The new forums will be named Coin Return (based on the most recent vote)! You can check on the status and timeline of the transition to the new forums here.
The Guiding Principles and New Rules document is now in effect.
to attend PAX, you need a PAX badge. That is *all* you need to attend PAX. There are no additional badges/tickets in order to attend certain panels, just the one.
Note that people use tickets and badges interchangeably. For PAX the "ticket" is a plastic badge traditionally worn on a lanyard. It serves as admission to everything at PAX except BYOC( Bring Your Own Computer lan party area).
Some things inside PAX that you'd think might require their own badge (like signings for a phenomenally popular YouTubers) don't. So they require hours long lines instead.
Badges = tickets and gets you into the convention areas and panels. One badge to rule them all. You can still get into the Convention Center without a badge, just not into the big display, exhibits, demo areas. There are people there that will stop you if needed. Also, like others said, watch the two PAX Twitter accounts (Official and Badges). They will announce when badges go on sale. Have your notifications on!! Badges sell fast. My first year in 2015, I only got Monday badges, but have become pretty quick to the draw the last 2 years. Good luck!
The actual method of acquiring PAX passes is to go to the website http://west.paxsite.com - when the passes are available, there will be a link there to purchase them from an online store. The passes are for specific days, so if you want to go on Friday and Sunday, you need to buy Friday and Sunday passes (there are four days total, Friday through Monday).
The reason people are telling you to get on Twitter and follow @PAX_Badges, is because they go on sale at an unannounced time (usually the afternoon) on an unannounced day, and sell out quickly, so you want to be alerted (via Twitter notification) the moment they are available. Last year they actually lasted quite a while, the Friday, Saturday, Sunday badges were gone within an hour and a half (Saturday first), with only Monday passes available after that (those lasted over a month). Before last year they sold out much more quickly.
Note that if you want to stay at one of the hotels that get PAX discounts (basically all the big hotels in downtown), those are also reserved from http://west.paxsite.com, they become available the same time the passes go on sale (and also sell out quickly, although with hotels, they frequently become available again as people change their plans).
The actual method of acquiring PAX passes is to go to the website http://west.paxsite.com - when the passes are available, there will be a link there to purchase them from an online store. The passes are for specific days, so if you want to go on Friday and Sunday, you need to buy Friday and Sunday passes (there are four days total, Friday through Monday).
The link to the store will very likely not be updated on the website for several minutes after badges go on sale. The PAX Badges twitter account will be the first place that link is available.
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The reason people are telling you to get on Twitter and follow @PAX_Badges, is because they go on sale at an unannounced time (usually the afternoon) on an unannounced day, and sell out quickly, so you want to be alerted (via Twitter notification) the moment they are available. Last year they actually lasted quite a while, the Friday, Saturday, Sunday badges were gone within an hour and a half (Saturday first), with only Monday passes available after that (those lasted over a month). Before last year they sold out much more quickly.
Note that if you want to stay at one of the hotels that get PAX discounts (basically all the big hotels in downtown), those are also reserved from http://west.paxsite.com, they become available the same time the passes go on sale (and also sell out quickly, although with hotels, they frequently become available again as people change their plans).
The link to the store will very likely not be updated on the website for several minutes after badges go on sale. The PAX Badges twitter account will be the first place that link is available.
PAX. PAX. PAX. Boom.