Is Noreascon Going South?????

And what does this mean to me??

BOSTON

Q.  I hear rumors that Boston in 2001 may really be Orlando in 2001. What is going on?

A.  We have been negotiating with the Boston hotels for a considerable time. We believe that the best rates that have been offered are unacceptable to us and to you. So, we felt obligated to look elsewhere.

Q.  What's wrong with the Sheraton-Hynes combination?

A.  Nothing is wrong with it. The Hynes is quite willing to have us; the Sheraton is quite willing to have us. But (here it comes), room rates will be high--over $200/night in 2001. That's a direct hit on your pocket.

Also, the Sheraton wants a very large guarantee of food and beverage income, $160,000--that's the equivalent of a 700-person banquet every night, and restaurant income doesn't count. What isn't generated through meals, coffee setups, etc. has to come directly from the convention--and that means we must increase the membership fee to cover it. We think there are better things to spend the convention member's money on than this.

Q.  Why doesn't the Sheraton like us?

A.  This is not like or dislike; this is strictly money. Boston is an extremely popular location for meetings and conventions. The city is short of hotel space; normal hotel occupancy is 80%-95% of capacity. Boston hotels believe that, if we do not accept their offer, some other group will. They will find out whether or not they are right too late to do us any good.

Q.  Did you look at any other Boston facilities?

A.  Yes, we looked at all three other Boston sites capable of hosting a Worldcon. (1) The Marriott and Westin--already booked for another convention, (2) the Park Plaza (and other hotels)-Hynes combination and (3) the Boston Harbor Collection (a group of hotels) with the World Trade Center--potentially a great site. Both sites (2) and (3) were willing to have us, but they were substantially more expensive and less convenient than the Sheraton-Hynes combination for the convention and for its members.

Boston has become a very expensive convention city and is probably priced out of the Worldcon business until more hotel space is built. We could have signed with any of the three sites; we think we could have put on a terrific Worldcon in any of them, but it would be a very expensive Worldcon. We don't think fandom wants this. We don't think any of the sites are viable.

Q.  What about sponsorships from publishers or other corporations to help pay for this?

A.  These have limited value. The amount of money involved is such that it is not possible to make it up with sponsorships from SF corporations. Publishers do help support the convention by throwing parties, buying advertisements, feeding your favorite author/artist. Besides, if publishers have extra money, it ought to go to the SF writers and artists.

NEW ENGLAND

Q.  What about nearby cities?

A.  There is no city/area in New England other than Boston with facilities adequate to host a Worldcon. We have looked at Providence, Worcester, Springfield, New Haven, Hartford, etc. Although many of them are fine for smaller conventions, they can't cut it for a Worldcon.

Q.  Why bother?

A.  Our committee knows we can put on a great convention; our track record supports this. We feel an obligation to present fandom with a good choice; we also want to win and to go to a convention where we'll all have a good time. We simply don't want to quit, since we think we can put on the best Worldcon ever.

ORLANDO

Q.  Why Orlando?

A.  Orlando has some of the best facilities on the East coast. Their room rates and convention center costs are low. This can be passed on to you in reasonable hotel costs, reasonable registration fees, and more money pumped back into the convention where you can enjoy the results.

Q.  I had a good time at MagiCon. Will this be the same site?

A.  Well, we thought so at first. We do have a very good offer from those facilities. The site has been greatly expanded since MagiCon; a new hotel--the Omni, has been added on the other end of the OCCC from the Clarion. The Clarion, Peabody, and Quality Inn are still there. The hotels' initial offer ranges from about $60 in the Quality Inn to the $90s-$130 for the Peabody (ducks included); this is an average room rate of about $110/night in 1998 dollars. We are still negotiating.

The OCCC itself is larger and there is a shopping center and IMAX theater next to the Peabody. They have offered us a date in early August--the same weekend Bucconeer is running on this year.

Q.  I heard something about Disney World--is this for real?

A.  Yes, We have also recently received an unsolicited offer from the Swan (a Sheraton) and Dolphin (a Westin) Hotels at Disney World; they can fit the entire convention in two adjacent buildings. They have offered us rates around $119/night (1998 dollars), free transportation and cheap tickets within Disney, and a site within walking distance of Epcot. We would not have to pay for convention center rental; there is no food and beverage guarantee required. This savings can be converted into a better convention for you. There are less expensive hotels nearby in Disney World connected by free transportation.

Q.  So which dates will you be using for which site?

A.  If we use the OCCC, it will be August 1-5, 2001, Wednesday-Sunday like Bucconeer is doing. If we use the Swan and Dolphin, it will be on the traditional Labor Day Weekend dates, Thursday August 30-Monday September 3, 2001.

Q.  What do the Orlando and Florida fans think about this?

A.  We have spoken to a number of fans from Orlando and from other places in Florida. They are in favor of this convention, as long as they don't have to organize it. Quite a few of them have already joined the committee to work on the bid. They include Joe Siclari (MagiCon chair), Edie Stern, and Dick Spelman.

Q.  Will this cost me more with transportation to Florida?

A.  Almost certainly not. It's cheaper to fly to Orlando than to practically anywhere else in the US. It is a sobering thought that it may be cheaper for Boston-area fans to fly to Orlando and stay there than to just drive into Boston and stay in a local hotel. The longer you stay, the more pronounced this effect is.

CON-RUNNING

Q.  Can you run a convention at such a long distance?

A.  In some ways we already have. For the last ten years we have been helping to run major segments of such non-Boston Worldcons as MagiCon, Intersection, LoneStarCon, L.A.con III, etc. We've learned a lot from this experience and we're confident that we can work smoothly and efficiently at a distance.

No city or fan group today has sufficient local strength to staff an entire Worldcon. No matter where the convention is, it will have non-local fans in many high-level positions. We've enjoyed working with other groups these past ten years and we expect that other people will enjoy working with us.

Orlando and Boston are equally distant from other cities by email. We will continue to expand our use of electronic communications and the Internet to tie the committee and all fans together.

Q.  So, will you use more outside fans to help run the convention?

A.  We do not believe that such a category as "outside" fans exists, nor should it exist. There are local and non-local fans--this is geography. But, we're a Worldcon, and we strongly believe that all SF fans are inside fans. There will be fans from all over the world helping out at all different staff levels--just as has been true for many years.

Q.  Would this change have any effect on whom you are going to ask to be Guests of Honor?

A.  No; those decisions are based upon our perceptions of the merits of the people, not upon their locations nor the convention location.

Q.  What happens to my current Presupporter or Friend status?

A.  All Presupporting (Pre-Opposing, and Pre-Ambivalent) and Friend memberships will automatically be transferred to the new venue. Given our new location, at your request, we can switch you from Pre-opposing to Presupporting, (or vice versa).

Q.  Will the Worldcon be called Noreascon--or what?

A.  The only sure way to find out is to vote for us; when we win we'll tell you. Actually, we have a number of ideas under consideration--but you may have a better one. Send in your idea for the name of the 59^th World Science Fiction Convention; the first person to suggest the winning name will get a free membership and be mentioned in the publications.

Boston for Orlando in 2001
PO Box 1010
Framingham, MA 01701-1010
USA

or email us at info@noreascon.org

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