I am not interested in going to a convention of any type. Why? I don't see the interest in it.

Back in college, I was a resident advisor in the dorms, and involved in all the crap that went along with that.  As such, I was a member of my university's chapter of the "dorm association thingy"... or whatever.  Every year I went to at least a couple of conventions in different parts of the country.  To be completely honest and completely frank, the only reason I went to these conventions is to meet people and to travel, two of my favorite things to do.  If I ever attended any other conventions in my life, it would be for these two reasons.

That said, I wouldn't mind attending a video game convention at some point.  I'm not the biggest "gamer" out there, but I would certainly have enough in common with many of the people in attendance that it would probably be a fun experience, and I would get to meet and become friends with a bunch of cool people.

~fin

For me there are many reasons for going to conventions:

Shopping: 

Depending on which ones you visit they always seem to have things that you can only get there, I also bring extra money and normally spend what should be for food on Figures or pieces of art, I love at Anime Conventions how there are Artist Alleys, it's good to see all the different styles that can be found out there and how each artist does their style of said characters, my only complaint (at least at Anime-Cons) is that  the Artist tend to draw only the popular shows that are out (Bleach, Naruto, Etc.) but they are trying to make money but so it's understandable. But Cons on the last days have really good deals on items cause they are trying to clean their inventory and such, but it's nice not having to sit at a computer and shift through pages and links to find stuff you might want, it is nice to see your future purchase in front of you

Panels: 

At any con you go to there will be Panels it just goes with out saying,  but it's nice to see people talk about, demonstrate, or show whatever the Con is centered around, you can learn the history of your part of geek niche, learn how to build, write, create, draw and hopefully add to your niche as well. The fact is panels are a great experience of passing on knowledge or entertainment to others, we can  share and enjoy with those who want to give back to their geeky communities.

 The People/Communal Experience:

Normally people have to hide the fact that they are Geeks/Nerds from other people around them, whether it be at School, Work, or to an extent at Home, and sometimes you are the only Nerd/Geek in those places, but at Cons here everyone is the same, it's all understood that we have the same interest and that we know what it's like, whenever I visit a Con i say to my self "I'm home, these are my people" I feel the most relaxed when I am at a Convention, the people there are nice and friendly, occasionally you might get the one asshole or jerk but for the most part the people you meet at cons can become life long friends, it is such a great community that is accepting and doesn't judge, they allow you to be that guy who is a dork, they are you're Friends and Family

The communal part is why I go to Cons, I don't bring my DS because if i'm waiting in line I'm gonna chat it up with the strangers in front of and behind me, I walk around and people watch, the level of joy at Cons is overwhelming, you see people laughing and free, it's because they are letting go, they get to be themselves for 3 or more days and be in a environment that is calm, fun, and relaxed, this is the main appeal to ME for Cons, The People 

I think my main reason is all the loot

In the UK, unless you're living in a major city, it's hard to find things like anime posters, manga chapters, and other stuff along the same lines.

So it's nice to have somewhere I can go, stock up on posters, replace my firefly coaster when it gets dirty or water damaged, and just gek out for a weekend.

Also, dressing in a tunic and having people actually call it a tunic is another big plus...

For me, it depends on the convention.  I've been to E3 twice, though, that was 12 and 13 years ago.  I used to be in the software testing and tech support industry.  So when I went, it was first to see all the new hardware and software to relate it to my job and second, it was to just  be like a kid in a toy store.  Free promotional stuff was awesome!  I miss that job.

I would love to go to an anime or sci-fi convention, but more for the spectacle.  After that it would be to see what is new or I might have missed and buy souvenirs.  If I ever could afford to go to PAX it would probably be for green hair and cleavage! (the Commodore just disappeared half way through the video)  Then I would probably just check out as much of the new stuff as I could.  Like CptShadow I wouldn't bring a DS with me, at least not to the convention center.  There would probably be too much to see, do and miss around me.  Then, getting hammered with new friends at the end of the day is always fun!

I wouldn't go to D&D or tabletop gaming conventions.  I only have a curiosity about them but no real knowledge.  I would probably just be uncomfortable and not understand what is going on.  Unless it's CLUE, then it's game on!  That being said, I would probably go to just about anything with a friend.

To go. Never been to one before. Which is why I'm going to Dragon*Con in September.

Brentalfloss is going to be there! I hope CotGW is going as well.

One gathering of people you have the same interest why wouldnt you go to a place where you know you'll be able to talk all about the stuff you love.

Two in the case of things like e3 and other gameing conventions it's the demos and the new games that attract you.

Three the stuff you can buy there a ton of stuff.

Note never been one planing on heading to Youmacon this year if i can make it all the way from Warren Mi to Detroit. 

PS what with all the Capcom fighters cosplay im mean Ryu Morrigan C.Viper M.Bison were you guys near a capcom booth or somthing?

Awww, I wanted to be in the wringer, tweet me next time!

But to this weeks wringer, I like to go to conventions for many reasons:

Meeting People: I went to PAX this passed weekend, and was very excited and starstruck by all the people I saw. Seeing you guys, and NCS and Brentalfloss, it was just really cool. Interacting with people I'm huge fans of is just really great. 

Buying Stuff: Lots of stores had tons of really cool classic games that I would have to buy online otherwise. I bought a Genesis, and tons of other stuff, so I'm happy for that sort of thing.

And I thought I should mention that classic console freeplay is freaking awesome

(oh and I beat Contra!)

For me its about the commeradery (dont know if i spelled that right).

Its about being part of a communitiy and bein with people of similar interists.

I would say the interest to find people which like things that I like, and if you visit a convention it is of a certain theme, so you can easily find people of the same interest and of course it is quite entertaining and informs you well about the content you want to know about.

I think I would go just to see the spectacle of the thing.

My wife is even interested in attending ComicCon but she wants to go to watch panels from her faveorite shows.  Spcifically Bones.

I am not so sure I would want to try to go to the panels.  Seems like waiting in line you would miss out on so many other things going on.  Don't get me wrong, I would love to hit up an X-Men panel, a Nintendo presentation or get into the USA Network lineup of panels.  Just sounds like more of a pain in the ass than it is worth.

But I would still love to make it to a con like ComicCon, E3 or PAX.

ComicCon almost seems too big for me to enjoy.  It always looks too jam-packed to really get to do anything without lines that can last for hours.  I'd blame its recognition in the general populace, but that'd make me look like a geeky snob, which of course I'm not. 

I've never been to a convention, but I want to go to one for different reasons. Panels are a big draw for conventions, as are the vendors and community experience unique to conventions. But in the gaming and comic-con worlds, it's all about the big announcements from the companies. Be it movie, game, comic or television announcements, that's what makes San Diego Comic-Con, E3 and the like the spectacles they are.

Last year I went to BotCon because it was very close to where I live, I love Transformers, and I love being around other people who are into the same things I am. That's the main reason why I like conventions.

Definately a large part is just the atmosphere, a 'safe haven' if you would. A place you can go and completely geek out about whatever tickes your fancy and have others likely be as excited about it as you are.

It's also a wonder place to share ideas, thoughts, plans, and exchange contacts, or meet new stores  / distributers.

People and interesting things to see compel me to go to a convention. I've been to ComicCon and Celebration IV (Star Wars), and when I was younger I tried to attend an X-Files convention. I really love Star Wars and feel at home with it, and the community is often very good. Many personal stories and a lot of love for the series. And the great thing about Star Wars in particular is there are many different kinds of love for it that are on display. In other words, an older person might remember it with nostalgia and reflect on how it affected his/her life, while a younger person is really excited about it. And again, Star Wars has many aspects to it that appeal to many personality types, so once again there's a great variety of experiences for the franchise. There's also a lot of great art to look at as well as cool costumes and projects. There's booths set up for simple fan projects, and booths for LucasFilm divisions (or even GameStop, etc), so there's a wide range all-around.

ComicCon I went to with a very nice lady friend. We had a lot of fun experiencing it all, but it was a bit too crowded and there wasn't as much room for the simple fans to have booths or presentations. But of course, an even larger variety of things to see, and a whole lot more costumes. A much more difficult convention to enjoy with all the lines and crowds, however. If you're in a bad mood, ComicCon won't help. Fortunately, I'm pretty kick-back.

I hope I can attend Celebration VI, and for more than just one day.