Furry Conventions: Tips for a first timer?

[Artemis Vulpes]

AmayaMenna

Artemis Vulpes

[-Erik-]

...DON'T GO ALONE.

And remember, that is not a flashlight.

Cons are illuminated with the power of glow sticks!

And hands off my fleshlight.

Your sig is coffinberry's work no? I love it ^^

Indeed, quick and simple little commission.  

[Hazard_Puppy]

Which furry con are you planning on going to? :3  

[dolphin_gurl]

As you've been to several other types of cons, I don't think I have to add this, but the general 6-2-1 rule still applies. 6 hours of sleep, 2 meals, 1 shower, per day.

The other advice given in the thread is pretty much spot on. Expect lots of free hugs, although most fursuiters are really understanding if you politely refuse anything. Just keep in mind that many fursuiters, depending on the type of head they have, might have limited sight and hearing, so don't be offended if they don't seem to see/hear you properly, just try and speak up and be in their line of vision. (though most fursuiters at a con will have a spotter with them, keeping an eye out for a situation like that where they notice the suiter may not have seen/heard something).

Depending on the day that you are going, many furry cons now offer a panel titled 'my first furry con' or something of the sort, and it's exactly for answering questions like yours. However, as you said you were likely only going for the day, it depends on if you happen to be there the same day that panel is being offered.

I too am looking forward to an upcoming convention, but it won't be my first (nor my last). I hope you end up having a good time at the con!  

[Lilithiann]

AmayaMenna

One thing alot of folks aren't mentioning about furry cons (mind you I've never been to one..but have heard ALOT of folks mention this) Be Prepared for hugs, glomps, etc. The one thing most people are not afraid to do is hug strangers in suits at cons ^^ Other then that be careful and Have fun

indeed heart

I'm known for snuggling every fursuiter I see at a convention. I think I kinda freaked this one guy out cause I got a little excited and scratched his nose  

[Imaginary Fox]

I'm a little in your boat. I've been to tons of anime and mixed comic cons, but I've only been to one furry con and it was a weird experience. Its been years since then and I'm going to the first furry con I've been to since then shortly (I'm going with a friend who has gone before.)

I think the advice so far is really good. But furry cons really are their own thing, they're not like anime cons too much. They seem more casual and close, anime cons used to have a lot of random glomping (I think its cut back in recent years some) but people seem more touchy friendly.
The fursuiters seem mostly cool though some of the fetish stuff I see going around is a little weird. I've seen gothy people on leashes at anime cons, but only at a furry con I saw a fursuiter like a carousel animal being ridden around.

I would say definitely stick with friends. Other groups of people will have no problem assimilating you, but it may not be something you're comfortable with.

I go for artist alley as an artist, so my perspective is a little different. It did have the best and friendliest artist community I'd been to. Most con artists are fairly friendly, though there's still a bit of an undertone that you're competing against each other, and you really don't get time to chat a whole lot much less hang out. A lot of artists were just hanging out and doing sketches in various books being passed around, so it just felt more casual and you could actually talk to each other. The artists who feed the furries art is almost a subculture in and of itself. They may be drawing some freaky stuff but everyone's cool about it. I don't really know any artists locally I can hang out with, so it means a lot to me to socialize with other artists in my genre.

I'm a little wiggy about strangers touching me, though being behind an artist table its less likely to happen.  

[Deaths kitsune]

i have to agree with everyones comment on the fursuiters. i dont have a problem with it, becasue my friends tend to be all touchy feeling people. but i went to my first fur meet up in minnesota, which i loved and i seriously want to go to MFF, or any other furcon i could go to, if i can get the money, some people to go with me, and for my parents to pretty much let me leave the state for a week on top of missing class, but i had two encounters with specific fursuiters. one i walked by, highfives, fist bumps all that stuff, and another one hovered over my shoulder when i was looking at my drawings. but like i said i wasn't bothered by any of it. expect when i was almost rolled over by a fursuiter and another person at the meet. god they were being very playful

but, being that i am relatively new to the fandom, and only going to a one day event, which was a fun experience, i need to become more knowledgeable

dolphin_gurl

free hugs you say. we had a fur suiter by the name of aerke i think who held a sign saying free hugs, and he had a counter for the number of hugs.

just a question, more then likely a stupid on at that, about the refs if you want commissions done. do they prefer printed refs, or can you show them on your laptop.  

[Sadinda]

I had printed refs to show to artists, but I ended up getting a lot of commissions and some of them wanted to keep the refs. I ended up just giving them my reference site and they were happy to look it up later when they had time.

I think the thing that saved me at the first con I went to, was that I decided to share the room with strangers and that broke the ice. they were all super nice and willing to let me hang out with them.

I'm not a touchy feely person and most people tend to not want to touch me just because I give people dirty looks for doing it..so I didn;t have a problem with furries being overly friendly with me.

I didn't notice the smell as some people pointed out earlier..lol  

[Imaginary Fox]

Printed refs is much preferred, and duplicates is probalby a good idead. Many artists will want to keep the ref until they're done with the commission. I bring a good digital camera to take ref pics since I don't have a good laptop.

At all cons, there are some people who smell.  

[dolphin_gurl]

I just got back from several days in Toronto attending (and working) Furnal Equinox. There was a very large percentage of attendees that had never attended a furry convention before, and all seem to have had a blast. I will try and compose a list of things they say helped make the experience great and will post it here when I get a chance. (no names will be written, just little tricks here and there that might help others attending their first or perhaps even not their first furry con).

(to explain how I have access to so many comments from attendees and thus will be able to create the list is that I am part of the convention committee (the group of people who run the convention) of both Furnal Equinox in Toronto and What the Fur in Montreal and I'm always happy to help people have a great time at a convention.)  

[EmerBunny]

dolphin_gurl

I just got back from several days in Toronto attending (and working) Furnal Equinox. There was a very large percentage of attendees that had never attended a furry convention before, and all seem to have had a blast. I will try and compose a list of things they say helped make the experience great and will post it here when I get a chance. (no names will be written, just little tricks here and there that might help others attending their first or perhaps even not their first furry con).

(to explain how I have access to so many comments from attendees and thus will be able to create the list is that I am part of the convention committee (the group of people who run the convention) of both Furnal Equinox in Toronto and What the Fur in Montreal and I'm always happy to help people have a great time at a convention.)

That would be awesome and very helpful to boot! biggrin

Yay me for making a semi-useful thread! XD  

[EmerBunny]

Hazard_Puppy

Which furry con are you planning on going to? :3

I ended up going to Furry Fiesta out here in Dallas, Texas. smile it was good, but the scheduling for things wasn't enforced for panels much. So stuff was behind or cut short due to run over.