*Photo by Free/Roam/Soul

“Remember to thank the guests for their time.”(pg 67, How To Avoid Hara-Kiri)

Many con-goers always ask the question: “How do I meet the special guests that frequent conventions“?

Well, there are several ways that the average con-goer can meet these esteemed guests. The first and easiest way is to attend a panel lead by said person. Most of the time when a con has a special guest attend, they are supposed to lead at least one panel or special function during the con. An example would be a cosplay guest being asked to lead a cosplay construction panel. Another way to meet a guest would be to go to an autograph singing, if available. Try to allot for extra time, if there is a special guest, they will have an autograph singing scheduled. The last method that you can use to meet a guest, is to find out if they have a booth in the Artist Alley or the Dealer’s Room. Sometimes if a guest has their own company, they will have a table in either of these two rooms. This is normally one of the easiest ways to meet the guest and get their autograph or a picture with them.

An average con-goer can find out the available guests, time of their panels and appearances, and the location of their booths all in the event and schedule books handed out by the convention staff when you receive your con pass. Something to keep in mind when looking for special guests: they are people too. If a guest looks like he or she is busy, do not pester them for an autograph or photograph. If you think your convention schedule is stringent, you wouldn’t believe how busy they are!

Taking this into consideration, when you do get a chance to meet them and share a few words, share just that. Unless they are obviously free for the moment, try to keep your words of praise and questions to a minimum; don’t forget, there are thousands of other people at the convention who want a chance to speak to them too.