cathy

1. Filler Up
Have a filling breakfast prior to attending.
As the LA Convention Center was so close to the legendary Pantry we opted to park in their lot ($10 for the day), have breakfast (cash only!), and walk the 2 blocks over. Turned out to be a wise decision as a) we were able to walk off the full meal b) enjoyed the scenery c) saw parking rates go to $20 the closer we got to the convention center d) were sooooo reluctant to leave wanting to get autographs from all possible authors and see as many vendors as possible. Bringing snacks too, water, cheese, trail mix, granola bars was evidenced by many in the center who, I guess were just as reluctant to leave the area.

2. Buddy Up
Go with friends, associates and acquaintances.
Not only is it a lot more fun to discuss works and authors and plan with a buddy, but you can employ the old divide and conquer strategy when it comes to lining up for goodies or photo-ops. Alternatively, chat it up with those around you while waiting for author autographs and you can ask them to hold your spot as you scootch over to grab something from another author. (It worked whilst I was waiting for Neil Gaiman and Gris Grimly and I watched the line dwindle for Jon Sciezka and high tailed it over...a two-fer!) And oh, yes, extra hands always help in case your bags get filled with just a little too much stuff. More than once I heard one partner ask another for items to put back into the trunk of a car to unload.

3. Study the schedule
Get to know who is where and when.
I believe this is called prioritizing, as more than once you'll have to choose between different authors and locations. Get a feel of who you think will be a big attraction (evidenced by the lines) and readjust if necessary. In the morning, we picked up tickets (still available after the 6:30 crowd went through them) for Kate DiCamillo and R.L. Stine, but then saw that a non-ticketed line for Gaiman and Grimly was already forming an hour ahead of schedule. Was still able to get items from the ticketed authors, but had I opted to line up for either of the ticketed authors first, would have had a long and possibly unsuccessful wait for a Gaiman and Grimly signing. Also, keep an eye out for author doing signings at vendor booths. They may not always be at the autographing area, so familiarize yourself with the different schedules.

3.1 Revamp the schedule
Cut and paste to get the available schedule printed out in an easy to read format.
From the brainchild of librarians (who were in line in front of me for Brian Selznick and joked about selling their revamped schedules for a quarter), reconfigure the stacked printout provided by the BEA so that it's easier to read.

The available schedule from BAE, stacked I would imagine, to conserve paper:

And the revamped schedule with a bit of cutting and pasting:

There's something to be said for flexibility too, and keep an eye out for cancellations and changes. There should be an area where this is posted, head there for the latest updates or ask.

4. Be a connector
Know everyone and a little bit of everything.
As a corollary to buddying up, you may not be responsive to all things at the expo, but keep track of them anyway and keep an eye on the trends. Later on in the networking game, you want to be able to say, Oh, I saw/met such and such at this expo that may be of interest to you...

5. Compliment the authors
Duh.
This I believe, is basic common sense. Be a good fan and let those there know how much you appreciate their efforts.