I love Worldcon’s place in the history of fandom, and I wish more media fans (like myself) would realize the significance of Worldcon. Going through old souvenir books and program guides is a treasure trove of our shared history. Likewise I wish some of the thankfully ever–reducing number of “literature only” fans would welcome media fans more by acknowledging films, TV, and cosplay/costuming have been part of Worldcon since the early years.
Helen Montgomery: I started attending conventions right after college and began working on my regional convention, Capricon, in 2000. For Capricon, I’ve done marketing, publications, newsletter, signage, programming, and chaired twice, plus I’m on my second elected term to the Board of Directors and serve as the Board President.
I briefly attended Chicon 2000, but couldn’t go to the whole convention (grad school!). In summer of 2004, my former partner took over as bid chair for the Chicago in 2008 Worldcon bid, and I got pulled along in the wake. It very quickly became something I enjoyed—getting to bid meant visiting new cities, attending different conventions (and cheerfully stealing ideas to take home to Capricon), and especially meeting people. I have friends all over the world now I would have never met had it not been for Worldcon.
I’ve done advertising sales for Japan and CascadiaCon (NASFiC), been Publications Department Head for Denvention, Chairman’s Advisor for Renovation, Chairman’s Flying Monkee (Vice Chair) for Chicon 7, Convention Center Liaison for LoneStarCon 3, Chair’s Advisor for Detcon1 (NASFiC) and most recently, the Event Division Head for Loncon 3.
Steven H Silver: I began attending conventions in 1986 but didn’t become involved in running conventions until 1995, when I moved to Chicago. I became active in Windycon and in 1998 was asked to run programming for Chicon 2000. Following Chicon, I founded Midwest Construction, a con–runners convention, and chaired the first one in 2002, as well as chairing Windycon in 2002 and 2003. In 2005, I vice–chaired the Nebula Awards, and also co–chaired them in 2009. I was one of the Flying Monkees (vice–chairs) of Chicon 7 in 2012. I’ve served on the ISFiC Board since 1998 and in 2004 founded ISFiC Press, for which I served as editor and publisher until 2012.
I’ve been the Science Fiction Writers of America’s (SFWA) Event Coordinator since 2008, helping to run the Nebula Awards, their New York Reception, and managing their presence at Worldcon. In addition to programming at regional and Worldcon levels, I’ve sold advertising at both levels, and done publications and guest liaison work at the local level. I’ll be chairing the Nebulas again in 2015 and 2016, chairing Windycon in 2015, and running programming for MidAmeriCon II in 2016. In 2009, I published a Con–Running issue of my Hugo–nominated fanzine, Argentus.
Pablo Vasquez: I’ve been a fan of SF/F since my early youth, growing up on Spanish–dubbed classic Doctor Who and anime in post–invasion tropical Panama. I have no doubt I attended a convention or two in high school, but didn’t care as much about associating with fellow fen until about my post–high vacation year, where I began diving all in with general interest cons, anime cons, Dragon Con, and then steampunk conventions, where I started to get heavily involved in volunteering, conrunning, performing, and other forms of fanac. Steampunk was my main expression of fandom, having chaired AetherFest (which I founded) three years running with my co–chair, ClockworkCon one year, and becoming a noted performer traveling all over the country performing and speaking on a wide variety of topics pertinent to the fandom.
However, all things changed when I reached out to a con I had never heard of until someone half–mentioned it to me in conversation and I looked it up and decided to volunteer. That convention was LoneStarCon 3, the Worldcon in San Antonio, and I was hooked, even though I had attended nearly twenty different conventions before that had nothing to do with traditional fandom. I put together a successful steampunk dance, volunteered with exhibits, marketing, and programming, and helped however else I could! Afterwards I went on to help put together the Afro–Futurist Programming at Detcon1, the NASFiC in Detroit, and worked hard as a member of the Diversity Committee to create an awesomely welcoming atmosphere, and I hope it worked. Then, at LonCon 3 and despite my reckless graveyard injuries, I was the Dances Area Head and things seem to have gone pretty all right there! Perhaps the meds and cider have clouded my memory.
Otherwise, I’m the Editor–Primer–Inter–Pares of Lake Geneva, a fanzine I throw together every now and then with roommates and local friends and other fans from all over the place. Basically, fandom and Worldcon have always ranked up there as some of the best things to happen to me, and I’m constantly very happy and honored to be included in the community!
Uncanny: All of you are here because you’ve volunteered for Worldcons along with many other types of conventions. When you talk to people who have never been to a Worldcon, what do you tell them sets Worldcon apart from other cons as a special and unique experience?
Michael Lee: There are three things: The Hugo Awards are unique; while it would be theoretically possible to create an alternative “better” award, no other SF award is as recognizable to fans and non–fans alike. And I didn’t really grok (intentional Heinlein reference) the awards until after going to a Worldcon.
The Hugo Awards also tie into the World Science Fiction Convention as a convention with history. Ideally, Worldcon should celebrate the best of the past, present, and future of science fiction and its fandom. A convention with 75 years of history has its own appeal that other conventions can’t duplicate. That history can make it challenging at times, and there are unpleasant parts of that history, but that is the price of having any sort of history.
Also, Worldcon moves around every year. San Diego Comic–Con (SDCC) is always in San Diego. Dragon Con is always in Atlanta. Your LocalCon will always be your local con. Worldcon moves around and can reinvent itself every year—the Chicago Worldcon had the trip to the Adler Planetarium, and the London Worldcon had a full symphony orchestra. Each location has its own distinctive opportunities, and since the committee changes every year, each Worldcon is unique in a way a convention that travels every year can be.
Steven H Silver: One of the things to remember about conventions is that “Bigger isn’t always better.” Most Worldcons clock in with around 5,000 members, much smaller than many anime conventions, Dragon Con, or Comic Con. However, that 5,000 member number makes it much more manageable. I can guarantee I’ll see people I know nearly the entire time rather than being lost in a sea of anonymity. I can also get into any of the panels, presentations, events, and so on that I want to attend without having to spend half my time waiting in line in the hopes of getting in.
Worldcon also offers a sense of community. The most visible piece of information on my badge at a Worldcon isn’t the name of the convention or the dates I’m allowed to be there, but it is my name. I can see other people’s names and know who they are, which is very beneficial in trying to strike up a conversation. I also know that all of those people have paid for the chance to attend, whether it is a first timer, or someone like David Kyle, who has been to practically every Worldcon since 1939, or Robert Silverberg. Also, at Worldcon, when the panelists, who include big names like Lois McMaster Bujold or Neil Gaiman as well as regular fans, are not on their panels, they are mixing with all the other members rather than scurrying through service hallways to get to their next appearance or interview. I doubt I would ever be able to just fall into a conversation with George R. R. Martin and Gardner Dozois in a hotel lobby about estate planning for authors at one of the enormous conventions.
The other thing that sets Worldcon apart is the fact that all of those 5,000 members are potential volunteers. Many of them won’t volunteer, especially as Worldcons are marketing themselves more towards fans whose experience is in the buy–a–ticket conventions, but they have the chance. As Pablo has pointed out, he attended Worldcon when it was in San Antonio after attending and being involved in many other conventions, and his eyes were opened to a whole new type of fandom, into which
he plunged headlong.
In 2000, I was in charge of programming for Worldcon (and will be co–chairing that division for the 2016 Worldcon in Kansas City). One of my mantras was that at any time, I wanted people to have to choose between panel A, panel B, demonstration C, Reading D, Kaffeeklatsch E, or having lunch. And I wanted everyone to be hungry at the end. Those choices, of course, would only represent things of interest to the individual at the time, not all of the events scheduled which were beyond their interests or the standing exhibits that they could see any time. Running Worldcons also allows me to schedule events that I could never do at a regional convention, like having NASA engineers discussing spaceship design with the artists who portray it on the covers of books and the authors who describe space travel within their texts.
One of my friends attended her first Worldcon in Chicago in 2012. She quickly became such an integral part of the community, attending LoneStarCon 3 in 2013 and Loncon 3 in 2014, that is difficult for people to realize that she has only been attending the “Science Fiction Family Reunion” for three years.
Emma England: I’ve only been to one Worldcon, and judging by conversations I’ve had with longtime attendees, they are all very different both for the attendees and staff. It is hard to pinpoint and explain the differences from other cons. It is large but not as large as SDCC or Dragon Con. It has its own traditions and history, but so do all cons. There are the parties and socializing, but all cons have some kind of events—the UK based convention organizer Starfury even has its own tradition of line dances so that the shy or rhythmically challenged can join in at the discos easily.
Friends I persuaded to come to Loncon as their first convention or Worldcon enjoyed the access to authors and the high level of debate in the panels as well as the interaction with other book fans and learning about new books they would never otherwise read.
This is not why I think Worldcon is special. Worldcon makes me feel a part of something. It makes me feel like I have a community I belong to. To give my husband as a specific example of how this works: He had never been to a con as he isn’t a fan but he decided to come because of my involvement. He ended up as one of the two builders of the TARDIS in the children’s program and loved it. He had his space and his role and people to chat with. He also loved the panels he went to, and he came out feeling a sense of community. Worldcon has so much going on that there is a space for everyone to be actively involved, so if you are prepared to put just a little in you can come out as part of something greater. It isn’t perfect, but that is also good, it means we have something to strive for as a community.
Helen Montgomery: I have sat behind a lot of bid tables over the years, and had to explain Worldcon to so many people!
First, I absolutely agree with Michael that the Hugo Awards are one of the main things that sets Worldcon apart. I can’t really add anything to what he said except “Ditto.”
Second, I would always emphasize community. I have often heard Worldcon described as the annual Fannish Family Reunion. (As with all families, there are some members we don’t like so much, some who are a bit odd, which we do have to acknowledge. That said, it’s our reunion.) I see people at Worldcon every year I don’t see at any other time during the year. I may not talk to them at all in between, but as soon as we see each other, we’re chattering away like we saw each other the day before. The size of Worldcon also makes it a manageable reunion. It also means that someone like George R. R. Martin isn’t there as “OMG GRRM!” He’s there as our Uncle George. Just part of the family (okay, maybe one of the cooler relatives…)!
The size of Worldcon also means that we can have parties, unlike something the size of a Dragon Con or SDCC, and the parties to me are a big part of the community. We eat, drink, and dance together, hang out and geek out about our favorite things. Sometimes we even get to hang out with Uncle George. It’s pretty awesome. I went to Dragon Con once and was totally overwhelmed by the size, the sense of not being a part of it, and not having parties to go to in the evenings to be social was just not fun for me.
The other important piece to the community was brought up by Steven and Emma, and I absolutely agree with them—the fact that Worldcon is run entirely by volunteers is phenomenal. The fact that anyone who is attending the convention can volunteer and be part of the process is a huge part of how we are a community.
Pablo Vasquez: Worldcon, unlike many other conventions, has an actual fan–oriented community environment that includes the pros as well in that mix. Most other conventions require some sort of upfront payment to even smile at your favorite pro/celeb, but Worldcon has never built that artificial barrier ever. There’s a rich history of tight–knit community, for better or worse, and that’s something that appeals to a lot of folks I talk to, wanting to be a part of something like that. Also, our party scene is quite excellent, and I always make sure to mention that to folks. I come from subcultures and fandoms where partying is not only expected, it’s important, so it’s good to see that Worldcon loves its parties, albeit they are unbelievably tame compared to most every other convention party circuit out there outside of Traditional Fandom. The programming is also definitely top notch, and being a fully volunteer–run event also helps. Oh, and the Hugos, because fancy awards are always cool.
I do have to point out, however, that telling anyone about Worldcon outside of traditional fandom is like explaining an apple to a fish. Most people don’t know about Worldcon, don’t care about Worldcon, or have serious misconceptions about Worldcon and still consider themselves to be hardcore fans. Hell, I’ve had responses ranging from “There’s a convention surrounding the Hugos?” to “I thought that died out in the 80s or something.” Of course, by the time I explain it all to them, they love it, but that initial hurdle is pretty difficult.
Uncanny: Worldcon clearly has a long history with much to offer to its community, so how does Worldcon go about building, maintaining, and growing that community? How does it address concerns of its community members, and what are some of the hurdles in reaching out to potential new members outside of Traditional Fandom, as Pablo has alluded to?
Michael Lee: One of the biggest challenges of Worldcon is that there really is no one person or group truly in charge of Worldcon as an institution. Each Worldcon is very independent, and it can be a difficult community to navigate without existing connections. The bidding process targets people already invested in Worldcons, so instead of marketing to people why Worldcon itself is special, it targets people to vote for a particular site to people already likely to go to Worldcon. And Worldcon is cheapest when you support bids and plan to attend years in advance.
For Worldcon to improve, you need people to step up and get involved in various different ways. Helen has done some of that with the Science Fiction Outreach Project, and Pablo’s involvement with the Detroit NASFIC’s diversity committee this year was also an example for future Worldcons. I’m personally excited to see Helsinki bid for the Worldcon because I think it’s good to see Worldcon go to places where it hasn’t been before and because it has active fan communities all around the world.
Helen Montgomery: I think that one hurdle is that it can be discouraging at times to reach out to new groups or places and be met with a distinct lack of interest. A bid or convention needs to consider how they are reaching out, who are they sending to, what their promotional materials are (i.e. will they appeal to this group), what their message is (here’s why you would like this), and so on.
Marketing has seemingly always been a great weakness for Worldcon committees. It feels like it can become the black hole of doom for whoever agrees to be in charge! There are very few fans with real–world marketing experience, and this can be problematic. What Michael said previously about the lack of one group in charge and independence of each group contributes to some of the difficulty in marketing can be true as well.
I’m not sure I would agree with what Michael said about Worldcon’s lack of one group or person being in charge o
f Worldcon as an institution being one of its biggest challenges, having sat behind a bid table for about six years. Perhaps I’m different, or our bid was different, but we were constantly educating people about what Worldcon is, how best to get involved, how the voting process works, how the Hugos work, etc. People wander by a bid table even if they don’t know what it’s about, and it’s an opportunity to try and bring them into the fold.
The cost of Worldcon and the bidding cycle is definitely something that bids need to do a better job at explaining to people. The best way I found to get people willing to invest in the bidding cycle was to emphasize the Hugos.
I agree that conventions need to really think about how best to encourage diversity in attendees, panelists, and staff/volunteers. The FANtastic Detroit Fund that Detcon1 had was another way to reach out, particularly to locals, and help those who wouldn’t normally be able to afford to attend. As a white woman, I do sometimes worry about how best to do this without it seeming…patronizing? Not quite the right word. I don’t want people to feel they are only valued because they aren’t white/male/straight/etc., when they reality is that they are valued because they are us—fans of SF/F as a genre.
BTW, with regards to gender, I’m not a fan of absolute panel parity (parity on every item)—but I think parity overall on a program is a great thing to aim for when you’re putting together a program.
Emma England: There are several hurdles as I see it:
No fixed abode reduces identity and branding as well as permanent volunteers.
No fixed name reduces identity (a huge number of people who came to Loncon wouldn’t be able to tell you it was actually a Worldcon or what a Worldcon is).
Uncanny Magazine Issue One Page 11
