BrickFair - Tips and Tricks?

Hello all you BrickFair veterans!
What advice can you give to a Newbie? My MOC, "Pizza Day on the Death Star" will be at the Books/Movies/TV table so I won't be with you all as a group. Anything I should be aware of? Plan for? Make sure I pack? Better to bring a power bar type of snack/meal or buy something in the food court?

Any and all suggestions appreciated. I'm really looking forward to going.

Thank you!

There is fast food within walking distance. We often, but not always, do a joint order at one of them for lunch. Sometimes we go out to a restaurant for dinner. Bring some small snacks and beverages with you, but don't be obvious bringing them in, convention center wants you to buy their food, which sux. Comfortable shoes are a must, the floor is cement. If you get cold easily, bring an overshirt, sometimes convention centers get very cold, but sometimes they are very warm too. Bring money, lots of awesome stuff is there at the dealers. My MOCs are always spread around at many different tables, so I can't babysit them, and they are usually fine. I did lose a male hair once, many years ago, and it was NOT during public hours. Other people have gotten minifigs swiped, but usually everything is fine. IF you like to drink, you can BYOB for adult swim at night. Bring a camera. The WiFi at the convention center is lousy, so don't rely on it being there. Be there on Thursday as soon after 12 noon as you can, since your MOC is large, so that you are sure to be able to fit it in. Look for the staff in the bright pink shirts, they are theme leaders, and can help you with which table it goes on. I am castle theme leader, so I don't have anything to do with space or other themes, so I can't help you with it tho.

I think KC covered most of the bases pretty well. There will be folding chairs there at the display tables for our use but if you want some thing more comfortable you can always bring your own. It's not necessary to sit with your display the whole time, even during public hours. Most AFOL's are pretty good about watching others displays while your out doing other things and their will be stanchions in place as well. And a camera is a must. Even if you're not normally a photo taking person I assure you there will be something some where that you will want a picture of. And even though our club will be spread out over the convention we still like to get together and hang out, evening diner or a trip to the LEGO store are usually two activities we like to get a group together for, so don't forget to check in and see if there are any plans brewing that you might want to join us for. And most importantly have fun. You'll meet a lot of awesome people and see some amazing models.

Cale

Alos be prepared to answer a lot of the same questions from the public. Such as....

1. Is this all made from LEGO?

2. Is this a set?

3. How many peices? I never keep track when I'm building but I can usually make a pretty good estimate for my trains, buildings I have no idea though.

4. How much did it cost? My standard answer is that I don't keep track and that it's probably more than I want to know I'm spending.

5. Do you glue your models?

6. How do you transport it?

7. Would you sell it? Sure, but you probably don't want to pay me what it's worth.

8. How long did it take to build?

There's plenty more I'm probably forgetting.

Cale

Some more common public queries you should be prepared for, at least with a plausible-sounding answer if not an exact date, quantity, set number or person's name:

9. LEGO makes train sets?
10. Since when?
11. Where can I buy them?
12. What's the gauge?
13. How are they powered?
14. Do they have [obscure model train technology]?

15. Is this [thing that looks licensed] officially licensed?
16. What other copyrighted [movies, video games, airlines, etc.] has LEGO licensed?
17. Where can I get the Batman/Spider-Man/Star Wars/etc. minifigs?
18. Have you heard about the new DC- and Marvel-based sets?
19. When will those be on shelves?

20. Why are the sets so expensive?
21. How can I buy sets cheaply?
22. Can I buy individual bricks [elements, parts, pieces]?
23. I just need the plans. Where can I find those?
24. How do I identify this set?
25. Where can I get the best price if I sell it?

Cool, thanks for the tips.

How cold does it really get in the Expo center? Better to wear pants rather than shorts?

I'm staying at one hotel Thursday night then switching to the Holiday Inn for Friday & Saturday night. At this point, I'm planning on checking in @3pm on Thursday at the first hotel then going to BrickFair. Any suggestions regarding timing my check-in on Friday?