no worries everyone has been new to the forum process at some point.

AWA is in september, the 19th-21st specifically. if u want to make it this year, great. if not, they'll be having AWA 15 next year
http://awa-con.com/

a few pieces of advice/help if your thinking of going to AWA based on my experience going there the last 4 years. also, i gave up on driving to AWA last year. i fly in and fly back roundtrip. ends up being cheaper and easier than driving, especially with gas being the way it is now. i have an airtran card, and i think my roundtrip ticket last year was around $150. it also pays to get a hotel membership card for whatever hotel you're staying at. they're free, and you never know when it may come in handy again.

they have ATMs, but expect them to run out of cash fast. most vendors take plastic nowadays, but you may run across one or two who don't. i would say maybe carry $100 at the most.

food is easy and can be quite cheap depending on what u want to spend/how you want to eat. the Waverly hotel where AWA is held at is directly linked to the mall so you have access to the food court which opens bright and early during the con. if you want a nice dinner one of the nights, the hotel has at least two nice restaurants inside along with a badass bar. if i'm not out taking pics or cruising the dealers room and events, i'm usually at the bar.

there are tons of hotels within walking distance of the waverly which is already booked for that weekend. use the accomodations link on the AWA page. it will give you a listing of the satellite hotels that you can book a room at. make sure to give them the AWA hotel code when calling; it'll get you a really decent rate for that weekend since u are attending as a con-goer.

if u decide to go, i def recommend getting your tix now. you will have an opportunity to get your pass early thursday. i always stay thurs night through sat night so it's much easier to get it then. but, that's me and you have have to work it a bit diff for you. that aside, it's easier to prebuy. just make sure to print out and bring your confirmation with you in case they can't find it.

the basic necessities like deoderant and soap and shampoo. it may sound silly, but fanboy funk is never fun -.-

comfy shoes because u will be on your feet for long hours all day for three days.

other than that which i can think of now, bring a smile and be ready to have tons of fun. you may run across an occasional jerk, but overall the peeps i have run into and met at AWA over the years have been amiable maybe a bit weird on occasion, but good people.

and bring lots of snacks as thats mostly what youll be eating the whole time :-p And yes please please PLEASE take a shower while at the con >_<. You have no idea how annoying it is to be standing next to someone who hasnt showered at all in 2 days. Also its better to pay in cash as theres usually no tax on the product with most vendors. If you buy with a cc it usually has quite a bit of tax added onto it.

1. I was gonna check to see if it would be cheaper to fly in. I can go 500 miles on one tank of gas and its around $50 at $3.70 sumthin a gallon. I get Shell V-Power gas; the expensive stuff. Ok, so calculating expense Drive vs. Fly is TOP priority.

2. I'll be sure to carry maybe around $200 not $100, just in case, and I got a Visa Check Card from my bank.

Ok, the top two things are decided. Heres the problem that I have. Why are you telling me to shower? Are there alot of ppl that don't? I mean thats pretty disgusting. So booking a hotel is separate? Gotta find a room first, then gotta get the pass to get in the convention. I'll also be sure to print a copy of what ever I reserve. Like the hotel room and the pass or whatever its called.

And finally, when would be the best time to get to Atlanta? Should I take off work Thursday Friday and Sunday. So Wed afternoon I can board the plan/drive the car and get there Thursday so I can get my self inorder and freshen up for the big event Fri-Sat, and Sat afternoon I'll make my way home?

ok. i gotta ask. what kind of car do u drive to get 500 miles on one tank of gas O_o i have a honda civic 2 door and i get 300 freeway miles on a tank of gas.
that aside, compare overall costs (gas and mileage to your car). for myself, it was that and i'm old, i'm lazy, i dun wanna drive for 10 hours to get to the con.



$200 should be more than enough. last year i brought cash for the shuttle from the airport to the hotel, and really didn't even need that since they took card too. always better to err on the safe side though.
the only possibility of not being able to use your card is a vendor. everyone else is card capable. food places, restaurants, etc. a credit card or bank card with a visa logo like you mentioned will be just fine.

i wouldn't say that there are a lot of peeps who don't bathe. AWA is 99% anime so ur much safer there than at a combo con with anime, games, scifi, etc. it's not anyone here pointing fingers at you, just a general observation of a sometimes common trend of being too busy to not employ basic hygene. again though, not a real problem at AWA.

correct. book a room at one of the satellite hotels. using the AWA con code will get u a room for around $100-$120 at the most which is half of what you would normally be paying so it's a good deal. i'll be staying thurs thru sat night and leaving sun afternoon. there are still some events and such on sunday, and the dealer room is still open, artists alley, etc, overall though, it's the slowest day.

your AWA pass u can take care of online. i get the three day pass since it's cheaper to pay for all 3 days, and i stay for all three days. it depends on you though and what days u will need the pass for.

i'm taking off work thurs-sun. i ususally take wed-wed off and make it a mini-vacation of sorts, but i dun have any paid vacation right now so i'm just doing the needed days. thursday off cause that's when i fly in (early booking check-in is a beautiful thing).

hope this helps. keep the questions coming if you have any more. i dun mind

Well, that just about covers it on the con part. Right now at where I work I have paid vacations, but I dunno if i got select vacation days or not. I might not be working there long since I'm looking for another job. Hopefully I get the one that pays $15 an hour where I work 40-50 hours a week, and has a "You put $50 in I put $50 in." 401k. : )

well, I drive a Mercury Cougar 99 model, with a manual transmission. Says on the little MPG display I get 32.7 MPG. Its went up this past few month from 31.5 MPG, so I'm doing something right, aka alot of coasting. It's pretty hilly around my place so I coast downhill alot. Thats prolly why. Also, It might be that I buy the Premium gas instead of regular. I like to treat everything that I own with lots of respect. Due for an oil change in about 200 miles. LOL

sounds cool. good luck finding another job. it can be hard in todays market so i'll be rooting for you. i gotta hunt down another PT job cause the one i currently have isn't giving me enough hours to back up my FT job.

sounds like you seriously thinking about AWA. r0ck on!

my journal entries from AWA last year:
http://otakuden.livejournal.com/218185.html
http://otakuden.livejournal.com/218430.html
http://otakuden.livejournal.com/218844.html
http://otakuden.livejournal.com/219029.html

Well....let's see.

I already attended Katsucon, Anime Boston and NY Comic Con.

I had planned to attend A-Kon again.....but just had to cancel my plans due to 'family medical issues'.

I will almost certainly attend Otakon and NY Anime Fair again later this year.

Other possibilities include San Diego Comic Con (already have hotel res in case I actually go this year ), Anime Expo and possibly Providence Anime Conference.

FWIW.....I only started attending anime cons in 2004.....as Otakon was my first.....and I was sorta coerced into attending it.

If at that time, someone told me that I would attend 20+ cons over the next 4 years....I would have thought they were NUTS.

In 2005....I attended only 3 cons.....Sakura Con (Seattle), Anime Boston and Anime Expo.

In both 2006 and 2007....I attended 7 cons each year.....at various locations around the USA (Anime Boston x2, Anime Expo x2, A-Kon x2, Sakura-con x2, Anime USA x2, Otakon x2, Anime Central 2006 and NY Anime Fair 2007).

And yes...I've racked up a lot of airline miles with Delta over the last few years......but not just for anime cons.

My reasons for attending cons have evolved over the 'years'........as I've attended in various 'capacities':

Initially, I was 'only' a general member.....sitting in on panels and attending some events like most people.

In 2006....I was coerced into working a few cons as a 'member of the press'......and came to like the added benefits that come with such badges....but ultimately, this sort of work wasn't 'me'.

Early last year.....things changed yet again (something that may surprise some people).....as I started receiving exhibitor/dealer/industry badges at some cons...due in large part to 'helping out' a certain R1 anime studio at various cons.

FWIW, I have come to enjoy this the most....especially the interaction with other fans at the 'booth'......and is largely the reason why after attending 20+ cons....I still haven't lost interest........yet.

The one thing that I haven't done yet....is volunteer as a staffer.

Above all else.....my primary reason for attending cons at all.......has always been to meet up with various friends and acquaintances.......as IMO that's the best part.

A.J.

sounds like you keep quite busy and enjoy yourself at the same time. very spiff
i've only ever attended as a regular memeber, though i think maybe next year i'm going to try for press. i'm taking my homepages more seriously, and there are certain events/screenings that i would like to get in early at as a press memeber. i can keep my page more update and informed that way.

there may be only 5 peeps reading my page, but it's still my page and i take pride in it :P

any plan to possibly attend AWA?
one of these years i'm gonna treat myself to Anime Expo as my bday present to myself. it always happens at the same time as my bday so why not, right

It doesn't surprise me at all, especially since I know your history on the AOD forums quite well.