There is no bad spot to watch from as long as you are by the curb. You really don’t have to be there more than a half hour ahead of time to find something without a 7 foot tall person blocking you. OTOH even though you didn’t ask about it I think you should know that you need to show up really early for the masquerade contest to get a good spot. Show up 15-30 minutes before scheduled and you’ll find yourself in the overflow room at best. Why is that important? Because this is a live event and where would you rather be to see a live event, down close and personal or on a giant screen in another room? Don’t get me wrong the big screens are helpful even when you are in the main room but…then again maybe I’m making to much of it.

I think another important point is that ‘con is made possible by hundreds of volunteer staff members, and we’re there because we love this stuff too, so if you’re lost or need help with something, look for people with staff badges or staff lanyards, and we can help you or at least find someone who can.

Security staff will usually be stationed at the doors to the major ball rooms and dealer’s rooms, and they should have headsets they can use to reach EMS or hotel staff if you have an emergency. Everywhere I go at con I see my fellow staffers, and even when we’re off duty we still have our eyes open and we’re ready to respond to problems, because it’s just a hard habit to break. So yes, be cautious and aware of your surroundings, but also know that you’re never far from help if something goes wrong.