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Maltese Furcon experience
11 years ago
I am a late arrival to furry fandom. While I've been interested in it for over 25 years, I never made connections within the community other than a couple of friends who I know from elsewhere who are also interested in furries (but they aren't part of the community either).
Maltese Furcon was my first furry con, something I have been wanting to do for almost 10 years. I already do three or four travel cons per year, so adding another travel furry con was not in the picture. Boston finally having a furry con was something I needed, since I can drive into Boston for the day. While there I learned of a second Boston furry con that I will also try to attend (I am already committed to a con in MN on the first weekend of March, so Anthro NE may be too close to it for me to also do).
I found MF very small, given it was just under 200 attendees. I am used cons the size of Arisia (currently 3000-3500). Due to work I couldn't attend on Friday. On Saturday, I didn't find enough to do. I am really bad at socializing without something common to start the conversation with. The board gaming room was always empty when I checked it out on Saturday, same for the Zoo. I went home at dinner time, which I found out was a mistake the next day (I missed social stuff that I would have liked to have done, had I realized the con had thinned out for a dinner break and was resuming again in another 90 minutes from when I left).
Sunday I went back on a whim, and it was a completely different experience for me. I got into lots of board gaming there on Sunday, and was part of a group lunch. Yeah, that was MUCH more like it.
I think if Saturday there had been a newbies meet-and-greet / ice breaker thing, I would have had a better time that day. As it was, I was there alone and couldn't get started that day. I am an older fur, so I have to be careful that it doesn't look like I am trying to stalk people half my age while at the con. I got a lot of odd looks when I tried to be social in the lobby on Saturday afternoon.
So that was my Maltese Furcon experience.
Maltese Furcon was my first furry con, something I have been wanting to do for almost 10 years. I already do three or four travel cons per year, so adding another travel furry con was not in the picture. Boston finally having a furry con was something I needed, since I can drive into Boston for the day. While there I learned of a second Boston furry con that I will also try to attend (I am already committed to a con in MN on the first weekend of March, so Anthro NE may be too close to it for me to also do).
I found MF very small, given it was just under 200 attendees. I am used cons the size of Arisia (currently 3000-3500). Due to work I couldn't attend on Friday. On Saturday, I didn't find enough to do. I am really bad at socializing without something common to start the conversation with. The board gaming room was always empty when I checked it out on Saturday, same for the Zoo. I went home at dinner time, which I found out was a mistake the next day (I missed social stuff that I would have liked to have done, had I realized the con had thinned out for a dinner break and was resuming again in another 90 minutes from when I left).
Sunday I went back on a whim, and it was a completely different experience for me. I got into lots of board gaming there on Sunday, and was part of a group lunch. Yeah, that was MUCH more like it.
I think if Saturday there had been a newbies meet-and-greet / ice breaker thing, I would have had a better time that day. As it was, I was there alone and couldn't get started that day. I am an older fur, so I have to be careful that it doesn't look like I am trying to stalk people half my age while at the con. I got a lot of odd looks when I tried to be social in the lobby on Saturday afternoon.
So that was my Maltese Furcon experience.
