You'll want to check out the Exhibit Hall map and other lists

 8 JULY 2025

It's that time of year when you desperately scour your screens for Comic-Con news - well, good news, instead of the "Studio X snubs San Diego Comic-Con, Geeks Weep" headlines that seem a bit prevalent these days. You want to know if your favorite actor will be there, if Hall H Friday is in reach or the impossible dream, and just what is the best exclusives lottery strategy.

I get it. And compared to all that, you might find The Exhibit Hall maps both overly detailed and trivial - the whole thing is experiential, after all, perhaps the ultimate SDCC in-person, dazzling, immersive activity.

But CCI released those very details today and they are worth studying, especially if you're a tender SDCC fledgling. If you're thinking, "But I'm a spontaneous cowboy who doesn't do plans and maps, I ride where my instincts take me" - trust me, you still want to look at the floor map.

It won't suck all the mystery out of the Con. It won't tether you to a boring itinerary. It will prepare you to get the items/signings/encounters you want the most. And it will (somewhat) spare you of that hellish moment when you get home from SDCC and realize you missed the perfect booth.

Here's what may or may not happen in the Exhibit Hall, depending on your prep level.

You forget what you wanted to buy. There are just too many distractions. You'll want to keep a list on your phone with booth numbers of where you need to go. 

The aisles are too crowded to notice everything. It's frustrating to make what you think is a thorough pass through the entire Exhibit Hall, only to read about some amazing booth/item that you completely missed. Sometimes there's just too much to take in, sometimes it's too crowded to see everything, or an author's line or group cosplay is blocking something important.

You discover great new artists and work. SDCC is not the comic nerd's paradise it was once, and - let's be frank - walking through the Exhibit Hall can feel like walking through a spacious Barnes and Noble. But there are still some interesting creators and weird little booths afoot. 

You close in on your prey much faster. The Exhibit Hall, like most of the Con, is a killing field. You have to be fast, cunning, and organized to land your quarry. Knowing where to go can mean getting your hands on the last item or getting in a line before it's capped.   

It's reassuring. Okay, this is for veteran attendees, not first-timers. But after the fade of so many beloved booths from the floor, it's always comforting to see old favorites.

So. Take a look at the Small Press, Artists' Alley, Fan Tables, and Exhibitors - and at least decide if there's a strategy to be had there. Because there probably is.