#SDCC tips Issues – it's NOT too early to plan

This isn’t a complete list of Issues but it’s something to think about and help you prepare.

Over the course of these posts, I’ll be harping on some points endlessly.  That’s part of the methodology.  Preparation is only worth what you put into it and what you get out of it. You can be grossly underprepared and you can be overprepared.  Both will cause you to your waste time and money.

Issues are actually problems.  Sometimes there are Risks where the Handling Plan failed, unforeseen problems, or a sign you didn’t spend enough time preparing.

If you can foresee the Issues then they are Risks and you can plan for them and try to mitigate them.

It’s a subtle difference but a difference nonetheless.

Since you can’t plan for Issues you can use Lessons Learned from others to help plan your Risks and avoid Issues.

I’ll throw some out there some of the issues I’ve encountered over the years at various conventions.

1) Missed my flight when someone clogged the X-Ray machine with their un-retracted handle on their rolling laptop bag – I was late to the airport but the final kick was the delay at the X-Ray machine. I got to the gate as they closed it.  I spent 2 or more hours sweating whether I would get a flight out. Everything was booked.

2) Forgot my copy of the book I wanted signed – it had sentimental value but it was also a 30 year old edition.

3) Waited in line too long for an autograph and missed out on another autograph.  Time Management is crucial.   Sometimes you need to sacrifice one signing or panel for another. Sometimes you need to get in line extra early to get out sooner to make the next autograph. We all get greedy; it’s hard to be draconian. 

4) I didn’t eat enough and I had a meltdown.  I was too busy and I forgot to eat and before I knew it everything was irritating me and the wife and I had an argument. 

5) You partner/help isn’t up to the task or missed out or unreliable.

6) You catch a cold or twist an ankle or have back spasms– now you can’t keep up.

7) You misplace your rental car.

8) So excited you can’t sleep – and after 3 days you are a zombie at the show and missing out on stuff.

9) No parking in the parking garage, even though they took your money.
10)Not getting the time off from work.

So ask your friends about their horror stories and compile a list of lessons learned to better prepare yourself.  People like to talk about their tales of woe. It’s in our genetics. So buy them a beer and listen. A beer is a small price to buy to afford a lot of stress and heartburn.

AH