As we told you in our last post, our next destination was last week-end at Shock Stock. An amazing convention that we are attending since the last 10 years. Shock Stock is Canada’s Premiere Horror & Subculture Event, with Spring and Fall Extravaganzas that offer the most unique, intimate, and authentic horror fan experience. Living by it’s own set of rules, Shock Stock HQ strive to be the embodiment of THE REAL – meaning it NEVER FAKE IT – and that shows with every detail of the con. It’s not here for the glory – It’s here for the PARTY!
I will do a full recap of the convention next week but for now, let’s talk about the best way to prepare for a con.
There is 720 Kilometers (447 Miles) between Montreal and London Ontario which means a drive of around 7 hours not counting stops and restaurants. It may seem long, but for me, the road trip is part of the journey. The hours spent discussing horror movies, debating whether Jason Goes to Hell is good entertainment or not, trying to figure out which movie a certain piece of music comes from, and so on.
The Montreal-London road trip was my tenth, and let’s not hide it, going to a convention can be quite expensive. The more money we save, the more we can purchase collectibles from exhibitors. It is therefore essential to plan your trip properly. Here are some tips to save money and fully enjoy a convention:
- Buy your ticket online and in advance: The price of a ticket at the door is often almost double than online. Here, the pre-sale cost of a weekend passport is $56 online. I guess that the price at the door will at least be 10$ more per day so at the end of the day, it’s a $30 that we will be saving.
- Grocery shop: Most conventions last three days. Opening hours are usually Friday from 5 pm to 10 pm, Saturday from 10 am to 6 pm, and Sunday from 11 am to 5 pm. This means two breakfasts, two lunches, and three dinners, not including restaurant stops during the trip. Therefore, the majority of the budget goes towards restaurants, which are also expensive and very greasy. So, for the past few years, after checking into our hotel, we head to the nearest grocery store. For approximately $150 (including alcohol) for four people, you will have your meals for the weekend. That is about $50 a day instead of seven restaurant meals. Think about it! Ok, we still keep the option of going out to a restaurant on Saturday night, since it is Saturday after all…
- Assemble the perfect “convention-goer” kit: Over the years, I have also developed a kit that allows us to be self-sufficient upon arrival at the hotel. Not going to a restaurant, we must, therefore, bring along a few essential tools to survive the weekend. This kit consists of three bins (used to hold ice and keep our food and beer cold), four glasses, plates, knives, spoons, and forks, and a mini panini grill (for making toast, sandwiches, and hot dogs). Oh, and also very important: a bottle opener, if you are wine enthusiasts.
- Plan your trip: Planning your trip doesn’t really help to respect your finances, but without any planning, the eight-hour drive can quickly turn into twelve or thirteen hours. Traffic is deadly, and after several trips, I realized that the best time to travel is at night. There are no wait lines at customs,if you need to cross it, and no one on the roads. This allows us to arrive at our destination without any bad surprises.
- Take a room at the convention hotel: Yes, it is true that you can often save a few dollars by reserving your room in a different hotel than the one where the convention is held. However, I do not recommend it at all. The travel time between your hotel and the convention will quickly become a disadvantage. Additionally, if you have been drinking, you will have to pay for a taxi to go back to your hotel and another one to return and pick up your car the next day. Speaking of drinking, when we stay at the convention hotel, we keep our beer cool in our room. $1 per beer is much more advantageous than $4, $5, or $6 at the bar!
- Be careful: I know that you are super happy to go to an horror con, specially if it’s your first, but remember to respect the speed limits. Arriving thirty minutes early will not change anything about your weekend, while a ticket could cost you a lot. 🙂
I’ll come back to you with a detailed report on Shock-Stock new week. Until then, you can still go read the review I did about the NJ Horror Con.
If you enjoy attending horror conventions and would like to write about your experiences for Infamous Horror, feel free to contact us at contact@infamoushorror.com
