London in 2014 Linkage

The London in 2014 Worldcon bid issued a press release of its own after officially qualifying for the ballot. I made use of the link to the bid filing documents.

Mayor Boris Johnson gives a ringing endorsement of Londoners’ interest in science fiction. That’s surprisingly generous when you recall the 2014 bid’s earliest publicity splash was a video reminding everyone how often sf filmmakers have destroyed his city [YouTube file].

Come to think of it, the main convention facility makes an awfully big target for invaders. The bidders’ summary of hotels near the ExCeL notes that the building itself is 1/3 mile long.

The cover letter identifies members of the proposed convention committee (as distinct from the bidding committee) as Steve Cooper (Board Chair), Alice Lawson (Committee Chair), Eemeli Aro, James Bacon, Rita Medany, Farah Mendlesohn, Mike Scott, Ian Whates, Liz Batty, Claire Brialey, Vincent Docherty, John Dowd, Deb Geisler, Colin Harris, Carolina Gómez Lagerlöf, Mark Plummer, Theresa Renner and Ian Stockdale.

The full press release follows the jump.

PRESS RELEASE #1

London Officially Confirmed as Sole 2014 Worldcon Site Selection Bidder

London in 2014, a Bid for the 72nd World Science Fiction Convention, London, UK – Thursday 14 August to Monday 18 August, 2014

[email protected]

www.londonin2014.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Monday 12 March, 2012

London, UK – the London in 2014 bid team is pleased to announce the formal filing of its bid to host the 72nd World Science Fiction Convention (“Worldcon”) at the ExCeL exhibition centre complex in London’s Docklands in August 2014.

The offical filing documents were lodged with Chicon 7, the 70th World Science Fiction Convention, shortly before the filing deadline of 2 March, 2012, and London has subsequently been confirmed as the sole bidder to host the 2014 event. The bid is jointly chaired by Steve Cooper and Mike Scott and the proposal is to hold the Worldcon from Thursday 14 August to Monday 18 August, 2014.

The filing package can be found on the official website of the London in 2014 bid at www.londonin2014.org and includes a supporting invitation letter from the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, as well as the formal materials required by the constitution of the World Science Fiction Society. The bid has provisionally reserved substantial hotel space around the ExCeL area as well as the venue’s new International Convention Centre in preparation for the event.

Science fiction fans around the world are already looking forward to the Worldcon’s return to London, almost half a century after it was last held in the city in 1965. The organising committee confidently expects the event to be the largest Worldcon ever held outside the United States, with well over five thousand members taking part – including many of the field’s leading writers, editors, publishers, critics and artists. Highlights of the event will include the presentation of the prestigious Hugo Awards for achievement in science fiction and fantasy, a substantial Art Show, Dealers’ Room and Exhibit Areas. Convention programming will extend to more than five hundred separate items across the five days of the event, including talks, panels, discussions, workshops, readings and autograph sessions, and will range from serious debate to pure entertainment.

The official site selection process is open to all Adult and Young Adult Attending and Supporting members of Chicon 7. Ballots may be submitted by postal mail or in person at the convention, up to the close of voting at 6 p.m. on Saturday 1 September, 2012. Chicon 7 is also looking into the option of online voting which is now permitted for the first time under a constitutional amendment ratified at Renovation, the 2011 Worldcon. All ballots must be accompanied by an Advance Membership (Voting) fee of $40, which will automatically be converted to a Supporting membership in the 72nd Worldcon.

Full information on the site selection process will be published on the Chicon 7 website at www.chicon.org/site-selection.php over the coming weeks. A printed ballot will also be included in Chicon 7’s Progress Report 4, which will be published in mid-April.

ENDS

The first Worldcon occurred in New York City in 1939 and Worldcons have been held annually since then except for 1942-45 when there was no event due to World War II. If successful, the 2014 Worldcon will be the seventh to be held in the UK and the third in London. The most recent UK Worldcon was Interaction, held at the Glasgow SECC in 2005, while the most recent London event was Loncon II, held in 1965. For more details or to support the London bid, www.londonin2014.org. Send press questions, or requests to be removed from the London in 2014 press release mailing list, to [email protected]

“World Science Fiction Society,” “WSFS,” “World Science Fiction Convention,” “Worldcon,” “NASFiC,” “Hugo Award,” and the distinctive design of the Hugo Award Rocket are service marks of the World Science Fiction Society, an unincorporated literary society.

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