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Hello everyone, I'm visiting Revision 2018 (first demoparty ever) and traveling from the US. A few questions I have...

Do you guys recommend sleeping at the party or getting a hotel? I understand having a hotel room is more comfortable but do you get a more "full party" experience staying and sleeping at the venue the whole time?

How does it work with getting a spot for your computer? Do you have to leave your stuff in your spot to keep it? Are people always changing places?

Are beer and food sales at the party cash-only?

Any other tips on what to bring, or how to make the experience more enjoyable would be MUCH appreciated. I have been dreaming of going to a demoparty for years now and I'm incredibly excited it will be a reality this year. Thanks!

Hi myriad,
thanks for choosing Revision as your first demoparty! <3

For some sleeping at the party place is part of the experience, some others not so much. As Revision is a demo >party< it can be quite noisy at times, even at night (the sleeping area is part of the main hall) (there are free ear plugs at the info desk).

Reg. a spot for your computer: most people leave their stuff at their spot for the whole duration of the event. You should how ever talk to your seatmates (a good idea after all), so you can have an eye on each others stuff. The risk of stuff getting stolen is really really low, but in case you really value your computer you should bring a Kengsington lock or use it as a pillow ;) In case you completely clear out your spot for the night there's a slight chance it might be taken the other day.

Beer and food sales are cash-only, sorry. There are ATMs nearby.

Our website offers an FAQ and a packing list. Apart from that: don't hesitate to talk to people or ask questions. Socializing is a big part of demoparties.
We most probably will also have a newcomer program again featuring guided tours and a mentor program. Information on this program is still available on the 2017 website. Stay tuned for an official announcement.

The main sleeping area is behind the main stage (big screen), but some sleep under their tables as that area fills up quick. Bring a sleeping bag and ground/pad mat and a towel if you intend to do that. There are showers on site, but I think I recall people complaining about not enough hot water some years...

That said, the hall can get rather loud and the smaller second stage can sometimes run quite late. People will also hang out and mill about the hall talking or doing stuff sometimes until 3am--Been there, done that. Ugh--though they are pretty good about keeping music and other things off by then.

If you pick one of the hotels listed on the website from past years it's likely to be on the chartered shuttle route that leaves from the party hall and makes a bunch of stops before returning. It's free and quite handy if you're not staying at the Hotel Crystal (which is within walking distance).

In addition hotels may offer some sort of breakfast. One of the food vendors each year I think provides a breakfast of sorts (eggs at least, iirc), but it's not a very large meal and I don't think guaranteed to happen.

Sorta and not really. As moqui said, people do tend to leave stuff at their tables so they don't have to carry it around all the time or schlep it from their hotel and back. I usually leave various odds and ends there, taking only important stuff like my laptop, headphones, passport,
etc. back to the hotel.

You shouldn't have a huge issue with people taking "your" spot unless you sit next to a large group or so that has people coming on later days. They may still have the newcomers section again this year and you're pretty much guaranteed a spot there and to keep it over the weekend.

If you know any people going or are in any groups, then you may be able to sit near them and they'll make sure there's a seat for you.

Others might be able to indicate otherwise, but I believe the local Rewe (open Thursday and Saturday around the event) also only takes cash. If you're coming in from outside the EU, airport ATMs can sometimes give a decent exchange rate for credit cards.

That said the party hall itself sold beer, original-flavor Club-Mate, and 1L bottles of Coke and water last year, iirc, and there are food stalls on site to buy meals (also cash only).

An entry! JK. Entries are always appreciated though (I need to get around to putting out another one...) Swag or other trinkets can be useful to trade for stuff, though most groups that have stickers just give them away.

You may want to bring a mug or cup, unless you like drinking directly out of 1/2L bottles that seem to be favored over there. If you grab one from somewhere on your way over then you get a bonus souvenir. A Nalgene doesn't hurt either for water; you can fill it up in the hotel or whatnot but I haven't seen any drinking fountains around.

In case 4 days of junk food isn´t appealing to you a good idea is to go to the somewhat touristy old city centre or nearby France for a proper restaurant - if you´re lucky you can join some of the many groups going there.
The nearby ghetto-style suburb offers various middle-east/pizza/kebab like food places, though quality and availability changes permanently so it´s hard to tell in advance which ones provide delicious bargain and which ones offer doomsday butthurt.

Something to consider: There are hardly any 24/7 shops and due to easter holidays the opening hours are quite limited during the weekend. Thus make sure to get there in time if you want to buy something outside the official party time or special stuff.

In case you pick one of the city hotels: We were hardly able to use the shuttle bus last year (way off schedule or just not running at the desired time), but during the day public transport runs regularly for about 2,-/trip and a taxi to the city is quite affordable either (especially when shared with others).

Weather is hard to predict: It can be a warm sunny spring as well as wet, cold and windy, and outdoor partying including bonfire late into the night is part of the fun. Thus it is a good idea t be prepared for both. Or just bring enough bucks for buying party shirts as needed, they´re a great souvenir anyway ;)

For your digital gear: Make sure you can connect to 230V AC with euro or schuko plug.
Wired and wireless network will be present, pretty stable and handy for live voting, but don´t count on super stable high-speed internet since it is shared by everyone.