Pre-registration and validating your badge

31 JULY 2015



CCI's Toucan blog announced something we already knew/guessed; the number at the bottom of your badge is critical for Pre-registration. And there's going to be another "window of validation."

For those of you who went to SDCC for the first time this summer, and thus are embarking on your first Pre-registration ever, here's how this works.

You'll get an email notifying you that you have a certain period in which to log into the system and "validate" your Member ID for Pre-registration. You'll do this by entering your badge number. Here's the email from last year:

As for Pre-registration, that functions as a lottery much like the Open Registration you took part in earlier this year. Only 2015 attendees can participate, but only a portion of badges are available. So yes, it increases your odds of going in 2016 but it's nothing to feel overly confident about since the demand still outweighs the supply.

I know everyone is all about the when of Pre-reg; it's tempting to read into this announcement as a hint that validation and the subsequent actual sale could happen earlier this year. Last year was November and the year before was February, though that delay was due to a new system being tested.

I'd say it's highly possible that Pre-reg could happen earlier this year since CCI seems fairly settled on the process. But if you're frantically trying to set up a buying group now, I'd wait. Things can shift quickly in terms of peoples' priorities. Once the official validation window hits, you can start making arrangements then.

Finally, if you lost your badge or an absent-minded roommate tossed it, I'd contact CCI now and throw yourself on their mercy. They may or may not help you out by looking up your badge number but it's worth a shot.

Overall, it's rather incredible to feel this far out from the Con and be thinking of Pre-reg when we're still in (okay, the last minutes of) July. Although - please indulge my old-timer's reminiscence - it wasn't that long ago when we all pre-registered onsite in the Sails Pavilion and never thought about SDCC again until hotel reservations opened up. It's the year-round pervasiveness of Comic-Con that's different these last few years.