I’ve been going to conventions for 15 years, and I’ve never been to a ‘party floor’. Does what happens there differ significantly from your average dorm room party?
Really depends on the convention. I’ve been to cons which had practically no room parties at all, and I’ve been to cons that have entire floors of hotels booked exclusively by people running elaborate parties.
Some room parties are just some beverages, food and people playing Apples to Apples. Some room parties have elaborate sets to recreate a Klingon brig while a large man in full makeup calls you a p’tak and tries to convince you to eat a meal worm.
Weirdly, in my area [southern California] the anime conventions have very few room parties, but some of the general SF cons have huge ones. Some are run by individuals, others by conventions or publishing companies. Most are open to everyone, but a few are aimed at a particular sub-group of fandom.
Fans still talk about one year when the convention hotel was shared with an Amway convention, but my favorite was the time when there was a gathering of mariachis in town, and two conventions shared the same overflow hotel. So, they all had to dress up where they were staying and then travel to the hotels where the events were.
Yes, cosplayers and mariachis all walking out of the same elevator got some very strange looks from the hotel staff.
UnCONventional is a comic that ran from December 2009 to December 2019 about the staff of a small town anime convention and their lives. This is a complete online archive of the comic.
Read Peregrine Lake, the Follow Up To UnCONventional - Updated Every Tuesday!
8 thoughts on “Full Head On Collision”
Bernhard
Well, now we know what the “P” stands for.
Trae Dorn
It’s been on the cast page for a while too. 😛
Bernhard
You expect me to do simple research?
On the Internet?!
Inconceivable! 😉
Lugh
I’ve been going to conventions for 15 years, and I’ve never been to a ‘party floor’. Does what happens there differ significantly from your average dorm room party?
Trae Dorn
Really depends on the convention. I’ve been to cons which had practically no room parties at all, and I’ve been to cons that have entire floors of hotels booked exclusively by people running elaborate parties.
Some room parties are just some beverages, food and people playing Apples to Apples. Some room parties have elaborate sets to recreate a Klingon brig while a large man in full makeup calls you a p’tak and tries to convince you to eat a meal worm.
It’s a spectrum.
Smithnik
Weirdly, in my area [southern California] the anime conventions have very few room parties, but some of the general SF cons have huge ones. Some are run by individuals, others by conventions or publishing companies. Most are open to everyone, but a few are aimed at a particular sub-group of fandom.
Fans still talk about one year when the convention hotel was shared with an Amway convention, but my favorite was the time when there was a gathering of mariachis in town, and two conventions shared the same overflow hotel. So, they all had to dress up where they were staying and then travel to the hotels where the events were.
Yes, cosplayers and mariachis all walking out of the same elevator got some very strange looks from the hotel staff.
Langland
What does Sarah’s dad do for a living?
Trae Dorn
Business.
About the Comic
UnCONventional is a comic that ran from December 2009 to December 2019 about the staff of a small town anime convention and their lives. This is a complete online archive of the comic.
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