OK, there isn’t any adult beverage available, but if there were…
1. Take a drink every time you see the phrase "Changing the way…" or "Changing the face of".
2. Take a drink for every cool trinket you score.
3. Take two drinks for every cool trinket you score without having to sacrifice your vital information.
4. Take a drink each time you are "swooped" – a vendor enters the walking space and pounces on you with unwanted literature.
5. Take one drink each time you sit through a software presentation. You’ll need it to conteract the perkiness.
6. Take a quest each time you see the word "Quest" appended to some other word – KnowledgeQuest, SpongeQuest, DietQuest.
And finally, some rules for walking through the exhibits…
Rule number one – never make eye contact. Vendors with companies with which you have not interest will swoop in to hand you something.
Rule number two – don’t get suckered in. Games and gimicks will get you nothing substantial. Example, GDW was holding a contest where you were to find someone whose number on their badge matched yours. After standing in line for awhile to claim your "prize", l that happened was that they entered your number into a computer, and if it matched theirs, you won $500. Otherwise, nothing for your efforts. What a colossal waste of time. Another group would have you wear a red had, and if one of their operatives spotted you later in the convention wearing this thing, you won a prize. Yeah, right. Otherwise you’ll just be a shill.