Hotel Question- planning on attending Friday and Sunday due to missing passes, but I am very much looking to heed the call for enforcers should it be made. Should I reserve a hotel now? Just not sure because I don't want to reserve if I am only attending since I live an hour by automobile from Boston... Either way, very excited as always to see East from either side of the con.
Not to encourage unnecessary hotel reservations but OnPeak does allow for cancellations and they don't charge you at booking.
I purchased 4 3-day passes for myself and friends, and selected Will Call as the delivery option (I live in Canada.)
Is there a way to get separate receipts/barcodes for each of these passes so I can distribute them to my friends? Or is it necessary for me to go to Will Call to get the 4 passes and distribute them personally?
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whypick1PAX [E] Info Booth Manager~2' from an LCDRegistered Userregular
I purchased 4 3-day passes for myself and friends, and selected Will Call as the delivery option (I live in Canada.)
Is there a way to get separate receipts/barcodes for each of these passes so I can distribute them to my friends? Or is it necessary for me to go to Will Call to get the 4 passes and distribute them personally?
Didn't have to worry about this last year, but may this year... is there a coat check? I didn't notice an area last year, but it may have been because I did not need it?
Didn't have to worry about this last year, but may this year... is there a coat check? I didn't notice an area last year, but it may have been because I did not need it?
There was a coat check, I believe on your way to the actual queue lines from the main entrance.
Didn't have to worry about this last year, but may this year... is there a coat check? I didn't notice an area last year, but it may have been because I did not need it?
There was a coat check, I believe on your way to the actual queue lines from the main entrance.
You will need your coat this year. The convention is from March 6-8 and as a lifelong New England resident I can tell you - that is still winter, usually not a sign of spring in sight and the typical temp does not go above 45 unless we get an early spring and that almost never happens in New England.
Hello all. First, if this doesn't fit into this thread, I apologize and ask that it be moved to one more appropriate.
I've been going to PAX East since the very first year, by myself. Occasionally, I'd meet a friend for a few hours, but mostly it was all me. However, now, my life has changed for the better. My husband and I have adopted two boys, brothers age 8 and 10!!! They are both video game nuts and I bought tickets for myself and them.
Now, here's the question.... How do you handle kids of that age in an event like this? I remember I totally freaked the first year, and I was 37 at the time! It was totally sensory overload. I'm not worried about losing them or them getting away from me, I just want to ensure they have the best time possible. I'm slowly prepping them, showing pics of previous years and explaining about the crowds, etc. Maybe it's me being a paranoid first time parent. Any help is appreciated.
What is the policy of closed alcoholic containers? I would like to use one as part of a costume but understand that I may have to fake one up.
PAX East 2015:Get on Pokecrawl Team Yellow Silver [ ] Pass [X] Vacation Time [X] Hotel [X] Flights [ ] PAX East 2015 Complete [ X ] Sell Extra Set of Badges because Friend Bailed [ ]
You will need your coat this year. The convention is from March 6-8 and as a lifelong New England resident I can tell you - that is still winter, usually not a sign of spring in sight and the typical temp does not go above 45 unless we get an early spring and that almost never happens in New England.
Oh I know, I was joking. I live in Toronto, we know our share of terrible winters too.
What is the policy of closed alcoholic containers? I would like to use one as part of a costume but understand that I may have to fake one up.
The BCEC has a bar in one area and they're fairly strict about taking alcohol out of that area.
Also note that carrying around an actual bottle of alcohol as a costume prop is going to be annoyingly heavy all day. Just from a practical standpoint, just make a fake one from a plastic water bottle. That way it doubles as a prop, and actual drinking water. And trust me, you're going to need it.
Now, here's the question.... How do you handle kids of that age in an event like this? I remember I totally freaked the first year, and I was 37 at the time! It was totally sensory overload. I'm not worried about losing them or them getting away from me, I just want to ensure they have the best time possible. I'm slowly prepping them, showing pics of previous years and explaining about the crowds, etc. Maybe it's me being a paranoid first time parent. Any help is appreciated.
Well the only real 'insane' part of the convention is the main expo floor. Fairly crowded. I recommend you stick to the the 'main' corridors of the expo. Those are wider and easier to navigate. As you get to the periphery the aisles get narrower.
Otherwise most of the other areas like tabletop and the conference areas are fairly wide open and not that daunting ro crowded.
You could tether your kids to you. Though I'm going to guess the 10 year old isn't going to take to that idea that well. Cell phones are nice to establish communication. Also try to establish a 'home' base to go back to if you get lost or separated. The main escalators to the convention floor is likely a good place for that. It's big, easy to find and there's also security there as well.
As the BCEC is licensed, that means the BCEC is responsible for your consumption. I expect due to this they will have a policy disallowing bringing in your own alcohol, just as Boston hotels do the same thing if they have a bar. This way they avoid liability. I expect they'll do bag checks again this year, so you could be told to throw out the alcohol.
I would suggest following Satoru's advice, use water and make a fake alcohol container.
Can someone please confirm what time everything ends on Sunday the 8th? I am trying to book flights in advance and would prefer not to miss something. Thanks.
Hello all. First, if this doesn't fit into this thread, I apologize and ask that it be moved to one more appropriate.
I've been going to PAX East since the very first year, by myself. Occasionally, I'd meet a friend for a few hours, but mostly it was all me. However, now, my life has changed for the better. My husband and I have adopted two boys, brothers age 8 and 10!!! They are both video game nuts and I bought tickets for myself and them.
Now, here's the question.... How do you handle kids of that age in an event like this? I remember I totally freaked the first year, and I was 37 at the time! It was totally sensory overload. I'm not worried about losing them or them getting away from me, I just want to ensure they have the best time possible. I'm slowly prepping them, showing pics of previous years and explaining about the crowds, etc. Maybe it's me being a paranoid first time parent. Any help is appreciated.
My wife and I have taken our two kids (currently aged 8 years and 21/2 years) to PAX East for years now. Be prepared with things to keep them busy in line (books, hand held games etc). If you think they are getting overwhelmed take them some place quiet to unwind (I find that the hand held lounge is excellent for this). At the start of each day pick one thing that each person REALLY wants to do and make sure it gets done. You may have to skip some things that are important to you, so be ready for that.
I have found that most PAX attendees are really good with kids, watching their language and playing with them. My kids will reuse their trick or treat costumes as cosplay for PAX and people love it. They will get so much swag from the exhibit hall it is not even funny.
If your kids are into collecting at all I recommend getting them into the Pinny Arcade pins. My son has his own collection and makes trades.
The most important thing to remember is that PAX is no longer yours, it belongs to your family now.
So, I've just emerged from my bunker following the initial rush for passes.
I have two legitimate questions here though.
My girlfriend will be attending with me on Saturday the 7th. This is her first PAX, although she's a pretty serious gamer and has heard of the convention before. She's also very into techno and nerdcore music.
1. Are the Saturday night concerts generally any good? Obviously this is a pretty subjective question, but it's kinda the main inquiry.
2. Are the concerts on either night (I may attend the Friday concerts myself) 21+ or otherwise age-restrictive?
PAX East 2015: Passes For All Days [X] -- Free Time [X] -- Pass For Girlfriend [X] -- Hype [X]
PAX EAST 2015 IS A GO!
So, I've just emerged from my bunker following the initial rush for passes.
I have two legitimate questions here though.
My girlfriend will be attending with me on Saturday the 7th. This is her first PAX, although she's a pretty serious gamer and has heard of the convention before. She's also very into techno and nerdcore music.
1. Are the Saturday night concerts generally any good? Obviously this is a pretty subjective question, but it's kinda the main inquiry.
2. Are the concerts on either night (I may attend the Friday concerts myself) 21+ or otherwise age-restrictive?
The schedule hasn't been released yet but there are no age restrictions for the main hall concerts.
I imagine that once the lineup/schedule is announced you will both be very happy.
PAX East 2015:Get on Pokecrawl Team Yellow Silver [ ] Pass [X] Vacation Time [X] Hotel [X] Flights [ ] PAX East 2015 Complete [ X ] Sell Extra Set of Badges because Friend Bailed [ ]
Hello all. First, if this doesn't fit into this thread, I apologize and ask that it be moved to one more appropriate.
I've been going to PAX East since the very first year, by myself. Occasionally, I'd meet a friend for a few hours, but mostly it was all me. However, now, my life has changed for the better. My husband and I have adopted two boys, brothers age 8 and 10!!! They are both video game nuts and I bought tickets for myself and them.
Now, here's the question.... How do you handle kids of that age in an event like this? I remember I totally freaked the first year, and I was 37 at the time! It was totally sensory overload. I'm not worried about losing them or them getting away from me, I just want to ensure they have the best time possible. I'm slowly prepping them, showing pics of previous years and explaining about the crowds, etc. Maybe it's me being a paranoid first time parent. Any help is appreciated.
i don't have kids, but i did attend once with a friend who brought his 9 yr old daughter and i became designated babysitter for most of the weekend. it was great! she had a complete blast. her favorite thing was just walking around and looking at other people's cosplay (she herself was dressed as a bioshock little sister). everyone was so friendly to her, even kevin levine came up to talk to her and give her a cupcake!
i would say the most important thing to remember is to take a lot of breaks. make sure they are well-rested and well-fed (even if they just want to keep playing!) because otherwise you are just heading for a meltdown. we were lucky enough to have a westin room, so anytime my friend's daughter started to feel overwhelmed or cranky we'd just go hang out in the room and watch some tv or play a game to relax. overall the weekend went really well, and i'm sure your kids will have an amazing time too!
Sorry if I missed the answer to this somewhere, but is there an age where I have to purchase a pass for my child? Would I need passes for even an infant? Is it free under 10 years old or something, or does PA need to know exactly how many humanoids will be present via the purchase of tickets? Thanks!
Children 6 and under are free with a paid adult. Strollers are not permitted on the show floor at any time.
My husband and I have adopted two boys, brothers age 8 and 10!!! They are both video game nuts and I bought tickets for myself and them.
Now, here's the question.... How do you handle kids of that age in an event like this? I remember I totally freaked the first year, and I was 37 at the time! It was totally sensory overload.
I'm bringing our children (11, 13, 15) for their 4th PAX this March, and my brother has been bringing their daughter since she was an infant 3 years ago (tip: babies and toddlers are awesome cosplay partners). Everyone brings a backpack with a bottle of water, granola bars, and a cellphone with the exhibitor map & presentation schedule downloaded. While we're waiting in the holding pens before the doors open, we discuss which exhibitors and presentations each person wants to see in order to shape a rough schedule for the day. My children are now old enough to go off on their own for an hour or two, but the first year we tried to stick together. We designate a default meeting spot (quieter areas near the escalators just off the main floor are good) for a lunch rendezvous or if we get accidentally separated. There's a tiny "hidden" food counter back there with short lines that serves only chicken fingers w/fries and salads.
My kids are very friendly and like sensory overload so they don't mind the crowds and noise. They weren't great about sitting in presentations when they were younger, so we sadly skipped most of them. Queues are not as bad, because they like to chat with the other folks and compare notes on demos and swag. Identifying and acquiring good swag is definitely a motivator. Indie games are great because the kids like to talk to the developers, and the games are novel. My children are very appreciative of and enthusiastic about cosplayers, and like to spot and compliment all the great costumes and take pictures.
Do you think this year they will have a new policy for exhibitors with raffles? I know last year my bf and I did like ALL the raffles (and won a few!), and it was moving from one crowd to another crowd, getting squashed and inadvertently (or not?) getting touched by too many people lol. I know there were some ideas and a lot of feedback post-convention to have the exhibitors move to an open area (like the queue room) when its raffle time. This would help the flow of the expo hall SOO much! Just wondering if that suggestion was taken seriously
Do you think this year they will have a new policy for exhibitors with raffles? I know last year my bf and I did like ALL the raffles (and won a few!), and it was moving from one crowd to another crowd, getting squashed and inadvertently (or not?) getting touched by too many people lol. I know there were some ideas and a lot of feedback post-convention to have the exhibitors move to an open area (like the queue room) when its raffle time. This would help the flow of the expo hall SOO much! Just wondering if that suggestion was taken seriously
Doubtful. At PAX Prime 2014, it was the same mobs of people clamoring for prizes.
Plus, you can't stop exhibitors from giving out swag. Free swag = massive crowds, there's no getting around it.
At least certain exhibtors had centralized booths (like World of Tanks), so all their fans were out of the aisles.
Rather than raffles, exhibitors interested in giving out free stuff could instead request that email addresses/mobile numbers be left there. They could then perform the raffle internally and tell the winners to come by. Of course, while that gets rid of the crush, it does decrease the hype. It's up to the PAX organizers to decide if exhibitor hype is a good value compared to the safety/security implications a crushing mob has.
The organizers really hate raffles because they clog the expo hall and make for a fire hazard. I've seen BCEC people personally come down and tell the raffle booths to control the crowds.
It kind of comes down to the single line "Must be present to win." part that causes the problem. Most raffles happen at a specific time to call out, so crowds gather 10-15 minutes early, which creates attention that something is happening, and there are lots of times when the tickets pulled are from people who aren't there (for whatever reason, sometimes pretty legitimate). I'd also like to see use of the queue hall to help siphon off the large crowds into an area where they aren't a big fire hazard.
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Agreed. Better to be safe than sorry.
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Okay thanks
Look out for an email in the next few weeks.
After Prime last year they sent the email out a few days later, it was a Google Doc where you plugged in information to enter you.
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Ahh thanks, just curious!
they usually start a separate thread for that once they have it planned out, but here is last year's thread for reference http://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/186127/those-nutty-boardgames-are-at-it-twice-pre-and-post-pax-boardgame-nights/p1
Is there a way to get separate receipts/barcodes for each of these passes so I can distribute them to my friends? Or is it necessary for me to go to Will Call to get the 4 passes and distribute them personally?
The latter.
There was a coat check, I believe on your way to the actual queue lines from the main entrance.
Cool thanks
Maybe we'll get lucky and won't need it... haha.
I've been going to PAX East since the very first year, by myself. Occasionally, I'd meet a friend for a few hours, but mostly it was all me. However, now, my life has changed for the better. My husband and I have adopted two boys, brothers age 8 and 10!!! They are both video game nuts and I bought tickets for myself and them.
Now, here's the question.... How do you handle kids of that age in an event like this? I remember I totally freaked the first year, and I was 37 at the time! It was totally sensory overload. I'm not worried about losing them or them getting away from me, I just want to ensure they have the best time possible. I'm slowly prepping them, showing pics of previous years and explaining about the crowds, etc. Maybe it's me being a paranoid first time parent. Any help is appreciated.
Oh I know, I was joking. I live in Toronto, we know our share of terrible winters too.
The BCEC has a bar in one area and they're fairly strict about taking alcohol out of that area.
Also note that carrying around an actual bottle of alcohol as a costume prop is going to be annoyingly heavy all day. Just from a practical standpoint, just make a fake one from a plastic water bottle. That way it doubles as a prop, and actual drinking water. And trust me, you're going to need it.
Well the only real 'insane' part of the convention is the main expo floor. Fairly crowded. I recommend you stick to the the 'main' corridors of the expo. Those are wider and easier to navigate. As you get to the periphery the aisles get narrower.
Otherwise most of the other areas like tabletop and the conference areas are fairly wide open and not that daunting ro crowded.
You could tether your kids to you. Though I'm going to guess the 10 year old isn't going to take to that idea that well. Cell phones are nice to establish communication. Also try to establish a 'home' base to go back to if you get lost or separated. The main escalators to the convention floor is likely a good place for that. It's big, easy to find and there's also security there as well.
I would suggest following Satoru's advice, use water and make a fake alcohol container.
My wife and I have taken our two kids (currently aged 8 years and 21/2 years) to PAX East for years now. Be prepared with things to keep them busy in line (books, hand held games etc). If you think they are getting overwhelmed take them some place quiet to unwind (I find that the hand held lounge is excellent for this). At the start of each day pick one thing that each person REALLY wants to do and make sure it gets done. You may have to skip some things that are important to you, so be ready for that.
I have found that most PAX attendees are really good with kids, watching their language and playing with them. My kids will reuse their trick or treat costumes as cosplay for PAX and people love it. They will get so much swag from the exhibit hall it is not even funny.
If your kids are into collecting at all I recommend getting them into the Pinny Arcade pins. My son has his own collection and makes trades.
The most important thing to remember is that PAX is no longer yours, it belongs to your family now.
I have two legitimate questions here though.
My girlfriend will be attending with me on Saturday the 7th. This is her first PAX, although she's a pretty serious gamer and has heard of the convention before. She's also very into techno and nerdcore music.
1. Are the Saturday night concerts generally any good? Obviously this is a pretty subjective question, but it's kinda the main inquiry.
2. Are the concerts on either night (I may attend the Friday concerts myself) 21+ or otherwise age-restrictive?
PAX EAST 2015 IS A GO!
I imagine that once the lineup/schedule is announced you will both be very happy.
i don't have kids, but i did attend once with a friend who brought his 9 yr old daughter and i became designated babysitter for most of the weekend. it was great! she had a complete blast. her favorite thing was just walking around and looking at other people's cosplay (she herself was dressed as a bioshock little sister). everyone was so friendly to her, even kevin levine came up to talk to her and give her a cupcake!
i would say the most important thing to remember is to take a lot of breaks. make sure they are well-rested and well-fed (even if they just want to keep playing!) because otherwise you are just heading for a meltdown. we were lucky enough to have a westin room, so anytime my friend's daughter started to feel overwhelmed or cranky we'd just go hang out in the room and watch some tv or play a game to relax. overall the weekend went really well, and i'm sure your kids will have an amazing time too!
Children 6 and under are free with a paid adult. Strollers are not permitted on the show floor at any time.
I'm bringing our children (11, 13, 15) for their 4th PAX this March, and my brother has been bringing their daughter since she was an infant 3 years ago (tip: babies and toddlers are awesome cosplay partners). Everyone brings a backpack with a bottle of water, granola bars, and a cellphone with the exhibitor map & presentation schedule downloaded. While we're waiting in the holding pens before the doors open, we discuss which exhibitors and presentations each person wants to see in order to shape a rough schedule for the day. My children are now old enough to go off on their own for an hour or two, but the first year we tried to stick together. We designate a default meeting spot (quieter areas near the escalators just off the main floor are good) for a lunch rendezvous or if we get accidentally separated. There's a tiny "hidden" food counter back there with short lines that serves only chicken fingers w/fries and salads.
My kids are very friendly and like sensory overload
Your family is going to have a fabulous time!
Doubtful. At PAX Prime 2014, it was the same mobs of people clamoring for prizes.
Plus, you can't stop exhibitors from giving out swag. Free swag = massive crowds, there's no getting around it.
At least certain exhibtors had centralized booths (like World of Tanks), so all their fans were out of the aisles.