How To Attend Comic Con (Or Other Conferences) At A Deep Discount

Every year conventions and conferences take place all over the country and even the world. This past weekend, I attended the Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con. The event was wonderful and you can read my recaps by searching the label "Wizard World."

While attending the conference, I saw lots of people in bright yellow shirts that said "volunteer" on the back. These volunteers were all fans of the convention that helped to keep lines organized, crowds moving, and celebrities happy. Volunteers trade a few hours of helping for free admission to the convention. Wizard World hosts Comic Cons all over the country so even if you're not in Philadelphia I recommend checking out their other cities.

The best part about volunteering at Comic Con? I asked a few of the volunteers and the resounding answer was that they were able to make new friends within their fandoms. A few questioned my motives for asking before admitting that the opportunity to work near a favorite celebrity was a huge benefit. Depending on the celebrity, volunteers can often (but not always) get quick photos or autographs without paying the fee once the lines slow down.

At Wizard World Comic Con, there are different types of volunteers. The volunteers wearing yellow shirts were the most noticeable. These volunteers answered the questions and directed fans to specific areas. They also assist with the celebrities and line control. The other type of volunteer was the digital team. Digital team members wore green shirts instead of the bright yellow.

The digital team was responsible for getting lots of pictures which were uploaded to Flickr, Instagram, and other social medias. I wasn't able to speak to any members of the digital team but I did see them at every panel standing towards the stage. They were also walking around the convention center taking pictures of the fans that participated in cosplay.

While this post is specifically about Wizard World, other conventions and conferences also trade volunteer hours for free admission. I know that the year I attended BlogHer, most of the people at registration were volunteers. They traded a few hours of handing out name badges for free admission to the conference. Professional organizations also offer admission in exchange for volunteer hours. If there is an event you truly want to attend, check their website and inquire about volunteer opportunities. You'll save money, make new friends, and still enjoy the conference. Please note that not all conferences offer free admission in exchange for volunteering. Some offer a discount based on the number of hours you volunteer.

Wizard World's Philadelphia Comic Con - Day 2 (Saturday)

Day two of Comic Con began much different than day one. First, I arrived in the morning, instead of later in the day. Second, the crowds. I thought Friday seemed busy but it was a ghost town compared to Saturday. When I got off the train, it was like cattle being herded. It seemed that every person at Market East was heading to the convention center. Upon arriving, volunteers were yelling directions for those ready to enter and other people that needed to first register. I already had my bracelet from Friday so I was set to walk directly in.

As I walked with the crowds, I noticed that booths that were crowded yesterday were actually blocked off due to over-popularity today. For example, Norton had a great exhibit about X-Men while subtlety advertising their technology. Yesterday I could walk in and take a picture with the cardboard cutouts as a X-Men, but today the tent was so full that they had to wait for it to empty before allowing the next group of people in. Other areas had similar problems.

While yesterday I just wore a Mario themed t-shirt, today I thought I'd brave a little cosplay. I didn't want to dye my hair though so people didn't really get it. If I said something first, then I would get "oh, I see it now." While others didn't get it, I thought my River Song looked great in the Tardis.

Yesterday I walked around and got the lay of the land, today I decided to take in some panel discussions. I went to Sean Astin, Whoopi Goldberg, David Boreanaz, and Jason David Frank. The first three were in the ballroom, while Jason David Frank was in a smaller room. I also saw panels for Christopher Lloyd and Nathan Fillion listed but there was too much to do and some times overlapped.

Each panel had microphones set up for fans to ask questions. After a brief introduction, the moderator would point to a microphone for you to ask a question. I only asked a question to David Boreanaz. Sorry for the shaky filming but it was hard to keep the camera steady and bend down to the microphone at the same time.


After the panels, I went back to the main floor to walk around again before leaving. My first Comic Con was a great experience and I learned tons of stuff. First, avoid Saturday if possible. It seems that everyone goes on Saturday. Even people that paid for pictures and autographs had to wait twice as long. The celebrities are there the entire weekend, unless specifically noted. You're better going on Friday or Sunday when the crowd is smaller. Second, cosplay is not important. It's fun to see all the costumes but it doesn't make the convention. The final thing I learned was bring cash. While some vendors have credit card readers on their phones, many of the vendors didn't take plastic. I only bought one thing, but the guy's credit card reader broke and he became cash only.

Although the convention is continuing on Sunday, I decided to skip the final day. There were a few more interesting panels but there was another event this weekend here in Philadelphia that I decided to check out. So Sunday I will be at the Manyuank Art's Festival.

If you want to see more photos from Wizard World Philadelphia, check out the Making Cents of It Facebook Page. I've created an album with the pictures that came out decent.

Following the convention, I will be writing a full post on how to attend Comic Cons for cheap, possibly free. Keep an eye out because with ticket prices starting at $45 for a single day's admission, and autographs costing another $50, Comic Con can quickly add up to a huge expense.

Wizard World's Philadelphia Comic Con - Day 1 (Friday)

From the moment I stepped off the train at Market East, I could see that the convention was indeed in town. People all around the train station were in costumes, carrying yellow "Wizard World" bags, and heading towards the convention center. Once there, I was a little disappointed when I walked in to see the ground floor almost empty. Surely a convention of this size would take up the entire convention center. I checked in, got my bracelet and headed to the escalator. I can now say that they didn't need the ground floor. Unlike the car show which needs space, Comic Con was tight packed into the second floor. Break out sessions were held on the first floor (more on those tomorrow).

I walked around and took in my surroundings. The middle area was full of booths. There was a lightsaber booth, a classic video game booth, a tower of t-shirts booth, and more. This was a geeks dream flea market. Booth after booth of geekdoms. To the left were tons of artists selling prints and signing comic books.

The back was where the autograph opportunities took place. I walked by to check it out and was blown away. Autograph prices ranged from $30 for some lesser known celebrities to $195. I didn't get any autographs but that didn't stop me from checking out the lines. Karen Gillan (Doctor Who, Guardians of the Galaxy) was starting her signings when I walked by so I was able to see the beginning. Karen came in from the back of the curtain, said a few words to the crowd before sitting down to sign autographs.

I continued on my journey of Comic Con and saw some awesome stuff. There was a full size Tardis for photo-ops. I took a picture but I'm going to wait until tomorrow to retake them in my costume. Yes, for my second day of Comic Con, I'm going to cosplay as River Song. Perfect costume for a Tardis picture. Other photo-ops included the Delorean, a Jurassic Park Jeep, becoming an X-Men, and more. Some cost money, others ask for donations, and a few were free. Most of the more extreme cosplays are also more than willing to take pictures. I saw both Loki and Arrow taking pictures when asked. I met a doppelganger for Silent Bob and he was more than willing to pose for pictures, just don't ask him anything that can't be answered with hand gestures. The guy was really in character and didn't say a word.

I finished off day one with a little speed dating, Comic Con style. Over an hour period, I met about thirty guys. Did anything come from it? That's for me to know. I will tell you that it was an interesting experience and you can tell that it was easy to spot the posers vs the hard core fandoms.

Tomorrow I will take the journey back to the convention center for another day of geeks and fandoms. I will try to update on Twitter but I needed to make a choice between good pictures or instant uploads. I choose to take the pictures with my camera and upload them when I get home. Otherwise, you'll just be looking at cell phone images and where's the fun in that? I am also planning to attend some panels and Q&As. Today was about learning the setup, tomorrow is to actually experience the convention.

Following the convention, I will be writing a full post on how to attend Comic Cons for cheap, possibly free. Keep an eye out because with ticket prices starting at $45 for a single day's admission, and autographs costing another $50, Comic Con can quickly add up to a huge expense.

Philadelphia Comic Con

Have you ever been to Comic Con? I am very excited that I will be attending the Wizard World Comic Con in Philadelphia later this month. If you're in the Philadelphia area, tickets are still available. I will be Tweeting live from Comic Con so keep an eye out for some great pictures.

While it's too late to apply for a regular volunteer position, the Wizard World Comic Con is looking for people to be part of their digital team in Philadelphia.

Wizard World Comic Con is looking for a number of local assistants to work with our Digital Team at Philadelphia Comic Con. By assisting our social media team either Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and/or on a half day Sunday (June 19, 20, 21, 22), you will receive a FREE one day pass to the show!!

For future conventions, check out their volunteer information packet to see the benefits and locations. Basically you work a few hours doing simple tasks and you can enjoy the rest of the convention for free. Some volunteers actually claim the experience is even better because they feel apart of the event. Comic Cons are not the only conventions that offer free admission in exchange for volunteer hours. If there is something you're interested in, look at volunteering as a way to save money.