How to Make the Most of a Busy Convention Day
PHILADELPHIA, PA — Whether you’re a first-time pop culture convention attendee, a traveling convention enthusiast with a decade of experience under your belt, or even a guest of the convention itself, there is one thing that every badge holder will have in common at any given convention; we will all be dealing with the crowds. Pop culture conventions like Fan Expo Philadelphia draw tens of thousands of visitors each year, and we decided to tempt fate that much further by attending the convention on the busiest day of its three-day event weekend. Luckily, we know our way around the convention scene pretty well, and we have a few tricks up our sleeve when it comes to navigating heavy crowds and making the most of a busy convention day!
Set Appropriate Expectations
Fan Expo Philadelphia hosts an average of 50,000 geeks, cosplayers, creators and fandom enthusiasts at the Pennsylvania Convention Center every year. That’s a lot of shoulders rubbing against one another, and the volume will inevitably create some long lines, some choke points and some traffic jams. It will also make seating harder to come by when your feet feel like they need a break the most, and will likely raise the temperature of the convention center as a whole by a few degrees. For these reasons alone, it’s important to set appropriate expectations for your day or your weekend so that you’re less likely to get overwhelmed or frustrated.
The overwhelming majority will attend on the Saturday of the convention, with Friday usually being the next-most-attended day and the Sunday usually being the slowest day of the three - though this can sometimes vary. If you’re planning to attend on a Friday or a Saturday, expect to see those longer lines and to contend with a higher volume of foot traffic in the halls. Even when we were able to bypass celebrity queues as VIP guests at the 2024 event, there was no avoiding the long queues for food and merchandise and there were no secret passages to circumvent the masses in, on and around the show floor. By its very nature, a convention will pull a critical mass of fans and enthusiasts together; but for all the chaos, there’s a unique kind of beauty to be found in that kind of gathering, too! The better your mindset heading into the convention, the more likely you are to have a great time in spite of the crowds.
Above: Fan Expo’s “Community Zone” gave us a little breathing room when we needed it most, and it also gave us the opportunity to snap some sick pics with a screen-used 1967 Chevy Impala from TV’s Supernatural!
Come with a Plan
Particularly on the convention’s busiest days, it’s helpful to have a plan in mind before you arrive. There are a few different places to start. Firstly, we always recommend downloading the official app for whatever convention you’re attending, if there’s one available. Fan Expo, for example, has dedicated apps for each and every convention under their banner, including MegaCon Orlando, Vidcon Anaheim, Calgary Expo, and many, many more. While we can’t speak for the fluidity of apps we’ve never used, we have found the Fan Expo Philadelphia app to be an invaluable tool for planning any celebrity interactions.
You can purchase celebrity photo ops, autographs and special event programming tickets directly through links embedded in aforementioned app, and you can get a glimpse at panel and event programming in the ‘schedule’ section of that same app, as well. Pre-purchasing autographs doesn’t guarantee any particular timetable for you, but photo ops and programming are tightly scheduled and will be very easy to plan into your day. Between the app, the official convention website and the convention center website, there are no shortage of tools for getting a lay of the land. You can also take a bit of stress out of your day by using websites like SpotHero to reserve parking in advance of the convention, too!
Dress for Success
When we say “dress for success”, we’re not just talking about cosplay - although, yes - we are talking about anticipating a long day on your feet in an environment that 50,000 people will be crammed into alongside you. Much of the show floor is polished concrete, and it only takes a few minutes of standing still on those types of surfaces before your feet begin to get tired of it. We always pack a tiny, travel-sized bottle of ibuprofen to stave off the worst of the aches and pains, but comfortable, well-cushioned and sufficiently supportive shoes are by far the greatest asset in the war against foot cramps. The last thing you want is to finally make it to the front of the celebrity autograph line only to be unable to enjoy the interaction while your body is crying out for the nearest chair.
You can also expect temperatures to fluctuate wildly from one area of the convention center to the next, particularly on the busiest days of the convention weekend. Venues like the Pennsylvania Convention Center are largely climate controlled, but you may still find yourself getting a little toasty when surrounded by a couple thousand bodies all running at an average of 98.6 degrees each. Experienced cosplayers are likely to know some creative and adaptive ways of keeping cool and comfortable in costume already, so in this case, we’ll speak directly to the civilian attendees who may not know what to expect from a busy convention day - wear comfortable shoes and breathable clothes, and bring an (light) extra layer if possible and/or practical. Make sure to keep hydrating, as well, using any of the water bottle refill stations throughout the convention center and the show floor.
Get Off the Show Floor
Much of the excitement and activity of conventions like Fan Expo Philadelphia will take place on the show floor, particularly when the main stage panel is also on the show floor with all the vendors and celebrities. At Fan Expo events, specifically, there is also a “Community Zone” where large interactive exhibits necessitate more space and allow for a bit more breathing room than most of the Dealer/Vendor Alley and Artist Alley aisles are able to offer. However, for a true break from the madness of the convention, you’ll want to step away from the show floor and explore some of the quieter areas of the convention center - many of which have lower key, more sensory-friendly programming scheduled to keep you engaged.
Every convention is different, but we know from multiple years of experience that Fan Expo Philadelphia offers dedicated rooms for Video Gaming, Tabletop Gaming, Book Clubs, and smaller and more fandom-focused panel programming in addition to spaces typically left open for cosplay photography. The Cosplay Red Carpet can also be found just off the show floor, and - while far from quiet (DJ Thugshells knows her audience) - this area is spacious enough to accommodate a large volume of attendees without creating that same sense of claustrophobia and sensory overload that the show floor might occasionally create. Attendees who have purchased VIP and Ultimate-tier admission can also enjoy private, dedicated lounges with comfortable seating, outlets for phone chargers and standalone water coolers. The cost of admission at these tiers is much higher, but if you tire easily and you know that you will need to take regular breaks to recharge, the perks might be worth it!
Although there are food vendors on the convention floor, we also always recommend getting out of the convention center itself and seeing what local shops or reliable chains might be serving the city surrounding the convention center when it comes time for lunch. It’s a little less convenient and it will take a little more time out of your day - but it’s always nice to get a breath of fresh air after spending several hours indoors traipsing around the show floor, and it’s also fun to try something new and different while you’re in town for a special event! Many (though not all) local businesses will offer discounts to attendees who show their badges when placing an order, and pricing is often lower when ordering food outside the convention center than it will be within the convention center. Plus, you might stumble across a culinary hub like the Reading Terminal Market where the venue offers a unique experience all on its own.
Patience is a Virtue
The last recommendation we have is by far the most important, and it’s as simple as this - be patient. Veteran attendees will know to expect long lines, but you might be surprised by the number of first-time convention attendees who stumble into the convention on any given Saturday, hoping to meet their favorite actor or creator; and not all of them come adequately prepared for the level of stimulation, crowding and standing that they might ultimately experience. No matter what your badge type, your experience level, your fandom or your cosplay, you will be confronted with crowds, noise, lights and colors on an absolutely massive scale that is sure to burn you out. But for as tiring as these types of conventions can be, they’re also exciting, fun and incredibly community-based, and the staff are always standing by to help make your day easier. We look forward to attending Fan Expo Philadelphia every year, and a few thousand people are never going to stand in the way of our having a good time. Hopefully, with these helpful tips and tricks in your back pocket, you’ll be able to say the same about your own convention experience!
Fan Expo Philadelphia will return to the Pennsylvania Convention Center on May 28-30th, 2027. 2026 attendees will be given early access to purchase 2027 admission, but first-time attendees can look forward to purchasing tickets to the 2027 event soon. Visit https://fanexpohq.com/fanexpophiladelphia/ for advanced purchases and additional event information. You can also check out our experience vlog from the 2026 event below for a closer look at what there is to see and do at the convention, and how we leverage our own advice to make the most of the busiest convention day!
