Preparing for a day at a convention

In light of MuggleNet’s own convention, MuggleNet Live! 2015: Expo Patronum, here is a list of practical and fun things everyone should do when attending a Harry Potter convention.

1. When actors and influential guest speakers are near, snag sneaky selfies over your shoulder of yourself and one of the special guests.

2. Strike up random debates with strangers. It’s always fun to hear other fan theories that you may have never stumbled across before.

3. Go all out and wear a costume. Go ahead and own it; you know you want to. Or just wear your favorite HP T-shirt, and carry around a wand all day because it’s completely acceptable here.

4. Make a schedule of the panels you want to attend. Look up the times they begin in advance so that you can have a solid plan of where you need to be at what time. Usually there is at least a ten-minute gap between panels to give convention goers time to get to them, but it’s so much easier to get there and get a good seat if you have a plan ahead of time. Fortunately, at Expo Patronum, you won’t worry about having to miss a single one!

5. Get a group of people together, and set all of your ringtones to songs from the Harry Potter soundtrack. Hit play at the same time whenever you want to make a dramatic entrance.

6. One of my personal favorite convention games is the great Swag Competition. Compete with your friends to see who can gather the most free swag from the booths. Free pens are beautiful things. I don’t think I’ve bought a pack of pens in years.

7. Remember to pack a sharpie and a notebook just in case. You never know when an impromptu meeting with someone might occur. I’ve used this method successfully at concerts and conventions. Be sure not to get your hopes up since security is important and understandably strict at some events, but it’s always good to be prepared just in case.

Tickets are available now for MuggleNet’s own Expo Patronum! Find out more about the convention, special guests, and ticketing information right here.