Worldcon: Glasgow 2005

[Brian G Turner]

Anyone here seriously planning to attend the Worldcon in Glasgow, 2005?

 

[Mark Robson]

Anyone here seriously planning to attend the Worldcon in Glasgow, 2005?

I'm giving it serious consideration. How long does it last? I've not really done any research yet, but I was almost convinced by a recent conversation with Juliet McKenna that I SHOULD be there.

Edit: That sounded really pompous didn't it! What I meant was that I should be there to network with other authors and get a feel for the whole author/publishing relationship on a bigger scale. I probably will go, so if you are thinking of having a get together, then count me in.

 

[Silk]

I'd love to go and I've just researched into flights up there and it'll only cost £36 from Bristol!

edit - sadly reading more literature on it you have to be a member, is this true?

 

[Mark Robson]

Have just discovered that my work will pay all the travel and accommodation costs for me to go, so I'll definitely be there now. The only question remains as to whether I will take on a stand in the dealer's room or not.

 

[Foxbat]

I might try and get there if I can..err..what is it? Does it sell beer?

 

[Esioul]

I would like to go if some of you people are going. When exactly is it?

 

[Lacedaemonian]

You have to pay to become a member, it is quite pricey. I would love to attend.

 

[Mark Robson]

I would like to go if some of you people are going. When exactly is it?

4-8 Aug 05, Lou. It would be nice to get a little gathering.

Silk, yes it does look as though you have to be a member to go to everything, but surely the general public are not going to pay £110 to wander around an event like this? I'm guessing that if you enquire, you will find that the tickets per day to look around and attend some of the talks will probably be less than this.

 

[Silk]

Cool, I'll definatly do that and let ya'll know what I find out

 

[dwndrgn]

Wish I could be there! Any one of you with a digital camera better take some photos so we can vicariously enjoy the event through you!

 

[Silk]

Ok, I've spent most of the day emailing one of the guys from the Interaction event and bombarding him with questions the sum of which is this

The convention is only open to the members - in fact it is their memberships

which pay for the whole event (membership income represents more than​

half the total budget), and as you can imagine, hiring major convention​

centres is expensive ...​

​

Depending on where you are coming from and how much of the event you​

want to see, there are options for reducing or spreading the cost. There​

is an installment plan which spreads the cost into 3 installments over​

6 months. We will also be selling day admissions from around 1st July ​

onwards, these will probably cost £30 - £40 and will provide access for​

a single day. ​

One thing to note is that, unlike some media conventions, the cost​

is an inclusive one, so once you are inside the convention, everything else​

is normally free to enter including all the programme tracks, autographing sessions,​

dealers room, artshow etc.​

If anyone has any other questions there is a Live Journal Forum at

http://www.livejournal.com/community/inter_action/

Personally I'm thinking a day pass is the way forward as full membership is quite expensive.

If we could pick a day when there are going to be a few of us attending it would be a good opertunity to say hello as well.

 

[littlemissattitude]

I went over to the website for Worldcon to check out this "memberhsip" thing. Except for the price, don't let the word "membership" fool you or dismay you - all that means is that you've paid to get in. For example, by paying the entry fee, I became a member of LosCon this year.

Also, while I was exploring, I discovered that the 2006 Worldcon will be held in Southern California, at the Anaheim Convention Center. That's where we had our Phi Theta Kappa international convention a few years ago, and it's a great place for a convention. It also means that it will be close enough for me to attend. It is also right across the street from Disneyland. Woo hoo! Even better, the 2006 Worldcon starts on my birthday! I think all of that means that I must attend.

 

[David Stewart]

Hi,

I just thought I'd introduce myself. My name is David Stewart and I am head of the Promotions Division of Interaction, the 2005 World Science Fiction Convention. We have a lot of information about the convention on our Website http://www.interaction.worldcon.org.uk and we have a Live Journal community at http://www.livejournal.com/community/inter_action and you should be able to find the answers to most questions there. However, do feel free to post here and I'll do my best to answer.

On the question of 'membership' we use that term to indicate the participatory aspect of the event. Everyone involved in the running of the convention is paid-up member. The authors and other programme participatnts you will see at the convention will also have paid to be members.

Membership differs from admission in one important respect. As a member, you are entitled to nominate and vote for the Hugo Awards. Anyone who is a member before January 31 2005 is entitled to nominate their five favourites works in 14 different categories. The final ballot is then prepared based on those nominations and anyone who is a member before polling closes may vote.

Members of Interaction will also be entitled, upon payment of a voting fee, to participate in the process to select the venue for the 2008 convention. Due to a change in the selection process, that decision will be made in 2006.

There are two types of membership: Supporting and Attending.
Supporting Membership costs £30 and entitles you to receive all publications of the convention and to vote in the Hugos and site selection ballots. Supporting members do NOT have the right to attend the convention.
Attending membership currently costs £110 and entitles you to the same rights as a supporting member plus, of course, the right to attend.

We will be making Day Admissions available but these do not qualify the holder to voting rights or to convention publications.

A final word about our rates. Some people have said that £110 is expensive. But consider this. For that you get five days of panel sessions, workshops, extravaganzas (Hugo Awards Ceremony, Masquerade presentation), a top-quality art show, parties, a fully accredited academic programme and much, much more. To put it into perspective, you'd pay £40 to see Rod Stewart in the same venue. And he'd be on stage for what, 90 minutes, 2 hours?

Anyway, I hope that's added some clarity.

David Stewart

 

[fiona]

But, it doesn't mean that "voting members" cannot attend the con, right David? Which, I think, was what was concerning some forum members. And, actually, I think the price of attendance is fairly reasonable for those who have the money. I mean, for the amount of things to do and see...your comparison to concert ticket prices was very apt, I think.

littlemissattitude, at the library

 

[Leto]

Just two questions, do you for £30 receive all the Hugo nominee, and is this membership open to foreigners ?

 

[David Stewart]

Fiona: Anyone who pays an attending membership or purchases a day admission may attend the convention. If you already have a supporting membership and wish to purchase an attending membership the cost of the supporting membership will be credited to you i.e. you only pay the difference. There is no discount available if you decide to purchase a day admission.

Leto: The convention is the WORLD science fiction convention and we are anxious to have as many countries as possible represented. We already have members from 33 different countries including France, Gambia, Spain, the UK, the US and The Vatican. I'm not quite sure what you mean by the first part of your question.

 

[Leto]

Hi,
Supporting Membership costs £30 and entitles you to receive all publications of the convention and to vote in the Hugos and site selection ballots. Supporting members do NOT have the right to attend the convention.

I'd just like to know if "all publications of the convention and to vote", also comprise the books which are nominees for the Hugos ?

 

[David Stewart]

No. The official convention publications are: The Progress Reports which provide information on various aspects of the convention including how to book a hotel room, how to get to Glasgow etc. and the Souvenir Book which contains articles about the guests of honour and other SF-related stuff. If you want to read the Hugo nominated books (or watch the videos) you have to buy them yourself.

 

[Brian G Turner]

Just to let you all know, I'm in talks about setting up a stall at the Worldcon, to promote the chronicles network. Promotion of the site will touch a new gear next year, and taking up a position at Worldcon to help connect with the wider science fiction world is simply a part of that.

This isn't going to be billed as a general "chronicles network meet" because I appreciate that not everyone would want to pay to attend. However, there will be a few members already going, and an exhibit stall may serve as a focus point for a few meetings.

And hi, David, and thanks for stopping by to help answer questions raised - much appreciated.

 

[Kevin Standlee]

I'd just like to know if "all publications of the convention and to vote", also comprise the books which are nominees for the Hugos ?

As David Stewart said, Worldcon membership does not include the Hugo Award-nominated books; however, in recent years, most or all of the works nominated in the shorter fiction categories (Novella, Novellette, Short Story) have been available to read online.

The Hugo Awards actually include thirteen standard categories, including Best Dramatic Presentation (Long Form and Short Form). In addition, Interaction has decided to use its authority to create a one-shot special category, in this case Best Web Site.

The Hugo Award ballot also includes the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer, sponsored by Dell Publications. The Campbell Award is also presented at the Hugo Awards Ceremony.

As its name suggests, membership in the World Science Fiction Society is open to anyone in the world. When you join the Worldcon, you become a member of WSFS -- indeed, that's the only way to become a member of WSFS! A supporting membership gets you publications and the right to nominate and vote for the Hugo Awards (and to vote on where a future Worldcon will be held), but not the right to attend the Worldcon itself. An attending membership includes all of the membership rights, plus the right to attend the convention itself. A single-day admission allows you to attend one of the five days of the convention, but does not include voting rights.

By tradition, each Worldcon is individually named. Interaction is the name of the 63rd World Science Fiction Convention. Future Worldcons include L.A.con IV in Anaheim CA, August 23 - 23, 2006, and Nippon2007 in Yokohama Japan, August 30 - September 3, 2007.

I'm another member of the Interaction committee besides Dave Stewart who is here and available to answer questions. I co-chaired the 2002 Worldcon, ConJosé, and I'm managing Interaction's Events division -- the Hugo Awards Ceremony, Worldcon Masquerade, and other major events such as the play we'll be staging on Friday night. The official WSFS functions (Hugo Award administration and the official Business Meeting, where changes to the governing documents of WSFS are debated and discussed -- all attending members may propose change, debate, and vote on them in a "town meeting" style of government.) are also my responsibility.

Worldcons are truly international activities, with our committee drawn from all over the world. (I live near San Francisco, for instance.) I've attended every Worldcon since 1989 (including Worldcons in The Hague in 1990, Glasgow in 1995, and Melbourne in 1999), and I enjoy explaining how they work.

Worldcons rarely come to the same region more than about once a decade, so if you have any interest in SF & Fantasy literature, art, fandom, etc., I heartily recommend trying to make it to Worldcon when you get the chance.