Swag bags in the shape of tissue boxes.
The ano hana movie was certainly a fun experience in a packed theater with grown men balling their eyes out.
meetup and teach me your ways senpai! I know nothing of how conventions work lol
Sure sure, send me your number and we can totally meet up.
Some con or AX tips off the top of my head
Generally figure out transportation, driving to the convention center on off hours isn't usually bad but LA is LA so driving is bad. Public transportation isn't the best but it has stops close by. Uber and lyft is always an option. I probably will be staying at a hotel that is walking distance.
Getting a badge now is relatively painless as they have figured out how not to be idiots about it. Maybe bring some sun screen as every few Anime Expos I got some sun burn.
Ax is without a doubt going to be a ton of people, last year it had 90k people concurrent at peak and staff I talk to say they possibly expect 100k this year. Look at the schedule and plan ahead for which events/panels/showings you want to go to. Even our small panels have at minimum 1 hour waits. Know where the line is, ask a staff or follow someone who knows.
Speaking of staff, some know everything about con and are con veterans themselves. Others are staff for free con and don't know much. Don't expect too much out of some if you need help.
Getting from one end of the convention center to the other takes some time. Try to take less congested routes like going outside every once in a while.
Most people generally go to exhibit hall if they don't have a panel they want to go to. I generally spend 60%-70% of my time personally in exhibit hall even though I seen most things I want to see already. If you want to go buy stuff day 1 you should buy things if you think they are going to sell out. By day 4 the exhibitors usually slash prices a lot or give away things with purchase so they have less stuff to bring home. Generally by day 4 their best stuff is gone so just consider the thing you want to buy if it will last the whole con or not.
Food prices are intense at con and there are food trucks but they aren't much better in terms of price. There are some places nearby for food but it can also be pricey. I usually go across the street to Smashburger with my friends.
I haven't figured out my hotel situation just yet but if I do have a hotel room I will probably bring something fun like the Dharma which I going to get tomorrow and have for a short time...
