Conventions are home for great merchandise, awesome events, and also the opportunity to meet your favorite idols. Just imagine you and your favorite Japanese idol in the same venue and just a few feet away from you.
Now hold it right there! Don’t get too excited just yet.
As years go by, meeting the people that you admired from your favorite idol group has become possible as organizers always find the effort to make sure fans have an awesome experience in a con. However, just because you are given this kind of convenience, don’t mean that you can go crazy about it, shouting in the halls like a madman.
In this article, we will be showing you the dos and don’ts upon meeting your idol for the first time. Note that these are the general stuff that you need to take note of. There are more things to address in regard to this topic, but it’s better that we talk about in another post.
So, what needs to be done? Read on below.
Your Idol Can’t Meet All of You
Now that’s a bit misleading? Let me explain further. Let’s put into consideration that your idol has a busy schedule. The majority of them are super tight, and it’s heaven-sent that you are able to meet them in the convention that you’re going. However, getting them into the convention you plan go to is not a walk in the park. Convention organizers take a lot of effort and talking to get them on board, and they do their very best to make sure they are well taken care of.
If ever your idol will be going to the convention that you’re attending, remember that the standard convention pass may still not be enough to get to you to meet-and-greet with them. Why is that so? The convention might require you to upgrade your pass or pay a separate fee.
Remember that having them as guests requires a lot of planning and money to get them over (especially when they are from overseas, like Japan). So as a way of support, paying a little extra to see them won’t hurt.
Preparing Yourself
Just who wouldn’t be excited to meet their idol? Before you step into the convention hall, you must prepare yourself and make sure that you haven’t missed out anything.
1. Convention pass – The first and most important thing. Make sure that you wear your pass, and it’s visible enough for convention staff to see.
2. Wear your best clothes – You can cosplay, you can wear your favorite anime shirt. Just be the anime and geek-loving person you are in the convention .That’s what it’s all for.
3. Observe Proper Hygiene – Please make it a habit to look and smell fresh whenever you are going to meet your idol in a convention. We understand how exciting it is to be in an awesome convention, but let’s not neglect our personal hygiene in this case.
4. Be at Your Best Behavior – Organizers and convention staff are expecting guests to be at their best behavior when they are meeting with idols, celebrity cosplayers, etc. Remember that once something bad happens while they are there, there is a huge chance that they may not come back into the convention anymore. So observe convention rules and follow the special conditions that are given out by the organizers, and you will do fine.
Keep Your Cool and Behave
We know how exciting it is to meet them, but remember to keep your cool, keep your voice down, and again: be at your best behavior. You can cheer for them, but on a level that is the same your other fellow fans and congoers.
Although we can say that “you are the biggest fan of this idol ever,” it still boils down to proper behavior whenever they are around.
Preparing Gifts for Your Idol
It’s always nice to give gifts to idols. However, just a reminder that there is a huge chance that they may not get it from your hands personally whenever you are in their meet-and-greets or in their concerts.
Both the organizer and your idol’s agency have different rules when it comes to fans handing gifts. The most common is that the convention staff may provide a designated area or booth where fans can leave their gifts to their idols there.
When giving gifts to them, it’s advised that it should be something that doesn’t expire easy or would not give them problems when they go back home. A letter or artwork always works too. Also, once the gift has been given to the staff, there’s a huge chance they will filter and check to see if they are safe enough to be given to your idol.
Enjoy the Moment
Although there are some strict protocols to deal with, don’t forget to have fun at the event and just enjoy the moment. Just seeing your idol in the flesh and perform live is just enough to make your convention experience very memorable.
We hope that this has helped get ready to meet your idols for the first time. We will have more convention tips for you here very soon.