Getting con-season ready: your pre-year checklist

Somewhere between wrapping up your last con of the year and January actually starting, there's a window where it's tempting to do nothing. You've earned it. But this is also the window where a couple of hours of prep saves you from a scramble in March when your first application deadline sneaks up and your inventory spreadsheet is six months stale.

Here's what actually needs doing before con season kicks off, roughly in the order it matters.

Audit your booth setup first

Before you think about product, look at your display. Pull it out of storage and actually set it up in your living room or garage. Panels warp, connectors go missing, banners get creased wrong from being folded the same way for a year. You want to find the cracked panel or the missing hook in your apartment, not in a loading dock at 7am on day one.

If you've been running the same flat, table-only setup for a couple of years, this is also a good time to ask whether it's still working for you. A lot of alley veterans say the single biggest jump in booth traffic came from going vertical instead of laying everything flat, simply because standing product is visible from further down the aisle. If your current setup can't go taller than a foot or two off the table, that's worth solving before you're locked into a con schedule.

Check every application deadline in one sitting

Do this now, not per-con as they come up. Open a spreadsheet, list every convention or market you're considering, and put the application open date, deadline, and notification date in three columns. Some of the bigger shows open applications 6-9 months out and you will absolutely forget if it's not written down somewhere. Set calendar reminders for each open date, not just the deadline, since a lot of tables sell out or get more competitive the later you apply.

Take real stock of your inventory

Go through what's left from last season and be honest about it. Anything that didn't move in your last three events probably isn't going to move this year either, at least not at full price. Sort into three piles: reprint/restock, discount and clear out, and retire completely. Don't just guess from memory, actually count. It's easy to think you have plenty of a print when you've got 4 left in a folder somewhere.

Get your finances in order

Pull together last year's numbers if you tracked them (and if you didn't, this is the year to start). You want to know: which cons actually made money after table fees, travel, and materials, and which ones you did more out of love than profit. Both are valid reasons to apply again, but you should know which is which before you commit money to another table fee.

• Reconcile your float and small bills situation. Start budgeting for $150-200 in small bills per event now instead of scrambling to the bank the night before.
• Check your payment processor still works and your card reader battery still holds a charge.
• Price out any print runs or restocks you need and get quotes early, since printers get slammed as con season ramps up.

Refresh your display without overhauling it

You don't need a whole new booth every year. But a tired banner, an outdated sign, or a display that's showing wear tends to read as low-effort even if your art is great. Small things: reprint a banner if the colors have faded, update your sign if your prices or offerings changed, and make sure your business cards or a product catalog are current. A physical catalog people can flip through while you're helping another customer is one of those things that feels optional until you don't have one.

If you're outgrowing a smaller setup and eyeing something with more room to build tall, tiers like Shapeshift give you 46 panels to work with instead of starting from scratch on a totally custom build. The Angled version adds any-angle panels, the missing piece for awnings, roofs and arches, which is the kind of shape that used to mean a custom build. But that's a call to make once you know your con calendar, not before.

The two-week-out list

None of this is glamorous. But walking into your first con of the year already knowing your numbers, your stock, and your setup is solid means you get to spend your energy on the part that's actually fun, talking to people about your work.

Curious what a Shapeshift kit actually looks like in person? Head to the Artist Booths homepage to see the full lineup and find the one that fits your table.