BrickCan AFOL Newbie - Any tips?

[bricks2kids]

Hi folks,

BrickCan 2018 in Richmond is going to be my first BrickCan ever! Never too late to be converted I guess

Does anyone have any tips on how to get the most out of the AFOL convention? Kyler has been great and I would appreciate insight from anyone else who has been before.

Thanks in advance!!

[D_R_Watson]

Stay late In the evenings. Quite a lots of fun stuff not shown in the schedule goes on.

Trade the parts you get in your bag. This is a good way to get some useful parts but also a good way to meet others.

[chump]

Volunteer. I think that's the easiest way to feel involved and part of it all. This is probably a very good thing if you're an introvert, who is willing to come out of their shell.

Register and Bring MOCs. It's a sense of contribution, pride and a large part of the reason we do this. For most, building is a solitary process and once it's done, maybe they produce a Flickr gallery of photos, but to come to a convention to display and to hear and see the instant feedback of your work and creativity is fantastic.

Hangout. Get to know people in the community. It's about being with people who have a similar appreciation and love of the brick. You almost can't geek out too much, which is something you usually can't do with your non-LEGO friends. Embrace it.

Without your contribution, without your participation, a convention like this does not happen. In the first year, newbie feedback was that they wanted more from the convention but did not understand how it operated. They did not get that the attendees provide a lot of the interaction.

If you're a person who likes to hang back in the shadows and not interact with people, you will still get something out of the convention experience but you probably won't come back next year. And if you do these things, then book off next year in 2019 already.

[jeffrose]

Pierre - You forgot to mention BrickCan 101 aka BrickCan Intro! It's a great introduction to what to expect.

Thursday at 5:30.

[Hamslice]

Sign up for the games too. Lots of fun.

[chump]

Pierre - You forgot to mention BrickCan 101 aka BrickCan Intro! It's a great introduction to what to expect.

Thursday at 5:30.

I’d recommend it, if the guy running it wasn’t such a doofus. Oh wait....

but yes, definitely sign up for games, as Daniel and Keith mentioned. Just be open to it all. Don't expect it to be like any other convention that you've been to before (unless it was a LEGO convention).

[J1A3L5]

Thanks everyone for answering this question so thoroughly! The "BrickCan Intro" is definitely a great place to start, and is followed by our Meet & Greet.

My best advice is to always remember that AFOL's are generally a super-friendly and inclusive bunch, so don't be afraid to start a conversation - remember, we all already share a common interest!

[chump]

We also have an unofficial WhatsApp BrickCan group, that I'll be inviting attendees to join the day before BrickCan and for the duration of the four days. Think of it like an old fashioned bulletin board system, where you can ask questions, or set up meal co-ordination. I say unofficial, because it's not run by the BrickCan team (so do not blame them for anything related to it), but a lot of the VLC will be on it and you'll probably get a quick response from one of us (but we're also enjoying the con too or asleep). I also intend for all the new comers at the BrickCan101 (who have data plans) to jump onboard, as well. So it might get noisy on there.

If you're by yourself and you're looking for meal companions, just write where you're going and when you want to meet up and quite likely you'll have people meeting up with you. Give enough lead time though.

[Kyler]

Pierre - You forgot to mention BrickCan 101 aka BrickCan Intro! It's a great introduction to what to expect.

Thursday at 5:30.

I’d recommend it, if the guy running it wasn’t such a doofus. Oh wait....

Josh might have picked up on your humour Pierre, but then again maybe not. Is it published anywhere (that you're "the guy running it")?

[ssential-bricks]

Also, bring trade brick! We are planning are bringing lots of our "overflow" brick that we don't have plans for, but others might really love to have.

See you there

[J1A3L5]

Yes! The schedule has specific times marked for trading, and even a minifig-specific one on Friday! These were originally intended to give people a time and place to fully utilize our "trade bags" but there's no reason not to bring extra stuff you don't need - so even if you don't want to bring anything from home to trade, you'll receive stuff to give you a start!

We do ask that the focus remains on trading, not selling, to ensure the community spirit is best kept. It's a great way to meet people!

-John.

[TroopaDee]

As fun as all the LEGO stuff is, I would also suggest taking some time to try out some of the food places, there is some great food around the area. I think it's nice to be able to sit down and enjoy a good meal and gather my thoughts amongst all the commotion during a busy day. But go with some afols you meet at the con of course.

[bricks2kids]

Hi folks,

Thanks for all the help! Of course I was so excited to attend I totally forgot to check the forum before I went to BrickCan - d'oh!

I am definitely planning to volunteer next year. I helped pack up the stanchions after the closing ceremony and had a great chat with a train guy from... Detroit, and chatted to the folks I was sitting next to at the closing ceremony, but generally didn't feel like I connected with a lot of people. My own fault with not being a naturally gregarious sort. Volunteering would help me connect with more of the AFOLs there and get to know the group - thanks for the tip!

I also want to bring a MOC. It will be small as that is my experience level currently - but I was encouraged seeing other small MOCs out on the tables.

After hanging around and watching some of the build competitions (should have entered, double d'oh!) I chatted to a few people. All the MOC builders were very friendly, as were the volunteers.

Overall I had a good time and am looking forward to next year! Thanks again everyone

[gates_apco]

BrickCan 2023!
First time in-person convention for me. Very excited and nervous. These tips are all great.
To the veterans: Anything else to add?

[J1A3L5]

We'll be sending this out soon:

https://brickcan.com/afol-guide/

[AC]

Stay at the hotel you can. It truly adds to the experience. You don't have to worry about driving home afterwards or getting up early to drive back so you don't miss out on anything.