Any tips for a Salute first timer?

[Percal]

Hello to all Lead Adventurers! As the topic says, this year, a friend and I will go to Salute for the first time, so we're a bit confused about what can and can't we do, mostly regarding to food and such, but some other questions also arise. So I thought I'd ask for your kind help. We've got our flights and hotel booked already, and bought our tickets.

Mostly I'd like to kow stuff like: Can we bring our own food and drink from outside the event? Can you exit salute to eat nearby and then come back? What time would be wise to be waiting for the event to start?

Also, about the painting competition, I assume all info will be given there, but any pointers would be great.

Thank you all in advance! I'm pretty excited about the whole thing, to be honest!

[PaulJB]

Yes we always take our own food and drink, the queues inside and outside the hall can be long but you'll have a wristband so you can come and go. Certainly there will be people queued up waiting for the opening time, last year they collected everyone into an empty hall next door.

Look carefully at the show programme, find on there people you want to see, use the bigger traders as landmarks. Preorder, it's saves everyone time. Drink plenty of water.

Paul

[Belgian]

Only made the pilgrimage once so far, but would say take your own food and drinks. As I found the price at the venue (outside the salute hall) to be expensive and also sometimes a long wait (getting that pizza took ages!). You can leave the hall if you please if I recall well. Can't say what's the best time is for entering as I was kindly given a press entrance pass.

[Darren]

Bring lots of cash.  Then, 30 minutes after you've spent it, go to the cash machine outside and get more out.  Repeat until the venue closes.

[Captain Blood]

Yes you can bring your own food into the venue (Excel exhibition centre) and into the exhibition hall where Salute is held. The centre is huge and always very busy with three or four big events taking place on the same day. So the queues at the food and drink stalls are long and the prices are high. And the quality is not very good anyway.

Once you are inside the halls where Salute is taking place, you can go out and come in again as often as you like - the door staff will stamp a small ink mark on your hand.

Getting in at the start of the day is always a problem though. It used to be that if you bought an advance ticket you could get in quicker. But now everybody buys advance tickets, so there is usually a queue of about an hour to get in. Honestly it's better to turn up at 11 and walk straight in, than to turn up at half past nine, spend half an hour queuing before the doors open, then spend another half an hour or forty five minutes queuing as the queue slowly enters the venue... Last year there was a stampede and chaos once half the queue was in. I'm honestly surprised no one was hurt. But once that's all over with, the rest of the day is fine.

[Percal]

Thanks everyone!! We'll make sure to get some food and drinks then, and not to go there too soon. I must admit, I'm pretty excited about the whole trip. I'm even going to have a go at the painting competition. I just need to find a proper transportation for my minis, and I'll be set.

[Charlie_]

Interesting, I'm thinking about perhaps going myself. I've never been before, or indeed to any such show. I'm all ears.

[OSHIROmodels]

I would suggest planning your route around the show. It's big, very big and there's only a day to go round it.

If you have a shopping list, mark them out on the plan (that's now available on the Salute website) and sort your route out from there.

cheers

James

[The Dozing Dragon]

Making a plan would be a good idea.....I always miss traders and games that I'm gutted when seeing on other blogs etc. Also plan your spare time as I never do and end up seeing little of this great city.

Food - as everyone says, bring your own. I always bring a bunch of small bottles of water as well. I'll have a coffee at some point in the day but the queues tend to be a little overwhelming.

No bring and buy so the old nose plugs against the overpowering body odour of yore seem to be unecessary 

[Humorous_Conclusion]

Bring plenty of cash. The cash points in the Excel centre are not numerous, they charge for withdrawals and the queues get ridiculous.

If you want to be first in the door, you need to be there at least an hour before the doors open and expect them to open late (the fire martials never give the all clear on time). Otherwise, I would recommend getting there at least 30 minutes after the start to give the queue a chance to clear.

[Mason]

All of the above....and take a torch, it is pretty dim in there.
 

[throwsFireball]

The same advice for every convention: Wash and wear deodorant.

Please.

[Malamute]

Think about preordering any toys as many of the popular items can sell out early in the day. No point in being disappointed having travelled all the way to be told I've sold the last one.

[Atheling]

All of the above and take some paracetamol 

Darrell.

[Percal]

Duly noted!