ATLANTA — In a flurry of colorful wigs and fantastical costumes, thousands of gaming, comics and anime fans will stream into the Georgia World Congress Center for MomoCon 2019 this weekend.
According to organizers, more than 35,000 individuals attended last year, and if you’re among that number for the annual convention’s 15th edition over the next few days, there are some practical tips to keep in mind.
GETTING IN
MomoCon, which bills itself as an “all-ages geek culture convention,” began on Thursday.
Entrance requires a “membership,” which can either come in the form of a $77 four-day pass or single-day passes for $45 (Friday), $50 (Saturday), or $35 (Sunday).
Kids age 9 and under can enter free. You can buy your membership here.
Badges can be picked up with your confirmation email and a photo ID at the event’s registration area, which is located between the A and B buildings in the main lobby of the GWCC.
PHOTOS | MomoCon 2019
GETTING THERE
Organizers are encouraging people to take public transportation, with a MARTA station conveniently located right at the GWCC site.
It is possible to park in various lots around downtown, though those will cost you around $10-20 for the day, and none will get you as close to the GWCC entrances as the MARTA stop.
If you’re planning to use Uber or Lyft, be aware that during big events, finding a pickup spot in the area around the GWCC/CNN Center/Mercedes-Benz Stadium can be a bit of a scrambled process. There usually are designated pickup points, but they can sometimes be tricky for drivers to find or might generally be out of the way for you.
GETTING FOOD
This is important not to forget, because it could be more of a process than you’d actually think.
The GWCC itself has various small dining areas, including food carts and coffee/sandwich bar type things.
But past that, most of the quick dining options around the center are at the CNN Center’s food hall, and that facility is stressing that it’s not part of MomoCon and prohibits “face masks and coverings of all types, anything that obscures the face, weapons, realistic prop weapons” and other items that many conventiongoers figure to have.
Many options after that in the area are sit-down restaurants and bars, where it could be a tossup if they’re accommodating to cosplayers and others outfitted for the convention.
Outside food isn’t allowed.
GETTING THERE ON TIME
MomoCon has an easy reference guide for when things are open. Note that if you’re planning late nights at the Gaming Hall, you’ll need to get your badge during the more limited hours when registration is open.
An extensive schedule of various panels, screenings, gaming events and more can be found here.
A PDF of the event’s full program is available here.
GETTING SEEN
Photography is a major part of the convention experience – after all, why go through all that work if not to broadcast it a bit? – and is of course encouraged at MomoCon.
Organizers have a handy list of when and where cosplayers and groups will be holding photo shoots here, and some general tips about photo etiquette here.
GETTING AUTOGRAPHS
There’s an extensive guest list for MomoCon, featuring cosplayers, actors, artists, costumers and other sorts of industry professionals. With that, there’s a fairly extensive process to things.
Organizers stress that while many autograph sessions are free, others will include a fee based on the individual. You can find out more about who charges what at the event’s guest list page.
To secure your spot, an autograph reservation line opens at 10 a.m. each day where you can get your pass for any of the day’s sessions.
“Think of it like a move theater box office, you can get your pass until they are sold out, limit one pass per person per celebrity per day,” the MomoCon site says.
If you miss out, you can still show up for a session and wait in line. Depending on how early you line up, you should still have a decent shot at a signature.
Sessions are held at the “Walk of Fame” area at MomoCon.
A list of session times is available at the bottom of this page.
The guest list can be found here.
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