Con safety suggestions

Conventions can be amazing places to meet other cosplayers, find independent fandom based artists, meet nerdy actors/actresses and are overall a very fun and positive experience!

However there can be some safety concerns, like any other fandom or community there's gonna be that side of to the experience.

To hopefully keep your next (or first) con a lot more fun and drama free, I put together a little list of things me and my friends feel are important suggestions for maintaining con safety.

Please note this is in no way intended to scare anyone, create paranoia or anxiety. This list is based off both mine and my cosplayer friends experiences and may not effect you the same way

Don't go alone

Its never a smart idea to go to conventions alone. Be it travelling to, around or inside the con. My groups basic rule is no less than a group of 2. It ensure safety and an extra pair of eyes. Be it friends, family members or guardians, ensure you have at least 1 other person to attend with you.

There's safety in numbers.

Support system

Be it a group of people or a singular person, its always good to have an extra person on board who knows about your extra accommodations. Be it caused by some sort of disability or mental illness, make sure you have someone to take care of you if required.

As someone with autism and C-PTSD, I make sure my group knows my accommodations be it medication or a support plushie just in the case I get separated from my safe person.

Handlers

Handlers are people who are basically assisting your costume. Be it physically demanding, large, heavy, difficult to see in, an extra pair of hands to help out isn't a bad idea.

From my experience wearing tails with cosplays, even just a simple "can you keep an eye on my tail today?" has helped a lot preventing damage to the prop and bumping others.

Signals

In the case you are uncomfortable and unable to say it directly, its good to communicate with whoever you're attending with to ensure you're both on the same page.

It can be a gesture like scratching the back of your neck a certain way to mean "I need a minute outside".

Or it can be a verbal cue to help you leave a interaction like "hey, have you seen [fake friend name]?" in the case you are uncomfortable

Trust your gut with photos

Photos are an amazing keepsake from a con, however there's nothing wrong with saying no. If the individual is make you uncomfortable or in general is giving you a bad vibe, trust it. If you're a people pleaser like me this is where the signals can come in handy.

Rando photos

This is more uncomfortable for certain people but its a good thing to keep in mind. Depending on your con location you may have people not attending the con (the general public) taking photos of you and others without consent. If this is something you're uncomfortable with don't be afraid to comment on it. Be it to them directly or your group.

From my experience they're just confused older individuals trying to show a video to the family groupchat. Though this isn't an excuse.

Again, from my experiences, if you approach the conversation politely they'll return the energy and delete the photo/video.

Undershorts

Undershorts are a good way to ensure your decency if your cosplay requires a dress or skirt. Personally I don't fit into this group however I've asked my friends for the positives. It helps in the case someone's trying to take an upskirt photo and it avoids the scenario of you flashing someone if the skirt/dress was to come up. 

Keep up to date with scams!

Scams are ever evolving and becoming more prevalent in larger con location. Join groups online and listen to other cosplayer con experiences. These scams can be from "professional" photographers only asking for payment AFTER a photo is taken, contactless card scanners and a few more. Its good to stay on top of things so you can take the preventative measures.

Remember to maintain yourself!

At the end of the day you are still human! Remember to hydrate, eat and sit down if needed. There's no shame in taking breaks and sometimes its a nice way to pace the day

If you have any suggestions or additions for this list let me know!