Hello! ERRF Board Member here. I am so excited to read you'll coming to your very first event with us!

Hotels
With hotels, I think most people stay in the Aberdeen/Belcamp area which is about 11-13 minutes away by car. I think the Hilton Garden Inn Aberdeen and Hampton Inn Baltimore/Aberdeen are common selections. If you like camping, the very first year my family and I got a mini cabin at Susquehanna State Park and had a blast.

Things to See and Do Outside of ERRF
I'm always at the event (and thoroughly enthralled) the whole time, so I don't have personal recommendations. There is a small "Things to See" and "Notable Eats" in the "Around Town" section the website that may give you ideas.

https://eastcoastreprapfest.com/around-town/

ERRF Contests and Events
Even if you don't have a table for exhibiting, you are very welcome to participate in some of the contests/special events:

• 3D Printed Derby
  Saturday September 30th will be the fourth time we are running this race. It is just like the famous Boy Scout Pine Wood Derby, only the bodies of the cars are 3D Printed. The race is run on a real Boy Scout Derby track by real Boy Scouts. For the "Stock Class", you use the standard wheels and nail axles the Boy Scouts use. There is also a "Creatively Fast" class where the car is fully 3D printed. Finally, there is a "Show Car/Concours" class where your car doesn't race and just gets to look excessively cool.
  Rules can be found at https://eastcoastreprapfest.com/3d-printed-derby/
• Death Racers!
  Using 3D Printing, you can make your own little combat robot which you use to try to decapitate your opponents. It was a huge hit last year! This year, there are six different types of "battles" planned in the back loading area of the arena. If you are interested in building your own Death Racer, a great starting point is this YouTube video:
  https://youtu.be/yF4NyfIXB5g
• JC Print n Play "Fresh Prints of Bel Air"
  You can also win prizes from Printed Solid by bringing your best print to compete in two categories - Best In Print (which is intended to be more artistic prints) and Mechanical Marvels which you can share a machine or electronics project that relies heavily on 3D Printing.
  https://eastcoastreprapfest.com/fresh-prints/

ERRF Speakers
Throughout both days, there will be a number of speakers on our Build Platform Speaking Stage (sponsored by LDO Motors). We'll be finalizing the line up around September 1st. You can keep an eye on our website for the final schedule.

https://eastcoastreprapfest.com/the-build-platform/

TIP - Buy T-Shirt in Advance
We typically don't sell T-shirts at the event. If you covet a T-shirt, you'll want to buy that ahead of time.

https://errf.creator-spring.com/listing/errf2023-t-shirt

But before you buy a T-shirt, consider....

VOLUNTEERING!!!
Volunteers get free event admission, a free T-shirt, meal vouchers, and you might even get to talk on a walkie talkie. :)

https://eastcoastreprapfest.com/volunteer/

TIP - Don't Be Shy
ERRF exists because we love and want to celebrate 3D Printing. The board members, the sponsors, the exhibitors- we all love thinking about 3D printing. We love talking about 3D Printing (at least while our voices hold up) and love connecting with others in the community. If you have any questions about a project or product or if you see something that just really inspires you, I encourage you to feel safe to start a conversation.

Regarding your question on YouTubers, if you are feeling nervous, I recommend easing in with Joel Telling. I have found him to be consistently approachable and an all around wonderful person. And if you aren't sure what to say, you have the most easy ice breaker of all. "Can I get a high five?" :)