AsiaPOP Comic Con Manila 2018 is just a few day away, and we know you all are excited with all the big guests and celebrities appearing as well as some epic attractions from the biggest brands in the pop culture scene. So to prepare you for another pop culture intensified weekend, here’s our handy convention guide to help you survive and have an awesome APCC Manila experience.

Purchase your tickets early

Hate waiting in line for hours? You can cut your waiting time in half by avoiding the line to purchase tickets inside the venue and get your tickets earlier at any SM Ticket outlets at your nearest SM mall before event day, or get the tickets at the Cinema area at the Mall of Asia during event day. And avoid buying overpriced tickets from scalpers outside, you’re just gonna get yourself ripped off as you can buy the tickets in a legit way elsewhere at its original price.

Have a carpool trip with friends

Traffic is always a scum even during the weekends, so it’s best to plan out your travel if heading to the event with your friends. If you or one of your friends own a car, it’s best to have a carpool instead of commuting alone. In that way, you can plan out the fastest route and reach the venue early, just don’t forget to share the costing of the gasoline expense during the trip.

Carry your necessities

Nothing beats someone who is always prepared like a boy scout, so be sure to carry your necessities in your bag when you head to the event. As you will be spending the whole day inside, so it’s important to at least have these items in your bag. A valid ID for identification purposes, spare cash in case of emergency, a power bank to keep your phone charged at all times, medicine for first aid, hand sanitizer for proper hygiene and maybe a small towel when you get sweaty.

Check the event schedule

With a lot of things happening inside APCC, it’s best to check what’s going to happen at the main stage. It helps maximize your time roaming around and gives you an idea on what programs or attractions you will be attending. In that way, you know when your favorite artist will make an appearance on stage without worrying that you might skip that panel talk at the next hall. As a bonus, we uploaded the event schedule to give you a head start.

Be sure to follow convention house rules

Nobody likes misbehaving attendees, so to prevent you and your friends from getting trouble at the event, be sure to learn the house rules. Some of the basics are obviously falling in line properly whenever there’s a queue for an attraction, not littering (which should be a common etiquette), not bringing outside food and beverage, and not taking photos and videos during special screenings. And be sure to check on signs beside a booth or entrance on what you shouldn’t do, and don’t forget to show some manners, it’s okay to fanboy or fangirl once in a while, but just make sure not to disturb your fellow con-goers inside.

Bring extra storage

When going to major pop culture events, chances are, you will be spending a lot of merchandise. So make sure to bring an extra tote bag with you all the time so you can tuck all you newly purchased stuff in your tote bag without worrying on your plastic or paper bags getting torn after hours of walking around. And if you are planning to purchase artworks and posters, never forget to carry a poster tube, this lets you carry more artworks and at the same time, keeping them safe until you get back home. You can purchase a poster tube at any bookstore or art shops and they come in different sizes.

Be nice to cosplayers and models

Always be polite whenever you try to interact with cosplayers, models and event guests. Always ask for permission before you take photos or videos, a simple hand wave will be enough to grab their attention and models will be delighted to take selfies with you and cosplayers will do epic poses while keeping in character on whoever they are cosplaying as. When having a meet and greet sessions, always be mindful on whatever you try to have the celebrity guest signed, keep it in a minimum, you don’t need to ask them to sign your entire collection as you will be eating too much time for the guests. You can have a chit-chat with them for a short while and give them compliments while you’re at it, but don’t take too much time as they also have other attendees to tend with. Also avoid being too touchy with them as it’s not nice to make them uncomfortable when you behave like that. And never forget to say the magic word ‘Thank You’ after you interact with them.

And there you have it, and don’t forget to have fun at AsiaPop Comic Con Manila 2018 on July 27 to 29 at the SMX Convention Center. We hope to see you guys there as we do our 3-day coverage at the event. You can check the image below for the highlights for this year’s APCC Manila.