Zipcon

This was my first year doing zipcon. I have done one day cons but I heard this one was really great. It was a two hour drive for me and the cost was cheap, so why not? The information about setup was kind of unorganized and staff didnt know too much outside of their designated spots. Registration for vendors was on the second floor but the artist alley room was on the third floor. This all made for loading and unloading into the tiny, slow elevators a huge hassle, I barely got set up in time for the show to start and was sweating from pushing my carts up and down and through the unloading area at the front of the building. It was busy at the very beginning. I was very surprised at the turnout and just how many of those attendees were serious buyers. It eventually became completely dead once it hit 7:00. I left an hour early, made sure I got torn down and out of that sticky elevator situation and I don't think I lost very many sales because of it. Overall I made a pretty decent amount for a one day con and the booth was so cheap, it was worth it for me. The staff is kind of a non-issue for me, because I didn't really need them for anything after paying my table. So who cares tbh.

Came into this con with tame expectations— it's a small, one-day college campus convention.
For some reason, table cost had to be paid in cash even though guests could purchase badges with cards. Hours changed last minute on the website, the explanation given was that staffers accidentally left up the previous years information... until the morning of? Tables were super close together, so be prepared to potentially bump elbows. Beginning of the day and lunchtime were the busiest, but the crowds died off hard at night, with most booths closing up shop as early as 7 (AA officially ended at 8).
Overall, decent attendance and affordability, but disorganized and absent staff made for a slightly frustrating experience. I wouldn't choose here if you're not local, absolutely not worth a hotel.