Me being a con newb, I have no idea, but this seemed the appropriate place to ask.
It would be best for you to check the schedule for '09 that has yet to publish, but generally they are at 5PM Friday and Monday respectively.
Thanks. What would be a good time to show up? I know any time around 8 am is bad because that's standard rush hour, but generally when would be a good time to show up on Friday?
It's really up to your personal preference.
I see many people from the hours of 7 a.m. - 10 a.m.
As we have not yet set the schedule for Opening and Closing Ceremonies, they are around the general time frame between 3pm-5pm on Friday & Monday.
Once we have the schedule set, it will be announced on the website.
Quote from: Rodney_Pheonix on December 13, 2008, 02:06:50 PMgenerally when would be a good time to show up on Friday?
I live locally, so I always pick up my badge on Thursday night. This way, I can show up around 10am to noon on Friday and still catch everything I'm interested in. That's a rough estimate, though: I wait to solidify plans until the schedule comes out because it varies from year to year.
The con is open before the opening ceremonies take place, and I think it's worthwhile to go earlier. There are usually some good panels Friday early afternoon, and if you can afford it, it's nice to get to the dealers room earlier in the con because the more rare and unusual items can sell out later. (Things often cost more on Friday, but there's more of a selection. There are also often fewer people, leaving more room to browse, so it makes for a more relaxing shopping experience.) A lot of people don't show up until after school or work, so the con is quieter during the day on Friday. It's a different atmosphere, and I tend to enjoy Friday late mornings / early afternoons a lot, even though some events are sometimes still in the process of getting organized and don't find their pace or go into full swing until later.
If you plan to pick up your badge on Friday, I believe my friends tend to figure in around two hours for registration time, although the lines seem to vary drastically. I've heard that lines were incredibly fast last year, and I've heard that registration has taken even longer than two hours in previous years. I don't know anything about Friday morning registration times first hand, though.
Grazi. Depending on my monetary situation, and work schedule, and finals schedule I my try to get ther Thursday evening so that I'm fully charged for the weekend.