5 Things to Remember at Gaming Conventions

Gaming conventions, or cons for short, are a great opportunity to play new games, meet new people, and have fun. But there are also a lot of things to remember when attending a con, especially if you want it to be a positive experience. Even more so when you’re attending as a gaming missionary. So here are five things to remember when you’re going to a gaming con.

1. Eat and drink. Cons get busy quickly. I’ve attended dozens of them over the years, and the more activities you schedule, the easier it is to forget to eat food and drink water. When I was co-hosting a podcast a few years ago, we attended a local con that kept us busy enough that I ate breakfast in the morning, before heading to the event center, but then forgot to have any more food until late that afternoon. I was tired, irritable, and because I also forgot to drink water, my throat hurt. Thankfully, we’d brought lunch, so I ate it and chugged water to “catch up” on nutrition, but then I repeated the mistake the next day. And the following year.

2. Wear comfortable shoes. There’s a good chance you’ll be walking a lot, even at a gaming con that keeps you sitting at a table for two to four hours (or more) at a time. Hotel event center carpet isn’t soft. If you’re at a convention center, chances are the floors are solid cement. Even if you spend a lot of time sitting and wear good shoes, you’re going to be exhausted at the end of the day. The worse the shoes, the worse you’ll feel. And that’s if you’re a teenager in amazing shape (like I was in my youth).

3. Try new things. Trying new things is scary, especially when it’s at a table or in a workshop with total strangers. When I attended the local con with my podcast for the first time in 2014, I’d never worked an event as local press. I’d never moderated a discussion panel, interviewed celebrities in person (I’d only interviewed a handful of people for the show in the five months we’d been “on the air” up to that point), and it was scary. But I learned a lot, especially in the first few days. I gained new skills that served me well in many different areas of life and even contributed to my transition into ministry. If you’re at a gaming con, it’s a great opportunity to play a game you’ve always wanted to try but never had the chance. You may find out you love it enough to buy it and share it with your friends, or you may discover that it’s not for you, saving you some money and storage space, especially if it’s a giant board game with a high price tag. And you may meet some cool people who will become new friends! Which leads me into…

4. Meet new people. I’m an introvert, and I’m comfortable with a handful of people. But every friend I have was once a stranger to me. At a gaming con, I already have something in common with the people around me: I love games! It’s easy to start a conversation in that situation. All you have to do is ask, “Hey, what’s your favorite game?” Then follow up with, “What do you like about it?” If you’re at a writing con, ask the other authors what they’re writing and what they’re reading. You probably already have your own answers to those, or similar, questions, which means you only need to get the conversation started to open the door to potentially make a new friend.

5. If you’re a Christian (and I suspect some of my readers are but don’t assume you all are), take the time to minister to the people around you. It could be something as simple as silently praying for each of them as you walk by. If you’re talking with people, maybe you could go deeper and ask how you can pray for them. Take the time to share the gospel with them so they have the opportunity to hear and respond to God’s offer of salvation from sin. People may not be interested in having those specific conversations, but you won’t know if you don’t ask. And if you ask and they decide they don’t want to be prayed for or to hear the gospel, you can still show them God’s love by how you treat them.