Denver In 2008

[filkertom]

Congratulations to Denvention, which won the right to host WorldCon in 2008.

So... who's going? :) I'm thinking about it strongly. The fact that it doesn't conflict with Dragon*Con is very nice for me.

Comments

[drzarron.livejournal.com]

Cool.. I like Denver a lot.

[eibii.livejournal.com]

Possibly I, since... wow, a local Worldcon, my mind is a wee bit blown.

Although, I remember the main thrust of the argument against here, during past bidding panels, as being, "Where the hell would they hold it?" which has its point, other than splitting the Adams' Mark and Convention Center, which still has yet to be finished IIRC... it'll be interesting to find out. What the hell, eh, I'll give it a shot, I haven't gotten to see you proper yet anyhoo. ;)

[twfarlan.livejournal.com]

Denver. That's close enough and has enough ancillary benefits to be well worth it.

Yeah, we'll be there.

[nimitzbrood.livejournal.com]

Hmm...more than a year to plan and save money...I might actually be able to make this one. I haven't been to a WorldCon since it was held in Winnipeg in '94(?).

Still. I'm not surprised Chicago lost again. With all the damn palms that have to be greased around here and the fact that in a lot of convention places you can't even unload your own stuff or plug in your own lighting without a union guy... It gets expensive pretty quickly. (Unless I'm totally out of it and that has changed from a few years ago...)

[shsilver.livejournal.com]

I'm not surprised Chicago lost again.

This is the first time Chicago has lost a worldcon bid.

[nimitzbrood.livejournal.com]

Wow. I'm mildly surprised at that. Because of how expensive it is to run any kind of convention in Chicago I'd just assumed it had lost at least one WorldCon bid.

Well y'know what they say about assuming anything... :-/

[salkryn.livejournal.com]

I seem to remember much bitching among otaku at Anime Central in past years about union guys. It really pissed off a lot of people that they couldn't sell Pocky in the dealers room any more, or that fans weren't allowed to help dealers tear down their booths, etc. So far, it hasn't affected my department (video programming) that much. The union guys haven't tried to tell us we can't set up our own damn video equipment...but god knows they may try.

[rmjwell.livejournal.com]

There is a very easy way to deal with union employees: pay them. Pay them to stay out of the way, but pay them.

No, this isn't a slam at unions; I'm in one.

[avt-tor.livejournal.com]

Union members don't usually participate in site selection voting.

I don't think Chicago's union problems would be worse that, say, Boston or Philadelphia.

[fiawol.livejournal.com]

The fact that it doesn't conflict with Dragon*Con is very nice for me.


Yeah, what's up with that? Worldcon has been on Labor Day weekend for so long I don't even bother to look at it, since I go to Dragon Con that weekend, and because of that this year I missed being able to attend. Now next year it will be the week after Labor Day? Were Denver's facilities just not available that weekend? Well, I won't look a gift horse in the mouth, as I finally may be able to go back to a Worldcon.

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

Dunno. But this is not the first time in recent years it's off Labor Day. I actually don't mind the trend.

[gridlore.livejournal.com]

According to the FAQ, they decided on the earlier date for a couple of reasons. One of them was that the facility was not available for Labor Day, and they got a very nice quote for the early August dates.

They also make the point that schools tend to start earlier these days, meaning that many fans run into family commitments that make attending a late-summer con impossible. This is a good thing, IMHO.

[drzarron.livejournal.com]

Labor Day weekend used to be a dead weekend in the event biz. But now its hot, so its getting harder to get space and good pricing.

[avt-tor.livejournal.com]

Worldcons are traditionally on Labor Day because that's when facilities are cheaper. DragonCon is on Labor Day because that's when its facilities are cheaper. When Worldcons find facilities cheaper on a different weekend, they are held on a different weekend.

There is a slight consensus that earlier weekends in August are better now that schools are opening earlier, but this is a minor issue. The major issue is that Worldcons are held in facilities that are available.

[gridlore.livejournal.com]

I would love to go, since I know people in Denver and could probably gather a group of baseball fans for a field trip to Coors Field.

Will discuss this with Kiri when she gets back from Burning Man.

[trdsf.livejournal.com]

Damn. I was really hoping Columbus could get this one. I mean, a WorldCon within walking distance--that would've been much too sweet.

[surakofb5.livejournal.com]

I'd love to have it in Columbus, but two failed bids in a row is a pretty good sign it will never happen.

And it might interest you to know the Columbus bids are being run by the same people who run Marcon. So it would be Marcon x3.

[faxpaladin.livejournal.com]

Third time might be a charm: A friend is suggesting a fast turnaround to campaign for 2011 -- the vote for which would likely be in Kansas City.

[trdsf.livejournal.com]

Yeah, but by and large, the Marcon folks today are probably not the same ones with whom I had a beef twelve years ago, and I wouldn't be volunteering to work anyway--I've never worked on a convention where the payoff of success outweighed the grief I had to put up with (typically, me being blamed for things that I had a: nothing to do with or b: absolutely no control over) so I just won't do it anymore. The next official con badge I wear, I'll be a GoH... so I don't expect to be wearing any more official con badges. ;)

[markbernstein.livejournal.com]

I'll definitely go, with extended time on one end or the other. My sister lives in Denver.

[mrfnord.livejournal.com]

You know, if Denver also manages to win the Democratic Convention bid, August 2008 could be a very exciting time for our fair Mile High City...

Imagine Worldcon and the DNC rubbing shoulders. Wouldn't that just be something?

[shsilver.livejournal.com]

Don't have to imagine it. It happened in 2004 in Boston.

[billroper]

While it happened with the Worldcon and the Republicans in KC in 1976.

The joke was that the local hookers were confused, because business had been fine when the Shriners were in town, then the Republicans were in and everything was still fine, then we came to town and business went to hell.

Changing the topic or a moment

[rmjwell.livejournal.com]

Bill, if a fan wants to vote for site selcetion but can't attend the Worldcon where the balloting takes place, what are their options? Do voting rights come with a supporting membership?

I've been hanging around the smof types long enough, you'd think I'd know by osmosis by now.

Re: Changing the topic or a moment

[billroper]

Yep, a Supporting membership gets you voting rights. That's the big benefit, other than the warm glow of supporting the Worldcon.

Some days that glow is warmer than others. ;)

[neonnurse.livejournal.com]

Hot damn, it will be like the old gold rush days!!! The hotels and restaurants and all will be minting money!

[rmjwell.livejournal.com]

Out of towners may want to start their workout regimen now; the main hotel is 3.5 blocks from the convention center (.4 miles as the Google map flies).

And this is at altitude.

[tigertoy.livejournal.com]

Oh, *expletive deleted*.

Two bids I wanted to see win, conventions I could easily have attended, lose to an upstart very far away, for a con on a weekend so far out of position on the calendar that I almost certainly can't go even if I overcome my bitterness and decide I want to.

[faxpaladin.livejournal.com]

Lois McMaster Bujold is the GoH.

I'm there.

(I'd backed Columbus, but really I'd've been happy with any of the three -- all would have been closer than any Worldcon since I started seriously looking at going to them. I wasn't into fandom yet when they had it in San Antonio, alas...)

[nuveena.livejournal.com]

BOOO-FREAKING-YAH!

SEMI-LOCAL AND LOIS IS THE GOH!

Man, I've really gone native when I think that 400 miles away is semi-local.

I am SO THERE.

[surakofb5.livejournal.com]

Bummer. I'd rather have Worldcon over Labor Day, when I have a day off work. The timing worked great for Noreascon in 2004. I was not impressed with DragonCon and won't go back.

[melaniedavidson.livejournal.com]

OH MY GOD I LIVE NEAR DENVER AND IT'S GOING TO BE NEAR ME *squee!*

*hyperventilates*

[ifics.livejournal.com]

My first Worldcon was Denver in 81, am looking forward to it in 08. It was on the trip home from that Denvention that Freeway Filkers was written. (I-5 in 88).

[sdelmonte]

Hmmm. I wanted Columbus, since it seems to be a great con town, and it's almost close. I like Denver, but the one time I was there it took three days to acclimate to the altitude.

Still, it's good to see the big show move away from the same places it always goes, and it's not that far from any other part of the US.

Attending Denvention 3

[hms42]

I converted to attending at the room party tonight. Conversion rates are not bad if you mailed in a vote.

Also, I did my usual.... I found the art show director and offered my help. I am working the Art Show AND am the tech support for the official convention photography area while hanging out in the Filk lounge when not doing anything else.

Next worldcon, I stick with ONE department and relaxing in the filk lounge. Much more fun! (Art show is enough work for me.)

Harold

Re: Attending Denvention 3

[billroper]

Art Show is enough work for anybody.

[james-rayner.livejournal.com]

Damnit, Damnit Damnit!

Denver is too FAR!

*Bangs head on post* Columbus, I could have done! Denvers halfway across the frickin continent compared to Columbus fer me.

Damnit! I'm never going to get to a Worldcon.