Thursday the 17th is the start of the second event from Salt Lake Comic Con — Fan X — and all signs point to it being massive. Booths are sold out, artist alley tables are sold out, 40+ celeb guests, and double the space of the last con. Sound a bit overwhelming? Well, we’ve got you covered with some tips on how to survive at Salt Lake Comic Con.
I’ve been to conventions both as a fan and as a vendor. We had a booth at the first SLCC and a few other events as well. In 2011 I flew down to Atlanta and hit Dragon*Con as my first convention and I was not ready for it. It was crowded (duh), I had no clue where anything was and was mostly reliant on the people I was with and the nearby food court. Last year the size of Fan X blew us away and by the end of the first day, I was exhausted. This year I’ve been planning ahead to make sure I get to enjoy things. I’ll break this down for first-timers, locals who may not know SLC we well as they would like, and people who’ve never been to SLC.
Getting there is the easy part, walk from your hotel, take Trax or drive, and if you do drive here is a parking map. Second, grab a map and find booth 1106 and come say hi! Get your picture taken, grab some merch or just chat. BSR itself will have a booth and Swankmotron should be nearby selling copies of his books. We will also be on multiple panels and doing a live podcast Saturday at 6PM. Once you’re done here, check out 5 Things Not to Miss at Fan X for a little more info on specific events
FOOD
Con-fuel, what you need to keep you going and seeing it all. Really I feel like this falls into 2 categories: Sit down and relax food or “Damn the next panel starts soon and I’m going to eat someones face if I don’t get some food in me”
Inside the convention they have what appears to be a pretty large food court on the map, much larger than last years and there are going to be a decent amount of food vendors in various locations and a larger amount of seating. The Salt Palace also has food carts set up along the hallways and in the far northern end, there is a sandwich shop. The event organizers also allow you to bring in small snacks so grabbing a few protein bars and putting them in your bag would be a good idea.
The Salt Palace is located smack dab in the middle of downtown Salt Lake so if the lines for food inside are a bit long or you just need to get out of the Salt Palace for a minute there are a multitude of places nearby. Near the parking lot to the North West ($5 a day) is a Utah legend, Crown Burger, and they will serve you up a great burger and fries guaranteed to stick to your ribs. This is a good spot if you’re taking a decent break away from the con for lunch and are killing a bit of time.
If you want a few more options, the convention center is actually right across the street from the fairly new City Creek Mall that has a nice food court a short walk away. If that isn’t enough there is a grocery store across the street (you can actually go under the street) with chinese food, sushi, and sandwiches. To the South and East is the business center of Salt Lake where you will find a few breweries (Squatters and Red Rock) as well as a lot of small restaurants along 2nd South or along Main Street.
DRINK
- Alcoholic
If you’re looking for a place after the con is over you can hop aboard Trax right from the convention center and open up your options a bit more. Trax will actually take you right to 2 BSR 21+ favorites, Brewvies and Lucky 13 (home to our Wednesday Night Pub Quiz). There are a good amount of bars surrounding the area, along 1st and 2nd South as well as Main Street. You’ll find just about any kind of bar you could want. Dive bars, whisky bars, clubs, the brand new Beer Bar, they are all a short walk from the convention center.
Inside the con, if you’re looking for alcohol you’re going to have to settle for beer. There is no hard liquor available at the convention but there will be beer carts. Last year they were selling a mix of local brews and standard mass market stuff.
- Non-Alcoholic
First and foremost, water. It’s going to be crowded and even though most of the convention takes place in the warehouse like halls of the Salt Palace it’s going to be a bit toasty with that many people in one place and you want to stay hydrated. There is no outside food or drink allowed inside the convention aside from small snacks so you’ll have to either purchase water or use the drinking fountains. They are located basically anywhere you find a bathroom so bring an empty water bottle and fill up.
Coffee is going to be a bit tougher, your best bet is the hotels around the con. The Marriot and Hilton both have Starbucks in the lobby. A little walk up to State Street will get you some Beans & Brew which is a local chain.
With other forms of caffeine you’re going to be stuck buying from vendors or going for a walk to the nearest gas station or food court. They aren’t exactly close either.
FIRST TIME CON-GOERS
So you’ve got your food and your drink but what about the convention itself? What to wear? What to bring? What to see? First, I’d recommend downloading the conventions app. It has a list of all the panels and you can create your own schedule with reminders. With so many panels and rooms it would be good to take a bit of time and plan out your weekend so you can see everything you want to see. Certain celebs are only available at certain times and you want to factor in line time for signings or panels. Add more time if you’ve purchased a photo op.
I’d recommend downloading the conventions app.
- Quick List
Basic things to bring would be an empty water bottle, maybe some tylenol or advil, your camera/phone/charger, your sketchbook if looking for drawings from artists, and anything you want signed from your favorite celeb. Of course you’ll probably need a bag or lots of pockets for all this but a bag would also be great to carry anything you purchase at the con.
The con is also extending hours and will be open essentially half a day worth of time longer than last year so make sure to dress comfortably if you’re in it for the long haul. Comfy shoes, maybe some band aids if they end up rubbing your ankles (there are first aid stations in the con) or just a plan to change out of your costume at some point. You can bring in bags or backpacks (subject to search) so you may want to bring a change of clothes if you’re dressing up. Along with that make sure to be aware of your surroundings and fellow con goers. There are some bottlenecks and places with big crowds crammed together so if you are carrying a bag or maybe wearing a large costume make sure you’re not hitting/bumping people when you’re walking around or changing direction. The weather during the con looks pretty great, mid to upper 60’s the entire time, if you’re going to be spending mornings or evenings outside bring a light jacket. Along with all this make sure to take breaks and not over do it. The convention space is sprawling and there are a lot of alcoves and places you can kind of get away from everything and relax a bit.
Basically just use the golden rule and try and take care of yourself and you’ll be ok.
If you’re dressing in cosplay expect people to ask you for a picture and if you want pictures of cosplayers make sure to be polite and ask. Just make sure to not block traffic when doing so. Basically just use the golden rule and try and take care of yourself and you’ll be ok.
FIRST TIME VISITORS TO SLC
So you’ve never spent any time in SLC but this massive convention pulled you in? Good. You’ll love it here. If you’re getting in Wednesday or leaving Sunday and want a few things to do there are plenty.
Wednesday night you can come down to Lucky 13 and play the award winning pub quiz hosted by BSR. Lucky 13 is right off the light rail line and has some of the best burgers you will ever eat. Also along the light rail line is the Salt Lake Public Library and The Leonardo which is a science and technology museum currently exhibiting the Dead Sea Scrolls.
A little further up the light rail line and a campus shuttle away is the Natural History Museum which is a must see for anyone visiting Salt Lake.
If you’re looking for a little outdoor activity post-con Real Salt Lake is playing Portland down in Sandy Saturday night and the SL Bees have a game Sunday afternoon. Both stadiums are located right off the light rail line.
After everything is said and done just make sure you have fun. Find panels about your favorite fandoms and meet people and have fun. That’s all there really is to it.