Reno Wants the 2011 Worldcon, Too

Patty Wells has declared a bid to hold the 2011 Worldcon in Reno, Nevada.

Other committee members listed on the newly-unveiled website are: Aaron Curtis, Vincent Docherty, Don Glover, Mark Herrup, Rick Lindsley, Tammy Lindsley, John Lorentz, Jim Mann, Laurie Mann, Ruth Sachter, Larry Sanderson, Heidi Schaub, Joe Siclari, Edie Stern, Ian Stockdale, Geri Sullivan, Marc Wells and Ben Yalow. Proposed dates are August 17-21, 2011.

Patty and several other members of the bid have hosted regional conventions in their hometown, Portland, however, running a Worldcon there isn’t an option. “Portland doesn’t have the bedrooms, but I found a place that had such good, friendly facilities and is so pretty that I almost feel disloyal to Portland for liking Reno so much,” she wrote on the Smofs list. “For those of you who’ve worked with me on worldcons before, I hope you remember the experience as a positive one, and consider the experience of me and my committee, as well as the advantages of Reno as a site, when you vote next year.”

With site selection voting for 2011 a little over a year away, this would be what Ben Yalow calls a “sprint bid,” against a Seattle in 2011 committee that announced in 2006 and began actively campaigning at Nippon 2007. Seattle’s meeting facility would be the Washington State Convention and Trade Center located in Downtown Seattle. They would hold the con in August, too, according to a bid flyer, but I have never seen a specific date proposed.

Reno in 2011’s complete press release is behind the cut.

For Immediate Release

The intergalactic travel agents of Reno Convention Fandom, Inc. are delighted to announce a bid to host the 69th World Science Fiction Convention in 2011 (August 17-21) in the “Biggest Little City in the World,” Reno, Nevada.

A 2011 Worldcon in Reno would use a combination of the Reno Convention Center, the Atlantis Resort, and the Peppermill Hotel – one convention center, one directly connected hotel, and a second hotel a short walk (or even shorter shuttle ride) away.

Reno is situated just east of the Sierra Nevada mountains, on the edge of the Great Basin at an elevation of about 1300 meters above sea level. Its temperate climate and low humidity make Reno a delightful location for a summer Worldcon, with average high temperatures in the 80s Fahrenheit and lows in the 50s.

Just who is Reno Convention Fandom, Inc., you ask? We are a group of fans with a desire to host fandom’s annual family reunion: a desire that requires just the right facilities. RCFI, an Oregon-based non-profit corporation, considered several cities before hitting the jackpot with Reno. Our group includes experienced convention runners from nine states and two countries.

Our goal is to work with our fannish friends and colleagues around the U.S. and the world to build a 2011 Worldcon that would be inclusive, exciting, fun, and with a healthy dose of “gosh!wow!”

The Reno in 2011 bid opens this weekend from Atlantic to Pacific: at Balticon in Maryland, at Marcon in Ohio, at Wiscon in Wisconsin, at ConQuesT in Missouri, and at Baycon in California. Come chat with us — see what we and Reno have to offer.

You will find us online at http://www.rcfi.org, or you can write us at [email protected]. I’d be pleased to add you to our list of pre-supporters and friends. Online options are available to join our happy band.

Oh, and don’t worry about getting to Reno. Come by planes, trains, and automobiles — the Donner Pass is safe, now.