This article is a part of the Big Bad Con Advice series! These articles aim to give general advice to attendees who are looking to connect with more of their peers in a professional capacity. While the articles tackle general information, our video series will zone in on special topics.

Hey, folks! We’re back with more advice to share. This time, we’ve prepared a list of things that we consider essential for all of our con-goers.

1. COVID-19 Gear

N95 or higher masks, COVID-19 tests, vaccination card (if you have one!)

Big Bad Con is a mask-mandatory event! Our rangers will be regularly making the rounds, reminding folks to keep their masks on at all times except when you need to drink water or get something to eat. Make sure to have a professional-grade mask, or several spare N95s or higher on hand. We will be providing masks too.

While we will have COVID-19 tests available, try to bring your own! Our stocks of tests will be limited.

Note: when you arrive for registration, you will be asked to go to the COVID station. You don’t need a photo ID; you will be asked for your “badge name”. Every attendee is required to confirm their identity, and that they’ve tested for COVID-19  before coming to the convention.

You can review our Public Health Policy for more details.

Other things to consider bringing:

• Hand sanitizer and/or alcohol
• Antibacterial wipes
• Nasal spray
• Immune-boosting supplements (vitamin C is your best friend!)
• Portable air purifier

Certain Big Bad Con events, such as the POC Meet & Greet, ask that you take a Covid test 1 hour (or less) before the event, so please bring extra! If you need additional tests, please ask one of our rangers, who will be able to provide one for you.

2. General Travel

Credit or debit card, passport and a government issued ID from your place of origin, immigration documents (where relevant)

Outside of packing all the clothes, toiletries, and/or medication you will need during your stay, we want to make sure you have everything you need in order to gain access to your hotel room. Hyatt Regency requires a credit card, and has a holding fee of $50 USD/day. Keep this in mind! Coordinate with your roommate with respect to whose credit card you will be putting on their record, as this credit card will receive the holding fee charges.

For first-time travelers to the United States, all hotels/inns charge for your stay at check-out and require a credit card or debit card for their holding fees (asked for when you check in). Prepare accordingly.

Other things to consider bringing, buying upon or before arrival, or preparing:

• eSim. While eSims can only provide data, they will save you a lot of money versus putting your phone on roaming (there will be WiFi at the Hyatt Regency, and there are many free public WiFi hotspots around San Francisco, including SFO). You can purchase eSims online before your trip and activate them the moment you land, or purchase an eSim at the airport once you arrive.
• Power bank. Keep your tech charged just in case! Plugs may be in short supply outside of the airport and your hotel room.
• Travel adapters. US plugs are 110V by default, and are not compatible with travelers from Europe and some parts of Asia. Buy yourself an adapter ahead of time to save yourself the hassle of finding one when you’re already in San Francisco.

3. Essential Things for Making Connections

If you’re coming to the convention with an eye for making meaningful industry connections and looking for opportunities, consider any (or all!) of the items on this list.

• Business cards. A stack of 100 or more pieces should be enough. We have an entry all about Business cards in our article Hypemachining & Self-Care!
• Updated CV/portfolio. This does NOT have to be a hard copy - in fact, we wouldn’t suggest bringing hard copies of this at all. Just make sure you’ve got an updated digital copy with a good way to share the link. We write about this too in Hypemachining & Self-Care.
• Dice, tokens, and game paraphernalia. While our Games on Demand does have dice on hand, it’d be good to have a general set for your own use. If you have card games and such that you’d want to play with other folks and you’ve got the space in your luggage for it, don’t be shy!
• Copies of your game to give away or trade for. This is most relevant if you have small games or zines that you’d like to show off.
• Stickers, pins, dice you’ve made, or cool things you’d want to give away or trade for. The bread and butter of geeks. Leaving some room for things you’d want to gift new friends, or things you’d like to trade other artisans for could be fun!
• A game or a prototype you’d like to playtest. You don’t even have to schedule this as an event - you can invite folks to playtest your game at any time during the convention! As we’ve mentioned before, you can make new friends very easily if you’ve got something to bond over, and everyone is at Big Bad because they LOVE games.

We hope this advice helps! Check the rest of our articles out for more.