Critique-al Hit: Convention Recovery 101
With convention season in full swing, one important aspect of con attendance that frequently gets overlooked is what happens right after a con. Let’s look at convention recovery, and my tips to do it right!
There have been four major conventions in the last few weeks in the tabletop community, and Dragon Fall, TwitchCon, Essen Spiel, and PAX Unplugged are just on the horizon. It can be a constant cycle of con attendance and recovery for some folks.
The recovery process can be a bear for anyone so here are five tips to help.
Reset
Don’t wait to unpack. The longer you put off unpacking the more exhausting it will be. Get that load of laundry started. Put your toiletries away. Put away your purchases. And try to get back in the swing of things as quickly as you can. If you wallow in the aftermath of a con for too long, it can make getting back to your standards of normalcy difficult.
Con Crud
Another immediate need when returning home is your health. With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it is essential to start testing for Covid as soon as you are home. Most conventions have unfortunately dropped their masking and vaccination mandates.
Ideally, folks are testing at the conventions and getting regular Covid vaccination boosters, but all it takes is a small portion of irresponsible people to get everyone sick. Even if it isn’t Covid, many people come home with some sort of con crud. It’s important to stay hydrated and seek treatment if it is available.
Con Crash
Con Crash is a condition that affects people’s mental health. It’s the sadness that can come with the drop off in adrenaline levels after leaving a convention.
TakeThis, a US-based Mental Health charity that focuses on the gaming community, has an incredible guide to everything that can go into con crash and how to deal with it. The most important things are to listen to your body and work to get back into your daily routine.
Stuff
Inevitably, you are going to come home from a convention with stuff. Piles and piles of just stuff. Shopping can be a huge part of conventions but there is also an immense amount of free things that will also follow you home.
Stickers, business cards, samples, trinkets, and more will likely find their way into your luggage. Having a plan for everything ahead of time will help but if you don’t have a plan, here are some tips:
- Put everything away as soon as possible.
- Decide what freebies you are keeping and what you can recycle, gift, or donate. You aren’t obligated to keep any of it.
- Catalog any business cards you want to keep the information for. Take photos, find a file for them, or come up with your own system. Don’t be afraid to recycle the ones you know you don’t need or want.
Reach Out
This is arguably the most important part, especially for content creators and vendors alike. Reach out to folks. Make use of the business cards you picked up and contact the people you want to work with. Contact the new friends you made. Follow up while that information is fresh in your mind. It may take folks some time to respond but taking that time to reach out is essential.
Convention recovery is one of those important things no one likes to talk about. It’s hard to talk about things like getting the sads from con crash or being incredibly sick with con crud, but knowing how to handle the days or even weeks after a con is essential. So take these five tips and get out to your favorite conventions prepared for what happens after.
About The Author
