Dragon*Con Survival Guide

Every summer, residents of Atlanta and geeks from all over the world get ready for Dragon*Con, a meeting of sci-fi and fantasy fans. The convention, which takes place over Labor Day weekend, attracts a crowd. Attendance in 2010 was around 40,000 people [source: Dragon*Con]. The convention spans five hotels -- the Hyatt Regency Atlanta, the Marriott Marquis, the Hilton, the Sheraton and the Westin Peachtree Plaza -- and its Saturday morning parade stops traffic downtown.

This may not sound like much compared to Comic-Con, which boasts more than 140,000 attendees, or CES, which has to categorize its vendor listings so people can find their way around. But Dragon*Con has its own sense of overwhelming, nerdy bustle and its own hazards. Here are some suggestions for making it through the weekend without mishaps.

First, get through registration as early as possible. If you live in the Atlanta area, or if you're arriving on Thursday, stop by the registration table and pick up your badge on Thursday evening. The convention won't have officially started yet, but you'll be able to get your badge, program book and pocket program. If you can't make it to the registration table on Thursday, try to get there early on your day of arrival. The later you get in line, the longer you may have to wait before being able to head to any events. Dragon*Con has switched to a barcode system for 2011, but attendees will still need their official postcard and photo ID to get their badges.

If you've never attended Dragon*Con, Thursday night is also a good time to get acquainted with where everything is, before the rest of the convention crowd arrives. The Hyatt's floor plan can be a little confusing, so take a good look at the map in the pocket program and explore the hotel on your own. For convention veterans, this is a good time to check out anything that may have changed from previous years. You'll also find some unofficial parties and meet-ups going on: the Daily Dragon has a list.

Regardless of when you get to the convention, your badge is essential. You'll need to wear your badge the entire time you're at the convention. If you lose your badge, you'll have to buy a new one. It's a good idea to bring or buy a lanyard that will hold your badge securely. You can also keep the clip closed by wrapping it with a small rubber band. Also, make sure your badge's laminated cover is completely sealed so that the inside of the badge doesn't slip out.

The pocket program will tell you what's going on at the convention. To do things the old-fashioned way, pick up a copy at registration and sit down with a pen or a highlighter and mark everything you want to attend on the schedule grid. You can also print a copy of the grid from the Dragon*Con Web site before the convention begins, and you may also find .ics files from individual fan tracks tracks that you can add to your calendar on your smartphone. There are also official apps for iPhone, Android and BlackBerry, which include schedules, maps and other useful information.

The convention organizes its programming into tracks so it's easier to find the panels and events that interest you. You may want to take a look at what's going on in all of the tracks so you don't miss something that may have been fun or interesting. If you're interested in celebrity events, make sure to take a careful look at everything that's happening in the hotel ballrooms. These larger rooms are usually the venues for the most prominent guest panels.

Next, we'll look at some ideas for making it through the convention itself.