WorldCon 2020 will be in Wellington!

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jamesrt

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#255900 5-Sep-2019 12:38

Maybe people already know, but I've only just discovered...

WorldCon 2020 (the World Science Fiction Convention) will be in Wellington next year!

Worldcon, or more formally The World Science Fiction Convention, is a science fiction convention held each year since 1939 except for the years 1942 to 1945. It is the annual convention of the World Science Fiction Society (or WSFS).

There are many science fiction conventions around the world, but Worldcons offer a unique mix of fans and professionals from all walks of life and all corners of the Earth for a very exciting experience.

So, maybe all the geeks need to keep 29 July to Aug 2nd free next year...

[Note that apparently they're keen on having volunteers to help out, more details on the page I've linked above]

wellygary

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#2311183 5-Sep-2019 13:53

Although to be fair, NZ was the only serious contender,

the next highest bid was the hoax bid for Boston (22 votes) and "Peggy Rae's House" 3 votes.... :)

The total list of vote results is here

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vTA-b2xZFk6iwHNEKur0kzzF9xDwqtcQyxGYWaFWg_3tPxrdVWyMsMwWP5Ls0st2N0wxeiGMJNlly4P/pubhtml?gid=1040414388&single=true

Oblivian

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#2311237 5-Sep-2019 14:12

Been advertising at Armageddons for the last couple.

And there was a bit of an odd marketing ploy? with AirNZ and an announcement talking about inviting/flying George RRmartin in - who's been listed as a headliner for about the same/for some time.

https://www.airnewzealand.co.nz/press-release-2019-airnz-george-r-r-martin-is-coming

http://georgerrmartin.com/notablog/2019/05/21/thanks-new-zealand/

And as it happens, I already have plans to return. In the summer of 2020, Wellington is hosting the World Science Fiction Convention, the oldest and most important con in the SF/ fantasy calendar, and they’ve asked me to serve as Toastmaster for the Hugo Awards. Writers, fans, and artists from all over the world will be headed down to check out all of your wonders. I hope lots of you Kiwis will join us.

SaltyNZ

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2degrees

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#2311239 5-Sep-2019 14:12

Yes, I'm registered as an associate member (not attending).

iPad Pro 11" + iPhone 15 Pro Max + 2degrees 4tw!

These comments are my own and do not represent the opinions of 2degrees.

Geektastic

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#2311361 5-Sep-2019 17:12

World Con?

Not a great name...

pctek

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#2311799 6-Sep-2019 14:54

Yes we know. In fact:

http://georgerrmartin.com/notablog/2019/05/21/thanks-new-zealand/?fbclid=IwAR38jfS0TdXyrU3OQMBgYYcpv_xRWGOaDyZABGsbtMtMaaTaaqcVw_yP6Ss

But I tell you this — if I don’t have THE WINDS OF WINTER in hand when I arrive in New Zealand for worldcon, you have here my formal written permission to imprison me in a small cabin on White Island, overlooking that lake of sulfuric acid, until I’m done. Just so long as the acrid fumes do not screw up my old DOS word processor, I’ll be fine.

As for volunteering, I did, never even got an acknowledgement or a No Thanks.

Guess they have enough people already

Lias

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#2312354 7-Sep-2019 16:18

I'd love to go but it's rather pricey.

I'm a geek, a gamer, a dad, a Quic user, and an IT Professional. I have a full rack home lab, size 15 feet, an epic beard and Asperger's. I'm a bit of a Cypherpunk, who believes information wants to be free and the Net interprets censorship as damage and routes around it. If you use my Quic signup you can also use the code R570394EKGIZ8 for free setup. Opinions are my own and not the views of my employer.

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pctek

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#2312443 7-Sep-2019 19:10

I went to a Con once. They're all called something lame, this was ShakeyCon (wellington).

Worldcon is always called Worldcon.

The author talk was good, some of the displays were good, but on the whole I found I was not too excited by all the dressing up in strange costumes and racing about hotel corridors, drinking at midnight and stuff that went on, it was a bit too teen at a boarding school naughtiness sort of thing to me.

I like to read, like a lot of SF, and a minute amount of fantasy, but I wouldn't go to them all.

Friend of mine does, all of them, here in NZ and quite a few overseas sometimes too.

I thought some of the "fan discussions" a bit lame too, basically disintegrated into a snobfest, Literature vs media, each side trashing the other.

alavaliant

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#2312517 7-Sep-2019 20:59

Sounds cool, I will certainly be attending. There are so many cool events that happen miles from NZ I awesome to have something like come to NZ for a change.

pctek

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#2313986 10-Sep-2019 09:08

They have cons every year you know...not World con, but small ones.

This year was in Rotorua, some authors I didn't know....Have a look on the NZ SF fans website, they list them all.