New York ComicCon: Etiquette for fans, pros AND exhibitors!

Nerd prom New York ComicCon starts this week at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City. Tonight is Preview Night, which is basically a nice way of opening up the floor to exhibitors, pros, and the press for a less-crowded three hours of exploring the floor. Tomorrow morning the con opens its doors to the general public, setting loose about 100k rabid pop culture fans with disposable income.

But hidden among those 100k fans are a handful of folks who don't understand the rules of genre convention etiquette, and their behavior can make it difficult for exhibitors to do their jobs (because let's not forget: the people you see manning those booths are actually working, whether for a large company like DC Comics or for themselves, like the intrepid folks in Artists' Alley).

So here are a few general rules of thumb, for fans, pro guests AND exhibitors:

1. Don't assume that anything at an exhibitor's booth is for the taking and don't take anything without asking. Most exhibitors are selling product, which means you have to pay for it.
2. Say thank you! If an exhibitor offers you something for free (aka, SWAG!), whether it's a book, t-shirt, or drawing, take a moment to actively engage that exhibitor, listen to his or her product pitch and say thank you. You'd be surprised how far a thank you will go!
3. Don't hover around the booths on Sunday morning, asking if the exhibitors will be giving away leftover product at the end of the day. It's tacky and annoying. Most exhibitors actually DO give away a lot of product at the end of the con, particularly if the alternative is to ship it a great distance. However, they're more likely to offer something to you if you've been by the booth previously and engaged them in genuine conversation about a book, product, etc... (See above re saying thank you!) You may even want to hit up some of the smaller booths that are understaffed and offer to bring the booth workers coffee or soda; trust me when I say they'll appreciate it and remember you later. (Note: This in no way is a plea for y'all to drop by the Book Country booth and bring goodies...cough cough.)
4. If you are a writer or an artist, do not try to pitch your work to the booth staff. There's a time and a place for that, and an enormous pop culture convention is not that place. (Again, see Item #2 re engaging exhibitors in genuine conversation.) If in the course of a conversation with a booth worker you happen to mention that you are a manga creator or a novelist, and then the person to whom you are speaking asks to see your work, THIS IS TOTALLY OKAY!
   
5. Do not be a booth groupie. What's a booth groupie? A booth groupie is a fan who comes by an exhibitor's booth several times in the course of a day in the hopes of scoring additional swag. Don't be this person.
   
6. Don't hit on the booth staff, particularly if they are female! This may seem like common sense, but I've been to too many pop culture cons where some of my female colleagues were made to feel extremely uncomfortable by the persistent unwanted attentions of a fan. It's never cool to make someone feel uncomfortable.
   
7. If you are a writer or an artist who has been asked to do a signing in an exhibitor's booth, arrive on time, be gracious with the fans who come to meet you and then leave the booth when the signing is over. I know it's tempting to hang out with the exhibitors afterward or to treat their booth as your own private resting spot on the floor, but really, don't do this. The booths are small, the exhibitors have work to do and you'll just be in the way. Some of the exhibitors will be too polite to say this to you, so I'm saying it for them: Don't be a diva.
8. Be a good booth-neighbor! If you're an exhibitor holding an event with a popular personality, or you are giving away or selling a show special that is likely to draw a huge line, make sure you are not blocking access to your neighbor's booths. Also, if you're near a booth that seems really understaffed, offer to send one of your people over to spell them for a bathroom break. You'd be surprised how many small companies exhibit with just one employee!
9. Be nice to the show organizers (ReedPOP), the show managers (Freeman) and the Javits Center staff (electricians, carpenters, etc.). These guys are all there to help make the show run smoothly, they have your best interests at heart and I know from experience that they'll do everything they can to fix whatever might go wrong as long as you treat them with respect.
   

Okay, everyone clear on the rules? AWESOME! Now go out there and have some fun! (And please stop by the Book Country booth #2028 to say hello - I would love to meet you!)