Silicon Valley Comic Con 2016 – Preview Night

If there is a way to get at least a rough gauge of how any convention is, it is the preview night. A lot of things are still getting set up but it does give the opportunity to start learning about where everything is. This can be the ever-useful press-room, a room full of a cardboard city that you can build and then destroy, the various booths in the dealer's room and where you can find the panel rooms.

This convention takes place in the San Jose Convention center. It makes very good use of the space which they have. We have spent a good bit of time within the San Jose Convention center attending past conventions. There are a large number of room within the section of the Convention center. The entire convention is happening in the central portion. It is a first year convention so it being in a smaller area is not too surprising. Instead, it does a good job to helping the area feel full or at least have a good setup. It is very easy to get from one part of the convention to the next in a very short period of time.

The wristbands are very different as well. They are the kind that will just stay on until you cut them off. They also have an RFID chip inside the top part. You also have to “tag-in” and “tag-out” whenever you are entering and exiting the convention area. This does put the security and management of attendees at a different place than a lot of the conventions. This ensures that only one person can have the wristband. The fact you cannot take it off in the least is somewhat annoying but very tolerable overall.

The preview night I can see also serving the purpose of giving those who cannot make the times of the rest of the convention. That is something a little odd, but again, the first year convention does work a little differently. Saturday, for example only has the dealer's room open until 6pm presently. There are panels and event happening around the area after that. Still, the last event is a dance and the masquerade. These are both things that will run for some time after they begin. Sunday follow a typical schedule and wraps up around 5pm.

All this does point to a well throughout out convention plan. The staff so far has been very well briefed on what they are doing and they are very helpful. The layout of the dealer's room is such that it is very easy to move about and explore what the area has to offer without much. The odd part there was that artist alley was split between the two ends of the dealer's room. It works and does a lot to keep congestion to a lesser degree. How it all plays out tomorrow we will see.

For the very first encounter, it did feel like a well tuned. Knowing this is the inaugural run through is the only hint anyone has to this can be a first year convention. There is some different technology behind it from what one would expect but it does go a long way to ensure the convention experience for everyone involved. We all look forward to tomorrow experiencing the convention in full swing.