Kevin Standlee of Worldcon 76 announced they have posted filing documents accepted from two bids for events to be awarded by this year’s site selection voters.
The New Zealand bid proposes to hold the Worldcon in Wellington from August 12-16, 2020.
2020 Worldcon
New Zealand in 2020
The 2019 NASFiC bid proposes to hold the convention in Layton, Utah from July 4-7, 2019, simultaneously with the Westercon.
2019 NASFiC
Utah for 2019
[Thanks to Kevin Standlee for the story.]
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More information about the New Zealand facilities is on the bid page: https://nzin2020.nz/about-nz-in-2020/about-our-facilities/
The TSB Bank Arena is where they hold the World of Wearable Art competition. It brings in artists from all over the world with truly mind-boggling costumes.
FWIW – Layton is south of Ogden, UT, and north of Salt Lake City.
I had the idea that NZ 2020 was proposed to be in Auckland. Wellington is much cooler since I just moved there!
We don’t know of any other groups planning to bid, but if any dark horses want to get into the race, they have until February 17, 2018 to file to be on the ballot. (Bids can file after that date, but won’t appear on the ballot and have to run as write-ins.)
@Kevin
2008?
The File 770 time machine must be operational again.
Sigh. Can’t fix those typos after the edit window closes.
NEW ZEALAND… ROCKS!!!
Department of Useful Facts: The Davis convention center in Layton is 48,500 standlees from the Salt Lake City International Airport, via the Denver and Rio Grande Western Rail Trail.
Layton is convenient to the causeway to Antelope Island out in the Great Salt Lake. Except that Antelope Island looks more like a peninsula now.
NZ also rockets!
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-01-22/new-zealand-successfully-launches-first-rocket-into-space/9347886
See also for more traditional flying:
I had hoped for Auckland. MUCH cheaper airfares and nonstops from LA.
Kevin Standlee: Typo fixed.
Ita: I had hoped for Auckland. MUCH cheaper airfares and nonstops from LA.
Yes, and having to walk significant distances between buildings for panels in cold, windy, and possibly rainy weather is not going to be fun.
What’s the typical add-on for Wgtn vs Auckland from across the Pacific? Stand-alone domestic fares bought well in advance are commonly under NZD100 (~USD73) oneway. Obviously a combined ticket will help greatly in dealing with flight delays however. You need to be processed at Customs in Auckland regardless.
There are direct flights to Wellington from Australia.
Some quick search seems to indicate (once a bunch of possible intermediate airports have been filtered out) Wellington International being about 150 quid more than Auckland, for a flight in mid-June this year, from London.
Wellington is a fun city to wander around. Lower scale than Auckland, which is more business-oriented. My experience is limited, however. I do have relatives in Wellington, so I may be a bit biased.
It also would be worth visiting Rotorua on the way down to Wellington if you have the time and budget. Lots of geothermal features all over the place, and a terrific Maori cultural center and school nearby (with geysers!), where people are eager to share their culture with visitors. I am slightly less ignorant than I used to be, because of them.
Also, @Robin Johnson, that is a great video! Air NZ has the best safety videos.
Wellington is interesting, and hilly, and a mess to try and drive around (trust me from experience)…and it will be in winter. That has been a concern for me regarding this bid.
:Re Rotorua Lenora is right, its an interesting place, but my sulfur sensitivity made it a hellscape for me.
The area around Taupo is lovely (that is where 2017’s NZ’s Natcon was that I attended for DUFF)
I was only in Wellington a few days, but I liked it as a city Nice to walk around in. And I really liked New Zealand as a whole, did a great trip to Mordor and also some cave exploring. Really friendly people too.
@Paul, I’m Lenore, not Lenora. Confusing, I know.
I was in Wellington in August, just before the last Aussiecon, and it was quite pleasant. It felt like early Spring to me (I live in NJ). Sweater weather, not down coat. No guarantees, of course – we might have just been lucky. If I’m remembering correctly, the city is like a bowl, with the center (where the venues would be) in the low part. There is good bus service to the whole city.
ETA: this is not to say I am not worried about other things – I am concerned about the experience level of the committee, which can hardly help being low for a Worldcon committee. They’ve been working hard to improve it, but travel is very expensive, and I think only a very few have worked on other worldcons. Still, they wouldn’t be the first to have that issue!
@Lenore. Sorry 🙁 My apologies.
@Paul, No worries at all!
FYI 2019 is the 150th anniversary of the Trans-Continental Railroad meet with the Golden Spike at Promontory Point, Utah. I am surprised Kevin S. didn’t mention that part 🙂
Shameless Bid Plug – Kate
When I’m speaking officially in my WSFS division head role, I’ve been trying to just stick to the official stuff. People have an annoying tendency to ascribe things to me that I didn’t intend otherwise.
Personally, I am looking forward to visiting the Golden Spike National Historic Site when I come to Westercon 72. No, I’ve never visited it before. Lisa has driven some of the original right of way in her Big Orange Van (necessary; you need a 4WD on those long-abandoned ROW. There’s a different section of abandoned original Central Pacific ROW just north of my home in Fernley.
I had to give grief in the comments 🙂
We are so very excited about the opportunities we have for the possible combined event.. I have to wear a muzzle in my official capacity lest I spill the coal….