Anthrocon 2024: June Updates

Time’s flown by us so quickly since the last time we had an update post here (we didn’t forget about you, we promise). With Anthrocon on the horizon, let’s recap the important things you’ll need ready for the summer’s biggest furry event.

Expectations for attendance growth

As our community has witnessed at other furry conventions, the surge of attendance growth can result in some pretty evident challenges before and during the convention. We’re reaching some never-before-seen numbers with our 2024 membership, and with it, a great time to remind our community of how we can all help adapt to this growth!

We’ll be sharing some insights and tips on how to make the best of this year’s Anthrocon not only for yourself, but for the entire furry community. We want to continue creating the best possible experiences for everyone with the community’s growth in mind. If you want to learn more, check out some of our newest articles on our Convention Tips & Guides section.

Registration

Pre-registration Ending Soon: we will be ending our online pre-registration on June 16, 2024. You can find out more details about memberships and the link to register on our Registration page.

At The Convention: We will ONLY be selling regular Attending-level weekend badges, or day passes on site, as all upgraded tiers have sold out. Registration pick-up at the convention will have the following schedule on each day:

• Thursday: 12pm (pre-registration pickup start), 2pm (on-site) to 10pm
• Friday: 9am to 9pm
• Saturday: 10am to 6pm
• Sunday: 10am to 4pm

Please remember that all attendees agree to follow the policies and rules set forth on our Standards of Conduct page.

Hotels and shuttles

Last time we wrote these updates (which wasn’t that long ago, right?), we had 16 partnered hotels available for Anthrocon 2024. At this point, we’ve extended it to sold-out 22 partnered hotels within the Anthrocon block. Shuttle bus service will be available for Anthrocon attendees, stopping at specific hotels on specific routes to serve as many hotels as possible. To view the Shuttle Maps and where the shuttle stops are located, visit the Shuttle Buses page.

If you are looking for accommodations for Anthrocon, you could:

• Try your luck and periodically revisit the special booking link (hosted by Orchid Events) found in your Registration confirmation, or your hotel booking link email
• Book a hotel accommodation outside of Anthrocon’s block, at the hotel’s rate (or use a travel booking site for potential discount)
• Search for other types of available accommodations, such as room or vacation rentals in the area
• Look for available roomshare offers with other furries

Looking for rooms or roommates for Anthrocon 2024? We strongly advise attendees to make sure that you:

• Verify the legitimacy of any offer you receive, especially if it’s someone you don’t know. Use community sources like verifying if the person is legitimate!
• Use caution if an offer looks too good to be true, especially if it’s a price that is much lower than expected.
• NEVER give out personal info or pay in advance if you aren’t comfortable with. If in doubt, you can always double-check someone’s details or if a room is legitimate.

DEALERS, Artists Alley, Art Show

• The Dealers Room List and Map for the convention has been posted online. Find out where your favorite vendors will be at the convention on the 2024 Dealers List.
• The Artists Alley lottery applications have now concluded, and the lottery results for each day will be posted once available to our Artists Alley page. Interested artists can also check in with the Alley on open days to see if tables are available.
• The Art Show will be moving to the 3rd Floor of the DLCC, where it will overlook the beautiful Allegheny River and transform DLCC Rooms 323-330 into a proper art exhibit. We encourage all our attendees to visit the newly-imagined space and see some of the fandom’s most unique art pieces!

PANELS, EVENTS, AND PERFORMANCES

Our official schedule of events is now available! You can view the different opening and closing times of our convention areas, and where/when your favorite panels and events will be held. View the full event schedule on Sched!

Charity partner and events

Anthrocon has a rich history of philanthropy with animal charities based in Pennsylvania, and this year we’re proud to be sponsoring Gray Paws Sanctuary for senior dogs. This noble charity dedicates themselves to rescuing and rehabilitating our “gray muzzle” canine friends as best as they can, and our donations can help ensure those efforts will continue to many years to come.

You can learn more about Gray Paws Sanctuary, along with fun ways you can support them through things like the Bucket Brigade and Charity Auction, on our Charity page!

At-convention Resources and guides

Before you arrive, it’ll be good to know what kind of resources and things are around the city that could help you with things like parking, the official convention guide, and more. View our At-Convention Resources page for more details.

NEW FOR 2024! This year, we’re excited to announce that we will be offering a paid locker service for attendees in partnership with Pop-up Lockers! For those that are travelling into the convention and want a place to store their belongings, including fursuit parts, this convenient option will be available on a daily or weekend basis at different price points.

Have you checked out our Convention Tips & Guides? If you’re headed to Anthrocon for the first time, or ANY convention for the first time, our staff writers and local contributors have tips to help make your convention experience as smooth and fun as it can be.

VOLUNTEERING AND STAFFING

Remember that whole “we’re growing quite a bit” thing from above? That also goes for our team. From helping out in-person with crowd control and logistics to helping support and moderate our online community channels, we’d love to hear from you if you’re interested. It’s also a great way to gain practical experience in event running, get to know new friends, and give back to a great community. More information on opportunities and how to apply can be found on our Volunteer page.