Connection.  Belonging.  Euphoria.  Memories.  Experiences.  You. 

These are just a few keywords to describe the reasons to attend an ABDL convention. If you have never been surrounded by people that see life through a very similar lens to you, this convention experience will be a turning point.

There are two well-known ABDL conventions in North America; CAPCon (Chicago Age Players) and BabyfurCon. Both ABDL conventions are hotel take-over experiences, which means the entire hotel is an ABDL zone where it has been negotiated with the hotel to be alright for you to walk around in cute clothing and generally a diaper and no pants!

There are often zones where this is not allowed that you should take note of, but to give you an idea of this experience, imagine turning your house into a giant mansion with all your ABDL friends living in the same place with their own rooms for a weekend!

Below are five aspects of ABDL conventions that make them worth attending.

Connect, Play, & Feel Safe

You are going to make memories. The kind of experiences that you recall fondly well into the future. The people you will meet come from all over the world and what nobody explicitly tells you is that the ABDL's that traveled across the globe for this event are eager to meet YOU!

 

 

The truth is, everyone experiences anxiety meeting new people, especially if alone, even those that look like the most confident people; even those huff and tough babies get anxiety except they have learned through practice how to hide and override the fear. One of the best ways to combat fear is to keep your eyes away from your phone or the ground; look at others around the room. Next, pick a moment and walk over awkwardly and introduce yourself with an open mind and heart. Say hello, and it's ok if you say you are nervous and thought their outfit looked awesome. Maybe your plushies wanted to say hello; a perfect ice breaker. You'll be surprised how many ABDL's will fall into the roleplay, even those who think they wouldn't.

Nomenclature, objects, habits and behavior have a paw print, and when it comes to gathering with your tribe, your base paw print is extremely similar to everyone attending this event from around the world. Put another way, you just matched the first 4 numbers of the lotto with all the people at this event. By having a strong base in understanding with those also attending the ABDL (or Furry) convention, this allows you to relax into yourself, be you, and show up!

 @YouTube Video by The Padded Puppy

Celebrate Art & Whimsy

Many vendors and artists attend conventions and sell their products or commission their artistic services. Over the years, the ABDL market has been increasing in vendors, making this room all the more exciting to visit when the dealers' area opens. Take a stroll and find some new clothes that represent you, or a new pacifier or bandana. After you finish shopping for the 10th time, there are many rooms throughout the convention space that offer areas to play pretend from rooms specified for littles, middles, and bigs. There are also tricycles, swings, ball pits, blocks, and many more objects that help facilitate connection and play. Before you know it, the areas will be closing, and you'll be needing a nap or dinner with your new friends!

Share Skills, Encouragement & Lessons 

Similar to daycare (business) conventions, there are activities, panels, and sessions scheduled throughout the ABDL convention days. Activities can range from learning spanking techniques to learning how to cultivate relationships, manage mental health, and even an event to gather every ABDL that owns a nerf gun to have the biggest Nerf War in ABDL history! You better pull up your poofy pants for this event; it's intense in the most diaper way possible!

Other Events

• Tea Party
• Pup Play Mosh
• Guide to Brat Play
• Guide to Wearing 24/7

• ...and so much more!...

There are many events to cultivate exploring you. Once you arrive, look at the schedule and gold star the activities you want to attend, and don't be surprised if you get so caught up in hanging with your new diaper pals you forget to attend any of the sessions! (This is common!)

Come Together With Like-minded People

Imagine walking into a room where you are instantly understood! No weird stares, no snide judgment, just smiling eyes and shy blushing faces. In most cases, you will likely be greeted with excitement and a hug from a stranger! An ABDL convention or Furry convention experience is much like this reaction.

The reason for this surreal and often euphoric emotional high is at this event; your "tribe surrounds you." In this case, the term tribe refers to people who already understand most of your likes, interests, and association with the community you are attending a convention.

Due to feeling more "YOU" than you probably do in real life, many ABDLs have found their significant others and lifelong friend groups at conventions. For this reason, many convention-goers become addicted to attending such events, as they more closely represent the world we wish we could live in daily.

You may have heard the term PCD (Post-Con Depression) or "con drop." PCD is due to the drastic change back to reality when you head back home. Its caused by the emotional swing after the convention concludes due to the emotional high and fantastic energy from everything you experience while at the convention.

One of the tricks to avoiding PCD is to plan for the next event. The community is here to connect! By planning to attend the next event with your new friends, you all have something to look forward to in the future as you resume your everyday life.

Play Pretend For A Weekend

Now Go. Make the convention special where your imagination has no bounds. Make your hotel room glow with projected stars, and be the kid inside that enjoys being read to, holding a plushie, and content snuggling with good company, and most of all, attending breakfast in your footed pajamas and singing about a breakfast burrito!

 @YouTube Video by Babyfur Con

 

Thoughts to leave you with

You absolutely should attend an ABDL convention! The good significantly outweighs the nerves and cost. However, if you are in debt or can't afford to participate in a convention, you should wait until you have play money to enjoy the convention experience comfortably.

 

Look at that. You just found a goal for the year!