The fifth Penny Arcade Expo East creeps closer to execution on March sixth 2015. Attendees lucky to be in Boston one day before the event, take note!
The following is based on the past 7 years’ experiences between PAX East and Prime, brought to you by your humble narrator, who will be going out into the field next week as the Powered Labs PAX East correspondent. Here’s part two of our survival series: DAY ZERO.
Did you miss How to Survive PAX: Part 1? Check it here.
DAY ZERO
EARLY
Fly into the state early: Flying in early will get you better ticket prices and also allows for you to take your time getting organized so you don’t forget anything.
DOWNLOAD GUIDEBOOK: Once installing Guidebook, you can select the PAX expo you’re attending. This well let you schedule panels with alarms and also formulate a path to cut across the show floor so you see everything that you want. Guidebook for iOS . This is listed under this heading because it is easy to study the documentation provided by Guidebook while you’re on your flight, keeping you from wasting any of your precious time later.
SET ALARMS: I usually set mine an hour and a half before each panel, which usually gives me enough time to find the panel, walk there, and get a decent spot in line. If you don’t have that much time between panels, anything less than 45 minutes is going to be cutting it WAY close (unless the next panel you’re attending is right near where you already are) – sometimes it’s worth it to bail at the end of a panel so you have enough time to get to the next one.
LATE
Get your backpack ready to go: Pack things like a light jacket, gum, snacks, a permanent marker, business cards, your chargers, handheld game system, wallet, deodorant, perfume, tissues, water bottle.
MAKE SURE TO PACK YOUR PASS: It would be pretty embarrassing to have to go back for it.
Determine method of arrival: How are you getting to the convention center? Does your hotel offer a shuttle? Do you need to take a cab, or the Red Line? Get the number for a cab company, or make note of where the Red Line departs from near your hotel. If you have access to a shuttle, make sure that hotel reception has you on the list for morning departure at the time you wish to leave.
EAT A FULL MEAL: You want the calories. Store ’em.
Bathe now: You won’t feel like it in the morning.
GET PLENTY OF SLEEP: Goes without saying right?
SET AN ALARM: Wake up two hours prior to departure for the event – earlier if necessary.
CHARGE YOUR PHONE! TABLET! HANDHELD GAME SYSTEM! You’re going to bring chargers with you tomorrow but finding an available place to charge electronics isn’t always easy; keep in mind there are a lot of other people who want to do the same thing. Having a wall-mounted charger with TWO USB SLOTS is probably a good idea.
PARTIES
Hydrate & medicate: If you’re going to any of the myriad events held on day zero, and presumably, drinking, once you return to your hotel chug water and take ibuprofen!
Additional tickets: For late night PAX-centric parties (often not held in association with PAX itself) you will most likely be required to pay for individual event tickets – secure them in advance, have them printed, whatever you need to do – and don’t forget to pack them.
SEE YOU AT PAX PROPER! NEXT UP IS PART 3 & THE CONCLUSION OF OUR SURVIVAL GUIDE!
