If you are anything like me, then with PAX East a little more than a week away you have already begun creating a list of the essential items that you’re bringing, planning which panels you want to attend and scoping out some of the better places to eat and visit while in Boston.
Whether you are a battle-hardened convention veteran or a doe-eyed, overwhelmed newbie, the more information you have available in hand is always helpful. With this thought in mind, the SQ team put together a collection of helpful PAX East resources.
Maps
Over the past few days and weeks, the guys at Penny Arcade have released convention maps. These maps detail the overall layout at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center as well as a booth layout map.
Apps
The Conventionist app, available for iOS and Android, just added PAX East 2011 to it’s list of event. Within the app you can view the convention schedule and have the app remind you of selected panels and events. You can also setup a personal schedule, view maps, see a full list exhibitors and their location, and create a ToDo list, so you don’t forget to pick up your Penny Arcade poster.
The myBCEC app, the convention center’s official app, contains area specific information such as transportation options to the venue, nearby restaurants, hotels and stores, as well as a map of the convention center that lists bathrooms, ATMs, escalators, and eateries. iPhone link, iPad Link, Android Link, Blackberry Link
Another great source of current information is the official Twitter feeds. The main feed for the event is @Official_PAX. But, PAX also updates a few others to provide information about specific parts of the show. Worried about the line at the main theater? Check out @PAX_lines. Interested in keeping track of the Omegathon and friend of the site, Ben Sweeney’s Omeganaut journey? Keep your eyes on @PAXOmegathon. For tournament information check out @PAX_Tourney. If you want to stay entertained while waiting in line check out @PAX_Entertainer.
Survival Guide
The folks over at the PAX forums have created a great guide of lessons learned during past PAX events. The guide includes a list of suggested items to bring to the event as well as some thoughts on time management and how to extract the maximum amount of fun from the event. The forums also have a ton of information about unofficial events and meet-ups during the convention.
Hopefully armed with all this information your PAX experience will be amazing. Don’t forget to follow us at @Sidequesting for PAX news and tweetups.
See you there!
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