You know its out there: the dreaded smell of unwashed bodies. Caught up in the thrill of the moment for days at a time, many people don’t realize that, well… they stink.

At METROCON, it’s called H.O.B.O: Horrid Otaku Body Odor. As a public service (and in compliance with the Geneva Accords regarding biological weapons), METROCON has been declared a “No H.O.B.O. Zone.” Our Security staff has been burdened with the task of keeping the unwashed bodies to a minimum, and will ask the most egregious offenders to go have a quick chat with their shower.

Try to remember to eat, as well. We have, in the past, found people suffering from very low blood sugar who hadn’t had anything more substantial than Pocky and Ramune all weekend. Not only is this foolish, it’s dangerous as well. Please remember to recharge your personal mecha whenever the Fuel Low warning comes on (i.e. your stomach starts growling).

We encourage people of all ages to come enjoy METROCON, as anime has appeal for all ages. However, in order to make METROCON a safe and enjoyable environment for all, we do have a requirement that all attendees under the age of 13 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian who is a registered attendee of METROCON at all times. Please direct all specific inquiries to the Registration staff at the convention.

Honestly, Saturday is an obvious choice. Events run the longest, there are more shows than any other day, and it’s the weekend. However, Friday and Sunday aren’t far behind – Friday has the same great late-night entertainment like the rave, Sunday has the big costume contest and a really chill vibe. Basically, it’s best to go for the whole weekend so you don’t miss anything, but if you can only make it for one day, Saturday’s your best bet to try and cram in as much METROCON as possible.

Please check our Programming Schedule on our web page or in the con guide at the convention for answers to these questions and an up-to-date schedule.

METROCON has, we would like to think, enough to do that it might seem a little overwhelming at times. When in doubt, there’s always the video rooms (and yes, we mean always – 2-3 rooms running continuously during the convention’s operating hours), but there is enough other stuff going on throughout the con to keep you busy for the duration of your stay… some of which might be once-in-a-lifetime opportunities.

With your paid registration, you get a copy of the METROCON program guide, containing on its sagacious pages the scheduled events in a convenient, schedule-like format. The schedule is also available on the website. For maximum gain from the convention, we encourage you to review the scheduled events ahead of time and sort out your plan of attack. This will ensure that you don’t miss anything you want to do in the rush of the moment. Some serious otaku plan out their entire weekend weeks in advance; the convention staff have organized their lives around it, so you can well imagine that a little forethought would be handy for everyone.

Highlight the can’t-miss events, realizing of course that your plans could change in an instant during the flow of events, depending on what your friends (old ones or new-found) have in mind. Count on having previously unknown interests piqued at least once during the convention. Also, please keep in mind that last-minute schedule changes can (rarely) happen, and we will do our best to inform you.

If all you want is the highlights…. METROCON is widely known for its variety of shows, including the Anime Human Chess Match, the Fantasy Masquerade, the METRO Star Party, the METRO Fire Show, and RCC: Rhythm City Chronicles. A different but equally as exciting set of things to catch are the contests, like cosplay and costume contests, followed by other contests such as Anime Idol and the AMV contest. There are also numerous panels throughout the weekend touching on both mainstream and niche topics, so be sure to check the schedule.

Our Guests of Honor have graciously consented to host a number of panels throughout the weekend, and will more than likely also have one or two autograph sessions. It’s recommended that you bring something related to the guest for them to sign (DVDs are a popular choice for voice actors), but if you don’t have it or forget it, their bio in the con guide will do quite nicely, and some even have headshots or merchandise for sale at their table.

The last question first: courteously, at all times. Remember, you are a GUEST in their hotel and convention center. You don’t own the place.

Reserve your room as early as you can, for the hotel can fill up quickly. Most hotels require a credit card to reserve the room.

On check-in, ask for keys for everyone who is staying in the room with you, up to the maximum of four per room. Don’t assume that someone will always be in there to let you in – and DON’T beat on the doors for ANY reason. The rooms have alarm clocks in them – please agree to a common awakening time to avoid grouchy roommates – and you can also request a wake-up call from the front desk. The latter is recommended if you’re planning on attending early-morning events, because, let’s face it, who goes to bed at a ‘reasonable hour’ during a convention? It’s inconceivable! You can also contact the front desk for things such as extra toiletries, but please be reasonable. Most rooms also have a 4-cup coffee pot in them, along with cups, cream, and sweeteners, which also work well if you’re craving a cup of soup at 3am.

It’s customary, but not required, to tip your maid if you’re having them bring extra stuff constantly, or if you’re messy. A buck or two can go a long way in appreciation value. Just leave a dollar or two on the pillow to thank them for their efforts.

If travelling by car, visit Google Maps, Mapquest, etc and get driving directions to the convention hotel from where you live – AND back again. Often, the routes can be different, especially the further away from which you come.  Print the turn-by-turn directions and make at least two copies. (One will invariably get lost.) If travelling in a caravan, make copies for everyone. Give each driver a list of who’s driving which car, what that car looks like (including the tag number), and who’s in the car with the drivers. Getting left at the I-75 rest stop because everyone assumed you were with one of the other groups when they pulled out is not good fun. Try to arrange it so every car has at least one cellular phone in it, and that each car has its own copy of those numbers. This will make communications significantly easier. Traffic in Tampa isn’t as bad as in most major metropolitan cities, but it’s no walk in the park either. It can still be frantic, especially during rush hour, and your group may get separated. Be prepared to make your way to the hotel on your own.

If you’re coming in by plane, your options are a little wider. Taxis are available outside all baggage claim terminals at Tampa International, as well as flat-rate “Airport Shuttle” vans. Most major rental companies have on-site counters and nearby pickups if you’re renting a vehicle. METROCON assumes no liability for picking you up from or getting you to the airport. With the current security focus in the airline industry, please allow at least two hours before takeoff to process through airport security.

Ah, Cosplay. Very few human endeavours give one the dubious pleasure of tearing up and down hotel hallways at 3:00 am screaming “DOES ANYONE HAVE A MEDIUM SAFETY PIN?!?!”

If you’re a serious costumer, nothing I can say here will do you any more good than give you a soft chuckle of recognition. For the rest of you, plan on building a kit around one of those travel sewing kits, including bits and bobs for touching up your costume. Buttons, glitter and/or sparkles, polish for the metal bits… if you used it during construction, plan on bringing at least some of it in the emergency kit. If you’ve got a bit of room to spare and an industrial bent, bring a hot glue gun, the mainstay of emergency costume repair. Having that extra safety pin at 3am can earn you a new friend.