Whole novels could be written on how to attend a convention on the cheap. (And probably have been; Google for it if you want.) However, much of any convention-specific wisdom could also be applied to the world at large. The key is to be penny-wise. Some expenses can’t be negotiated substantially reduced, but others can. Here are some basic tips, collected from the METROCON staff and tested by their combined decades of convention attendance.

Pre-register: Sometimes, the obvious ones get past us. By pre-registering online, you save a few bucks. Every dollar counts!

Book early, fly late: The earlier you book an airline ticket, the cheaper it is. Airlines are very aggressive in their pricing in order to sell seats. The earlier you book, the faster you can lock in a cheap rate. Waiting ’til the week before the con will ensure that you pay higher rates. Also, travelers who are more flexible in their travel times – read: are willing to take red-eye flights and/or handle multiple layovers – can achieve a fair amount of savings.

For visitors to the convention from Canada or overseas: Examine your entry port. Tampa/St. Petersburg has two major airports within 30 minutes of one another, and Orlando is 90 minutes away. Many international airlines (especially Canadian ones) offer bigger discounts for flights into Orlando than they do for Tampa, because of the drawing power of the Great Mouse. Don’t be afraid to check these options; frequently, they will save you a significant amount of money.

Bring a friend, or meet one there: While convention hotels usually offer con attendees a special rate, given the two-night stay for the full convention, the total cost could still be alarming. Conspire with up to three other people – the hotel has a four-person maximum for each room – and your total lodging cost is reduced significantly for the entire weekend.

Eat wisely: Obviously, eating three restaurant meals per day can be expensive, and even dropping that down to the one “Red Warrior needs food… badly”  meal per day can still be pricey. For those with fat wallets/purses, food will be available via the convention center as well as the hotel restaurant. Alternatively, aside from the many delivery options available, there are also restaurants in the local vicinity ranging from the ubiquitous Denny’s through more select fare. Stocking up on supplies in your hotel room isn’t a bad idea, either.

“Hey, goin’ my way?”: Aside from airfare and hotel room costs, ground transportation is probably the next most cash-consuming item directly related to convention attendance. If you’ve brought a friend or two, and are renting a car or taking a cab from the airport to the hotel, buddy up and split the expense. If you’re driving directly to METROCON, carpool with your buddies and split the gas money. Every dollar you can save is a dollar you can use later.

What do you bring for any weekend trip? As silly as the question sounds, it’s the truth. Most people get so hung up on the notion that it’s a convention that they lose sight of the fact that it’s pretty much just a weekend trip out of town, with a pre-planned itinerary of activities for you to enjoy.

At a bare minimum, one should plan on bringing a change of clothes for every day you’ll be at the con (3 days, Friday through Sunday), as well as one spare set in case you wind up wearing something you should have eaten instead. Other travel essentials include toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo, mouthwash and such. Yes, the hotel does provide soap and shampoo, but the bottles are minuscule and tend not to last very long. The last thing you want to do is be in the middle of a shower and realize your roommate used all but a droplet or two of shampoo. If you’re sharing a room, bringing your own towel is also a very good idea, both for hygienic and convenience reasons. Stepping out of the shower to find every towel’s already been used is not a fun thing. If you’re room-splitting and think there’s a reasonable chance you’ll draw the floor straw, having a sleeping bag and/or air mattress of your own will save your back and make the con a MUCH happier experience.

Oh, and one other thing: When packing, do NOT push for maximum density. If everything you plan on bringing just barely fits in one suitcase, do yourself a tremendous favor and spread it out into two cases. Remember that spending money? You’re gonna spend it, and the stuff you buy won’t fit if there’s barely room for an ant to squeeze in. Most airlines allow two items of checked baggage as well as a carry-on. Why not use them?

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.

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, since the hotels can fill up quickly. Most hotels require a credit card to reserve the room. Hotels typically become available for reservation in mid-December.

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 housekeeping service 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. Just leave a dollar or two on the pillow to thank them for their efforts.

METROCON has, we would like to think, enough to do that it might seem a little overwhelming at times. Between shows, events, games, panels, raves, parties... there is enough 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.

We have a full schedule here on our website under the Resources tab, and we populate it as we confirm certain events, guest availability, etc. throughout the year. 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 congoers plan out their entire weekend months in advance!

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 happen, and we will do our best to inform you by updating the schedules posted in front of each room, and the online schedule.

If all you want is the highlights…. METROCON is widely known for its variety of shows, including fire performances, interactive theater, stage combat and stunt shows. A different but equally as exciting set of things to catch are the contests, like cosplay and dance contests. The METROcade features domestic and imported arcade cabinets, 50+ console set-ups, and games you may have never even heard of. There are also numerous panels throughout the weekend touching on both mainstream and niche topics, so be sure to check the schedule.

Our Special Guests (Industry, Cosplay, and Entertainment) will be hosting panels throughout the weekend, and many Industry guests will be at their booth throughout the weekend in the Exhibit Hall.

Check out the schedule on our website under the Resources tab for details event times, but broadly, the event runs from about 10AM to 3AM Friday and Saturday, and 10AM to 6PM on Sunday. Registration hours, Exhibit Hall hours, and more can also be found on our General Info page.

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 (and usually, shorter lines/smaller crowds in the Exhibit Hall. 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.

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.