1. Wear comfortable shoes
If you're new to cons, you may wonder why everyone keeps saying this. If you're not new to cons, you'll know. I have personal experience (BUCK 2014) of wearing brand new, still stiff shoes to a convention and seriously regretting it. A nice comfy pair of trainers or relaxed shoes are what you want. (Cosplayers, you're on your own!)
2. QueueCon is a thing – at first
The doors open for VIP ticket holders at 9:00 am and for the rest of us half an hour later. There'll probably already be a queue by 8:30, and if you get there at 9:30 you may have a long enough wait to get in that you miss the opening ceremony. There's not a huge amount of shelter in the queueing area, so you may need a coat/umbrella – there's a cloakroom just past registration, which is cheap and was very handy last year. On the plus side, this isn't BronyCon: you're not likely to spend hours of the actual con time wondering whether you'll make it into a panel at all.
3. Bag check and registration
You will have your bag checked on entry to the venue. This was pretty efficient and friendly last year, but there's no doubt that a large rucksack with 27 pockets is going to take longer to process than a simple tote bag. Check the prohibited items list to make sure everything goes smoothly. Registration was straightforward in 2018, and I don't see why that should change this time.
4. Get your bearings early
The venue isn't the easiest building to work out until you're used to it, as there are plenty of pillars and corners about. It's also helpful to note where the toilets are, as well as the food outlets – which have been beefed up a bit since last year's inadequate provision. If you know where you're going, getting between events is a lot easier!
5. You'll need to bring some cash
Quite a few vendors do take cards and/or PayPal these days, but you certainly can't count on it and cash remains king for many. There's a Santander ATM at the back of the main hall, behind the stage, and there are more cashpoints in the city centre 5-10 minutes' walk away. Try not to spend all your money before Sunday's charity auction!
6. Trams can be useful
Nottingham has a good tram system, and there's a flat £1 single fare on journeys between the rail station and the Nottingham Trent University stop (which is a little bit beyond the con venue). From the station, you can catch a tram towards either Hucknall or Phoenix Park, as they both call at NTU. Frequency was a bit uneven last year, but it's roughly one tram every 5-10 minutes. Services begin just after 6 am and run until well after midnight.
7. The Mighty Spoons
Opinions on Wetherspoons pubs vary wildly, but for many of us they're invaluable for cheap food and cider. There are none right next to the con venue, but in my experience from last year: The Roebuck gets very busy in the evenings but is quite large, The Gooseberry Bush is a little bit more relaxed and studenty, while The Joseph Else is a bit on the bare-bones side but opens at 7 am instead of 8 and is slap-bang by the Old Market Square tram stop, making it a fair choice if your hotel doesn't do breakfast that early. (I'll probably have brekkie there myself.)
8. Your schedule may well change
You may have worked out in great detail every last thing you want to do at UKPC – but the odds are that what you actually do will be a bit different. I don't think I've ever been to a convention where I haven't changed my mind about something during the con itself. It might be an idea to pick a few things you really want to do and to let the rest take care of itself.
9. Remember, this isn't a brony convention
While we G4 people are the largest contingent of attendees these days, UK PonyCon still has a lot of fans of the earlier generations, and I think you get the most out of the event if you embrace that. After all, by the time UKPC 2019 ends, Friendship is Magic will have ended too. G5 is coming, and if there's one con that's well set up to deal with that change then it's this one.
10. Nottingham city centre is...
...well, let's say that my brief experience last year led me to conclude that it's not my favourite place on a weekend evening. I wasn't hurt or threatened or anything, I just didn't like the atmosphere. And as happened in 2018 there's an England football match on the Friday night this year too. Fortunately, you can get between the con venue and most of the main hotels while just skirting the city centre. The tram lines are handy if you're walking.
11. The venue might get very warm
This is somewhat weather-dependent, as the main hall has a glass roof, but last year several places were uncomfortably hot at times, including the cinema area and a couple of the side rooms. Make sure you drink plenty of water – in 2018 there was a free water cooler in the main hall, and at least a couple of the toilets also have drinking fountains.
12. Pony Pony Pony Pony
Pony should po—ahem, sorry. If this is your first MLP convention, you have a real treat in store – because once you're through registration, you'll be in a place where everyone understands. Literally hundreds of people, every last one of whom (okay, except for the occasional family member who's been dragged along!) loves My Little Pony. Want a place where you can talk about the CMC, sing about friendship and and hug your plushies close, and feel safe doing so? This is it. Welcome home. :)
And yes, I do know that "Lead on, Macduff" is a misquotation. Lump it. :P
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