," "Must-See," "Want to see," etc.

6.) Check one more time for conflicts. Pick and choose where necessary. Make notes (pen, notebook) where necessary.

7.) Print out, if you haven't already. Put schedule into folder.

8.) Completely disregard schedule once you see the lines for panels.

Next time: Hotel selection for San Diego Comic-Con. (Hint: it involves a spreadsheet.)