Lighting at a local Comic Con

[Summer75]

I have been asked to do the photos for my local Comic Con. Whenever I do events I have always brought my flash on a lightstand with my umbrella softbox. Nice and portable and gives great off camera light.

Has anyone done work at a Comic Con before? I am abit worried about the crowds and if it will be physical possible to carry my lightstand around with me. Ideas or tips would be great. I have never been to a Comic Con before. I do live in a smaller area so there will probably be only 1000 people over the event.

My second question is when it comes to the celebrity guests photo ops. These are paid photos and the ones I want to nail. Given that the lighting will be florescent I will need to bring my own light. In the past, when I have done photo booths, I have used one light and one reflector. But given the nature of the event I will probably only have room for my one one on the lightstand with the softbox. I don't want to throw it straight in front of the subjects because the light will be flat but if I put it off to the side I will have weird shadows. I have resigned myself to the fact that the light will probably be head on. I can't think of another way around it. I was thinking of putting the light over 7 - 8 feet feet high pointed down and than standing under it and doing photos in portrait orientation as they will be full body photos. But I am just not happy with how flat that will turn out but with the light being higher I should be able to avoid glare on eye glasses or shiny costumes. With only one light, a backdrop that will show shadows, and florescent lighting all around, how could I do the photo booth better in a crowd where I only have room for one light?